Easy Tips To Brew Your Own Beer At Home

If you want to enjoy high-quality beer without having to spend a little fortune, then you should definitely consider brewing your own beer in the intimacy of your home. One of the main advantages is that you can determine the quality and the style of your homemade beer.

You will need proper equipment to brew beer, and you can easily purchase all the necessary equipment from a store that specializes in beer making products. Nevertheless, if you cannot find a store near you, you can order the equipment online - you will certainly find the necessary products on the Internet. As we advance in the process of beer brewing, we will present the necessary equipment.

It is essential to keep in mind that the equipment must be clean and properly sterilized before it reaches the beer. However, most equipments come with a cleanser, all you have to do is to carefully read the instructions.

You will need a kettle or a boiling pot that can hold five gallons or more (it is ideal to use a stainless soup pot - just make sure it has a capacity of at least five gallons). If you cannot find a large, stainless pot in your kitchen you can simply purchase one from the local beer supply store.

If you feel like 'taking the bull by its horns', you can make your own beer from scratch - this way, you have a lot more control over the entire process. If this is the first time you brew beer at home, it is better to use a special kit (it is nothing more than a can filled with malt and hops, but it is certainly very useful). Most kits are highly convenient, since they do most of the job: generally, all you have to do is to boil the water and then add the contents of the kit.

After the water starts boiling, make sure to quickly cool it before adding the content of the can and sealing it using an airlock. You can do this with the help of a special cooler - they are quick and very efficient. However, if you do not own a cooler, just put the pot in ice-cold water and make sure to have enough ice prepared. No matter which option you choose, make sure to keep cooling the pot until it is almost cool to the touch.

While the pot is cooling, you can activate the yeast. You can buy yeast packets, since they are by far the most common. All you have to do is to add the contents in a cup that contains six ounces or more of water (the water should be a bit warmer than the room temperature). Do not forget that it is essential to have everything sterilized.

After that, add the wort to the glass carboy or fermenting bucket and then top off to the sign that marks five gallons. The yeast must be added when the wort has a temperature below 75 degrees. This is known as 'pitching'.

When it comes to choosing the container, you can choose either type. The fermenting bucket is nothing but a plastic bucket with a lid and a 'grommet hole' where you put the airlock. On the other hand, the glass carboy is a water cooling jug made of glass. The airlock fits in the hole of the glass carboy's rubber stopper or the 'grommet hole' mentioned above, and its role is to allow pressure to build up without letting the outside air in. The outside air can contaminate the beer and make it taste weird.

The fermenter is basically the place where the wort will turn into beer. Each beer style requires different temperatures for the fermentation process. The fermenter will sit there for a few days up to two weeks. If the airlock stops making noise, then the beer is done. After the fermentation process is completed, you have what is called 'green beer'. At this point, you can bottle the beer. The next step is to add 3/4 cup of dextrose (or racking cane) and sixteen ounces water into a saucepan and then bring everything to a boil for approximately 5 minutes.

Put the contents into the bottling bucket and afterwards siphon the beer into the same bucket. Basically, the bottling bucket is similar to the first one, the only difference is that it has a spigot located on the bottom to facilitate the bottling process. You will need around sixty 12-ounce bottles that have non-twist-off caps. Most kits for homemade beer have a durable basic capper that can be used for years in a row.

Place the beer in a dark, cold place (with temperature around 65-70 degrees) for at least a couple of weeks. This is how you brew beer at home!