Brewing at Home: A beginners guide to making your own Lagers, Ales and Stouts.
There’s something magical about the idea of making your own beer at home. Home brewing has been around for centuries and has become a global phenomenon; beer which has been brewed at home can now be found in the world’s biggest bars and clubs. Nowadays, when a home brewer sets out on their journey, they’re met with a variety of styles and ingredients from which to choose and even more ways of creating the perfect beer from the comfort of their own home.
For those who are new to the craft of home brewing, trying to figure out the technicalities of it can be quite daunting; this guide aims to break down some of the basics and provide a simple introduction to the home brewing process.
So what is brewing? Well, in a nutshell, brewing is the process of steeping malted grain in hot water to extract the sugars and then fermenting the resulting liquid, known as wort, to create alcohol. The colour, taste and strength of the beer are determined by a range of variables such as the type of malt used and the type of yeast as well as the amount of hops and other additives added during the brewing process.
One of the main components of any successful beer is the grain, so it’s important to choose the right type for the style of beer you’re aiming for. Generally, ale requires barley malt, while lager requires maize and wheat; both, however, can be supplemented with a range of additional grains, such as rye and oats for additional flavour, colour and body.
Once you’ve chosen the appropriate grain, you’ll need to purchase a home brewing kit or study up on the techniques of brewing using standard kitchen equipment. For novice brewers, a home brewing kit is a good place to start as it provides all the necessary items needed to get started. From the basics such as malt, yeast and hops to more niche equipment such as a fermentation vessel and airlock, the home brewing kit has it all.
Once the grain has been chosen and equipment gathered, the brewing process can begin. Generally, the beer brewing process can be broken down into three stages – mashing, boiling and fermenting.
Mashing is the first stage of the brewing process and involves steeped malt in hot water to extract the sugars. This can be done in a variety of ways; however, for the purposes of this guide, we will focus on the basic technique of infusion mashing. To do this, the grain is added to a hot mash tun with heated water and left to steep for an hour or so. Make sure to maintain a temperature of around 70˚C to ensure a proper reaction between the grain and water.
Once the mashing process is complete, the liquid is drained off and transferred to a brew kettle. Here, the wort is boiled for an hour or so and hops are added for bittering and for flavour. The amount and type of hops used depend on the style of beer you’re producing.
After boiling, the wort is cooled and transferred to the fermentation vessel.
The third stage is the most crucial part of the home brewing process; fermentation. When added to the wort, the yeast consumes sugars, releasing carbon dioxide and alcohol in the process. The length of fermentation and the amount of sugar the yeast consumes will determine the strength, taste and colour of the beer.
Once fermentation is complete, the beer is transferred to a keg or bottle for lagering and carbonation. Lagers and stouts should be stored for at least a month before being consumed; however, ales can be consumed sooner.
The most important part of home brewing is having fun and experimenting! Try different grains and hops, and even add extra ingredients such as fruit and spices. With a little bit of effort and patience, you’ll soon be able to create beers with unique flavours and aromas.
Brewing at Home: Get Ready to Make Your Own Epic Libations!.