How to Brew Your Own Beer Recipe
When you brew your own beer for the first time, you're going to want to follow the instructions on your brewing kit carefully. With the help of a clear manual and plenty of practice, you'll begin to get the hang of brewing. However, that's also when you'll get the urge to experiment. Fortunately, it's easy to mix and match ingredients to brew your own beer recipe. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Sterilize your equipment prior to beginning a new recipe. This is immensely important, as contaminants from previous batches can have a significant impact on the final flavor of any future brews.
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Prepare your wort. Wort consists of your malt extract, and is what will be metabolized by the yeast later. How you prepare your wort depends on which recipe you are using, as well as whether you are using an extract or true malted barley.
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Add your hops to the completed wort. This is the best time to let your imagination run wild. Different hops produce different tastes, and in different proportions, you can come up with some surprising results. Be aware that some malt extracts already come hopped, so you'll want to find an unhopped extract to have the greatest control over the final flavor.
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Add finishing hops after the first hour-long boil. Additional hops added at this point will generally contribute a more muted flavor, as opposed to hops added prior to the first boil. This helps you control the flavors with which you are experimenting.
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Mix in other ingredients into your wort. Fruits and nuts can be added, but bear in mind they'll have an impact on the fermentation process. For example, natural sugars and fats will change the length of time required for complete fermentation.
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Tips & Warnings
When you first start experimenting with your own home brew recipe, start be keeping at least one aspect of the recipe constant. For example, always use the same proportions of malt extract or always use the same barley and hops proportions before trying out different nuts and fruits in the mixture.
If you plan on entering your brew into competitions, or if you intend to sell it, ensure that you have the proper licensing. Some states permit brewers to share their brew with the public, while other states place heavy restrictions on home-brewed beers. Check with your own state's alcoholic beverage control board.
