.
Brewing up a Storm: Everything You Need to Know About Home Brewing.
Nothing quite beats the satisfaction that comes with having a cold, refreshing glass of beer that you made right in the comfort of your own home. Home brewing is an incredibly rewarding and cost-effective hobby that has experienced a huge spike in popularity in recent years. More than ever before people are discovering the world of home brewing and the possibilities it provides. Whether you’re a craft beer aficionado looking to try something new, or a home baker who is interested in expanding your repertoire, this guide will show you all you need to know to get started with homebrewing beer.
Starting a home brewing journey can be daunting but with the right guide it doesn’t have to be. Here we’ll gain a better understanding of the brewing process, break down the necessary equipment you’ll need to get started, explain the various types of beer that can be brewed at home, and offer some tips and tricks from professional brewers to help make your own home brews even better.
So if you’re ready to get started, let’s dive right into the brew.
The Home Brewing Process.
Currently, there are two main processes for making beer at home; the extract brewing process and the all-grain process. Understanding the basics of each method will go a long way in helping you decide which process you’ll want to use.
The extract brewing process is widely considered to be the easier of the two. This process utilizes concentrated liquid malt extract instead of The All-grain fermentation process uses specialty grains, non-malted grains, and simple sugars as the main source of fermentable sugar. This process is a bit more involved, but has the added benefit of giving brewers more control over the beer’s taste and complexity.
Regardless of which method you choose, the brewing process all follows the same basic steps.
Step 1: Sanitizing Your Equipment.
Sanitization is one of the most critical steps to ensure a successful batch of beer. Any unwelcome bacteria or contamination, no matter how small, can have disastrous consequences on the end product. To ensure no contamination, you’ll want to use a beer-safe sanitizer like Star San or Iodophor to sanitize your equipment. Place all of your equipment in a large bucket with cold water and add the appropriate amount of sanitizer per instructions.
Step 2: Mashing & Boiling.
The mashing and boiling process is where all the flavors and color of the beer come from. This process will vary depending on which method of brewing you choose, but the basic idea is the same. For all-grain brewing, you’ll begin by crushing specialty and non-malted grains and then adding them to hot water to help create a maltose-rich solution. This solution, commonly known as “wort”, then needs to be boiled so it can concentrate and intensify the flavor and aroma that will give the beer its character.
The extract brewing process shortens the mashing process by eliminating the need to crush grains. Instead of adding grains, you must dissolve liquid or dry malt extract. This extract will provide the necessary sugar to help produce alcohol. From this point, the proces is the same as all-grain brewers.
Step 3: Cooling & Fermenting.
Once the wort has been boiled for 1-2 hours and all of the flavoring and coloring elements have been extracted, it’s time to cool and transfer the wort to a fermenter. A simple way of cooling is to fill a large sink or container with cold water and ice, and then submerging the pot in the cold bath.
Once the wort is cooled to the desired temperature, transfer the wort to a fermenter using a clean racking cane and some tubing. Yeast is then added to the wort and the beer begins to ferment. Depending on the type of beer you’re making, your fermentation time can range from 2-6 weeks.
Step 4: Bottling.
Once the beer is finished fermenting, it needs to be bottled or kegged. Bottling is a priming process in which approximately 3/4 cup of corn sugar is added to the beer. This sugar is food for the residual yeast, which will carbonate the beer as it continues to ferment in the bottle over the next couple of weeks. Alternatively, if you have a kegging setup, you can skip the bottling process and simply siphon the beer directly into a sanitized keg.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Once the beer is bottled or kegged, it’s time to sit back, crack open a cold one, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Home brews are typically best enjoyed chilled, so make sure to find a cool place to store them and serve them at their peak flavor.
Essential Home Brewing Equipment
Before you can get started brewing, you’ll need to make sure you have the essential equipment necessary to make a successful batch.
The basic equipment you’ll need includes:
• A 5-6 gallon (19-23 liter) stainless steel pot
• A fermentation vessel ( bucket, glass carboy, or conical fermenter)
• Airlock, stopper, thermometer
• Racking cane, tubing, bottling bucket
• Bottles or kegs
• Sanitizer
• Hydrometer for proofing
You may also want to consider adding a few bells and whistles that can help make the brewing process easier and may even give your beer its own unique flavor. Here are a few options that veteran brewers may want to look into getting:
• Wort chillers. These help cool the wort much faster than ice baths.
• Refractometers and pH strips. These help you measure coefficients and pH of the beer.
• Yeast starter kits. These help reduce the amount of lag time between pitching and initial fermentation.
• Yeast nutrients. These help increase the fermentation success rate.
• Aeration systems. These infuse oxygen into the wort before fermentation.
Types of Beer You Can Make at Home.
The great thing about homebrewing is the fact that there are literally hundreds of beer styles and recipes out there to choose from. From stouts, IPAs, and lagers, to saisons and sours – the possibilities are really only limited by the amount of ingredients and equipment at your disposal.
However for the sake of simplifying things, here is a breakdown of the five main categories of beer that can be brewed at home:
1. Ales: These are perhaps the most popular style of homebrews and include everything from pale ales and IPAs, to more complex beers like Belgian-style ales and stouts.
2. Lagers: Lagers, also known as bottom fermented beers, are characterized by their smooth, clean taste. Common types include pilsners, bocks, and Vienna lager styles.
3. Oddities: This category includes any unusual homebrew recipes that have their own unique flavor. Examples include gruits, fruit beers, smoked and spiced beers, and various other experimental concoctions.
4. Sours & Wild Ales: This type of beer is made with wild yeast strains and various bacteria which help create a tart, acidic flavor. Examples of sour and wild ales include lambic, Flanders red, Berliner weisse, and goses.
5. Mead: This is a fermented honey-based beverage that has been around for centuries. Mead can come in a variety of styles and can be mixed with other ingredients.
Tips & Tricks from Experienced Home Brewers.
Brewing beer from home is no easy task and it certainly takes some practice and patience to get the hang of it. To help make the process a bit easier, we’ve collected some tips and tricks from experienced brewers that could be useful for beginners.
• Read, study, and research different homebrewing techniques to become well-versed in the art of homebrewing.
• Start off with a simple recipe and familiar style to help get the hang of the process.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Different combinations of ingredients can help bring out new flavors or modify existing recipes.
• Clean and sanitize all of your equipment before and after each brew to avoid any bacteria or contamination.
• Store your homebrews in a cool, dark place and let them age for a few weeks before opening a bottle.
• Have patience and remember the difference between good beer and great beer comes with time and practice.
Now that we’ve outlined all you need to know to get started with homebrewing beer, it’s time to give it a try. So grab your grains and malt extract and get ready to bring a taste of craft beer home. Cheers!