Homemade Beer Making Recipes
Making your own beer is becoming more popular than ever. There are a variety of recipes and ways to brew beer. But it takes practice to make a perfect beer. Here are some facts about some of the better home recipes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Equipment
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The equipment needed to brew a 5-gallon batch of extract beer are a 3- to 4-gallon pot, 5-gallon glass carboy, 5- to 10-gallon new plastic bucket, 6-foot clear plastic hose (3/8-inch diameter), fermentation lock, rubber stopper to fit the fermentation lock, 2.5-foot clear plastic hose, large plastic funnel, thermometer, beer hydrometer, bottle washer, bottlecapper, new bottlecaps and enough empty beer bottles to hold your beer.
Ingredients
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Ingredients needed in most homemade brew recipes include water, barley malt extract, hops and yeast. Some beers may require specialty malts. These ingredients can be purchased online or at a homebrewing store (see Resources below).
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The Process
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The process of actually brewing the beer takes 2 to 3 hours. Then the ale must ferment for 1 to 2 weeks. Bottling and kegging the beer can take a couple of hours, as well.
Types of Beer
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You can easily brew any style of beer, but there are things to keep in mind. If you brew a lager, for instance, it needs cold fermentation, so you'll need to store it in your refrigerator. Other popular styles include pale ale, Indian pale ale, porter and stout.
Brewing Tips
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Sanitize all equipment. If you're using old empty beer bottles, they must be cleaned thoroughly and the labels removed. Store your bottled beer in a cool, dark place to prevent skunking caused by exposure to light.
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Resources
- Photo Credit patryk specjal, Jesse Therrien
