Homebrewing
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As I sit here typing this I'm enjoying a ice cold Lager Homebrew, and you too can easily make
crisp clear refreshing beer that your will be proud to serve.
Equipment
To start you will have to pick up some of the basic equipment, other things are optional but will make the brewing process much easier and enjoyable.
- 5 gallon (23 liter) food grade plastic bucket with lid (primary fermenter)
- 5 gallon (23 liter) plastic (or glass) carboy (secondary fermenter)
- Air locks for each container and appropriate sized rubber bung
- 3-4 feet length od "clear" rubber hoseing
- 1 floating thermometer
- Large (or several large) pots
- Bottle washer (optional)
- Racking tube (optional)
- Bottle filler (optional)
- long handled plastic spoon
- Bleach
- 60 beer bottles and caps
- Bottle capper
These ideas are for the beginner and intermediate brewer. These are the basic rules I use for myself, always resulting
in excellent brew.
Water
Next to cleaning your equiptment water is probally the most important part of brewing. After all beer is about 95% water.
Alot of municiple water supplies add chlorine and flouride, while this is ok for us it can , and usually will, add "off" flavors to your brew.
Basically there are three things you can do to combat this:
- Use a charcoal filter (like a Brita jug). This is ok but takes a long time.
- Boil as much of your water as you can for 30 min. This is pretty easy to do and is what I do most of the time. The boil will take out most of the
added chemicals.
- The best method is to by a large bottle of pure water. Where I live I can get 23 liters for about $4.00. This adds
to your cost but will result in the best flavors.
Cleaners
Cleaning ALL your equiptment is without a doubt the MOST important step in the brewing process. This cleaning will minimize
any chances of your beer comming into contact with any unwanted bacteria. Remember after you clean your equiptment rince it well.
Generally there are two methods, yes I know there are more, but these are the most common.
- Bleach, yes thats right good ole Javex. This is what I use most of the time. First rinceout your sink well and half fill it with
warm water and a cup of bleach. Now place all your equiptment in the solution for a few minutes, this includes all tubes, hydrometers,
spoons ...everything. Rinse well and place aside. Then do the same with your primary fermenter.
- You can also use the "Pink Powder". I can't remember right now what it is called, I'll add it when I do.
Malt
Most home brewers use the cans of hop flavored malt and are so happy with the results that they rearly stray from it.
Basically Im almost the same. By using these and varing the adjuncts (other additives) you can really vary the flavor and type of
beer produced. I have tried many many many different types of canned malts and found one thing. Malt is Malt is Malt. A lager made by
one company is, in my experience, no better than one made by another. Just be sure to look at the date on the bottom of the can. This
IS important.
There is also "powdered malt". This is a great substitute for some (or all) of the sugar. Adding some of this powered malt will produce
a richer tasting beer. More on this later.
Yeast
Beer yeast is a living organism, and inorder to live and grow it ned to be given the right conditions, more on this later.
Most of use will be familiar with the small packs of powdered yeast (like bread yeast, but not the same) that came with your can of malt.
While your beer is sitting quitly in the corner the yeast is being very active. Yeast feeds of the sugars in the brew and produces carbon dioxide
and alcohol (yaaa). There are three main stages that yeast goes through.
- Respiration. The yeast gains and stores energy for activities later.
- Fermentation. This is stage I mentioned above. During this active stage much gas is expelled from the beer, you will see this in the bubbles in your air lock.
- Sedimentation. After fermintation the spent yeast will begin to settle to the bottom of the fermenter, it has run out of food ,sugar, and energy. Don't think taht the more sugar you add
the higher alcohol you will get. This is not the case, yeast will die if the alcohol gets to high and you will be left with
all that extra unfermented sugar in suspension, it will NOT produce a very nice finished product. Trust me.
Sugar
Sugar has a two fold effect in the brewing process. It adds sweetness to the beer, and is what the yeast feed off of.
There are many different types of sugars that can be used. Be very careful when adding sugar, it is important but will ruin your beer
is to much is used. Most homebrew I taste has that distinctive homebrew taste of "apple cider" on it. This is because of to much, and the
wrong type of sugar being used.
- Table Sugar (Cane). Never ever ever use this is your beer. NEVER!!! Enough said!
- Corn Sugar. This soft white powdered sugar is the most commonly used adjunct when brewing. Addition of corn sugar to
your beer will lighten the body and flavor of the beer, while increasing the alcohol content. Becareful not to add to much ( no more than 20% of the total
fermentable sugars). Corn sugar is excellent for use as a priming sugar, use a ratio of 3/4 cup to 5 gallons (typical brew) of beer.
- High Maltose Syrup. A mixture of various sugars
*****More to follow*****
Tips
Here are a few tips you should read first befor you begin
- Clean your equipment!!!! This is the MOST important step no matter what equipment you use or what quality of ingredients you have it WILL spoil if your don't sanitize everything that will come into contact with your beer.
- When boiling your wort keep a eye on it, if it boils over you will have a huge mess to clean up.
- Don't use table sugar. Never ever!
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- Always have a beer when brewing :-)