Instructions for Home Beer Brewing
Home beer brewing is both challenging and satisfying. It may take a couple of tries to get everything correct and to find a desirable recipe. Start by purchasing a home brew kit at your local brewing store and following the instructions to the tee.
Things You'll Need
- 2 glass 5-gallon carboys
- 2 airlocks for each vessel
- Funnel
- Siphon hose
- Bottling bucket
- Thermometer
- 3 gallon or larger kettle
- Stainless steel spoon with long handle
- Water
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Hops
- Grains
- Malt or malt extract
Instructions
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Clean
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1
Sanitize everything that touches the brew. If this step is not done properly, the beer will not brew correctly. You can use a sanitizer that you mix with water and soak your equipment in. You can opt to boil everything, but plastic parts often can't withstand the heat. Create a sanitary environment by keeping all other people and animals out of the brewing room. Keep windows shut to avoid dust and keep your hands clean at all times. According to Brew Supplies website, rinse three times with hot water and do not leave chlorine residue on glass, plastic, metal or skin. Let everything air dry, and do not contaminate anything again by drying with dishtowels that are not sanitary.
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2
Use either a premixed brew recipe in extract or mash form, hops and malt extract or grain. First boil 1 1/2 gallons of water on the stove in a brew kettle. Remove it from heat and add the malt extract in syrup or dried form. The mixture will thicken in the steam and become gooey. Return this mixture, called wort, to the stove and bring it back to a boil. Following the recipe guidelines is critical, and adding ingredients at the correct times is essential. Add hops as instructed by the kit. A typical total boil time is one hour.
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3
Set the pot into a sink with cold water to quickly cool the mixture down. Put a cup of warm, sterilized water into a clean glass. Pour the yeast into the glass and stir until it is absorbed, cover the glass and set aside. When the wort has reached a temperature of 100 degrees F, pour it into your main brewing vessel, such as a 5 gallon carboy. Use brewing water to fill the vessel to the five gallon mark. Stir this mixture vigorously until it is foamy and frothy. Add the yeast.
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4
Put the lid and airlock onto your primary brewing vessel. The airlock allows gasses released by the yeast to escape but does not allow contaminated air from outside to get into your brew. Store the brewing vessel in a cool dark place. In three to four days the bubbling in your airlock will have slowed down, and you'll be ready to start the second fermenting process.
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5
Siphon the beer from the first carboy into the second carboy making sure that everything is sanitary. If you can, avoid using your mouth to initiate the siphon. Put the air lock on the secondary carboy and wait until the mixture has become clear and stops bubbling. Boil priming sugar with water and mix with brew. Bottle the brew. It will be carbonated and ready to drink within a week.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit bottle of beer image by dethchimo from Fotolia.com
