Cold Brew Success: How to Make Home Brewing Easier.
Are you looking to get into home brewing beer but don’t know where to start? Step into a home brewery, and you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of ingredients and equipment options available—most of which require a degree of expertise you quite frankly don’t possess.
Fear not, beer-lover, for there is a solution to this daunting task of home brewing: cold brewing! Not only is it a simple and cost-effective method, but it also results in a far superior product than those hastily and cheaply brewed beers. All you need is some patience, and you’ll be the proud owner of some crafty cool brews that could potentially rival even the most experienced home brewers.
So without further ado, here’s your easy guide to cold brew success.
What is Cold Brewing?
Cold brewing is a process similar to traditional hot brewing, except that the wort is kept at a much lower temperature. Cold brewing is the process of extracting the sugars, aromas and flavors of the hops and grains without releasing the harsher elements usually associated with brewing ales and lagers. In other words, the brewer will keep the wort chilled anywhere between 35-65 degrees Fahrenheit depending on their desired result.
Cold brewing has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the low equipment cost, low cost of raw ingredients compared to buying beer from the store, and its ease of convenience in producing a quality beer. The brewers are able to create a unique and flavorful beer that contains a smooth, complex and well-rounded flavor profile in the comfort of their own homes.
Benefits of Cold Brewing
The primary benefit of cold brewing is the low cost of materials and equipment. Since cold brewing does not require high heat to extract the sugars, aromas, and flavors from the malt, brewing in cold temperatures uses fewer raw materials than traditional hot brewing. It also results in fewer un-reacted by-products such as esters, increased clarity, and a more flavorful product.
Cold brewing also results in a smoother taste, as the sugars and flavors don’t become caramelized or burnt. The cold temperature also reduces the level of tannins and astringency, resulting in a very balanced and flavorful beer with higher hop utilization.
The brewing process is also significantly easier and more convenient when compared to traditional hot brewing. Since typical homebrewers tend to invest in larger and more expensive equipment such as boil kettles, malt extractors and mash tuns, the total cost of cold brewing can be around 60-70% cheaper than traditional brewing. Additionally, the clean-up time is drastically reduced as you’re not having to clean out heavy, sticky mash tuns or boil kettles.
Finally, the cold brewing process can even be done without a brewing kit. If you have a simple container such as a clean and sanitized carboy, you can use that to hold the hot wort while undergoing the cold brewing process.
How to Cold Brew
Now that you know the benefits of cold brewing, let’s take a look at the brewing process itself. Cold brewing involves two stages: the pre-brewing stage, and the actual brewing stage itself.
The pre-brewing stage includes sourcing ingredients, obtaining and sanitizing equipment, and formulating a recipe for the beer. We’ll go into more detail about the process of this stage later on in the guide.
Once the pre-brewing stage is complete, we can move on to the actual brewing process itself. Here’s a step-by-step guide for cold-brewing success:
1. First, you’ll need to steep the grain. Use a clean and sanitized container, and add in your grains to the hot water. Stir the mixture to ensure that the grains are distributed evenly and that there are no clumps.
2. Allow the grains to steep and rest in your container between 35-65 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure to keep the temperature consistently low throughout. The mixture should steep anywhere between twelve to twenty-four hours; tasting a small sample every few hours to gauge the flavor profile and complexity of the beer.
3. When the desired flavor profile is achieved, it’s time to remove the grains. At this point, you can either use a bag or sieve to strain out the grains or use a sparging method to remove all the sugars from them.
4. The wort that is left behind is your cold brew, and can be left to ferment at the low temperature. To ensure a clean ferment and no bacteria or wild yeast, you’ll need to use a sterile airlock device or a fermenter with a tight-fitting lid.
5. We can now move on to priming and conditioning the cold brew. Priming is the process of adding enough sugar to carbonate the beer. This can be done by adding a few tablespoons of table sugar or honey to the wort before bottling, or using a carbonation drops or mixture of priming sugar.
6. Now it’s time to bottle the beer! After carefully sanitizing your bottles, fill them up with the cold brew, adding the appropriate amount of priming sugar to each one. Seal the bottles and store them in a cool, dark area for weeks or even months until the beer is fully carbonated and conditioned.
Final Notes
Now you have everything you need to get started with cold brewing! It’s a simple and cost-effective process that results in a high-quality beer that is drank by many avid home brewers. Cold-brewing is the perfect introduction for newcomers to the world of brewing, and a great way for seasoned brewers to try something new.
So why not grab your equipment and get brewing! Who knows, you just might be the proud brewer of your own signature cold-brew beer.