Homemade Beer Supplies
Home beer brewing can be done with very little store-bought equipment. You can find the items needed for the brewing process easily at most hardware stores or already in your home. Although there are a number of brew kits available to purchase, you can make your own supplies for a fraction of the cost. Does this Spark an idea?
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Significance
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Home brewing beer allows the consumer to brew the kind of beer they like best. It also allows the user to experiment with different ingredients and make more exotic beer than what is found at the local liquor store. By collecting the various supplies needed from common household items or alternative parts for the brewing process, you can save money over commercially packaged beer.
Types
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There are both single and double fermenting processes for brewing beer. The simplest single fermenting process is the one used most often in home brewing. This reduces the amount of equipment needed and helps keep the cost low.
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Features
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A large 5- to 10-gallon food-grade plastic pail is the first item to find. Many times these are given away free by fast food or other restaurants if you call in advance and ask. Ask them to save the lid, also. Thoroughly clean the pail and sanitize it before brewing. If a pail cannot be located, look at local hardware stores and super centers for a cheap alternative.
The second item is an air lock. Simply using a length of aquarium tubing and a quart jar filled with water can make this. Drill a hole in the lid of the pail, insert one end of the tubing to where it nearly touches the bottom of the pail and silicone around the opening. Insert the other end into the jar of water. After the brewing process is complete, you can use this tubing to siphon the beer into bottles.
Clean 2-liter soda bottles with lids can replace expensive beer bottles and caps. Or if you have access to the smaller, single-serving soda bottles, use them as a substitute.
Considerations
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You can find basic beer ingredients at a brew shop and sometimes at the grocery store. Purchase a hydrometer at a brew shop for a few dollars; this is the only item that you cannot build at home. You also need a large stockpot, but you can boil the water needed for home brew in a smaller pan if no other option is available.
Warning
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The federal government has strict regulations on how much beer or wine an individual can make in a given year. Check with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for the limits the law allows.
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