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The Basics of Brewing

Basic Brewing Equipment:

Brew Kettle: Brew Kettle: Stainless steel or enamel-coated. Holds at least 3 gal. Used for boiling wort (nonfermented beer) Aluminum will work but not as good. Brew Kettle: Stainless steel or enamel-coated. Holds at least 3 gal. Used for boiling wort (nonfermented beer) Aluminum will work but not as good.

Primary Fermenter: Primary Fermenter: Food-grade container, usually a white plastic bucket with handle and lid. Holds at least 6 gal. Primary Fermenter: Food-grade container, usually a white plastic bucket with handle and lid. Holds at least 6 gal.

Bottling Bucket: Bottling Bucket: Food-grade container, at least 5 gal., with spigot at bottom of bucket to attach syphon hose for bottling. Bottling Bucket: Food-grade container, at least 5 gal., with spigot at bottom of bucket to attach syphon hose for bottling.

Syphon Hose: Syphon Hose: Clear food-grade plastic tubing, 4-6 feet long. Used to transfer beer from one container to another. Syphon Hose: Clear food-grade plastic tubing, 4-6 feet long. Used to transfer beer from one container to another.

Racking Cane with Tip: Racking Cane with Tip: Stiff plastic tube, some are curved at one end. Connects to syphon hose and used when transferring beer. The tip on the end keeps the sediment from being syphoned with the beer.

Air Lock: Air Lock: Several varieties available. Keeps beer from being exposed to air while letting CO2 escape from the fermenter. Fits into a pre-drilled hole in the center of fermenter lid. Air Lock: Several varieties available. Keeps beer from being exposed to air while letting CO2 escape from the fermenter. Fits into a pre-drilled hole in the center of fermenter lid.

Bottles: Bottles: Brown glass is best. No twist-off varieties. You'll need about fifty 12 oz. bottles for a 5 gal. batch of beer.

Bottle Capper: Bottle Capper: Many styles available. Double lever, magnetic variety most common. Bottle Capper: Many styles available. Double lever, magnetic variety most common.

Bottle Caps: Bottle Caps: Must be new. You'll need about 50 caps for 5 gal. of beer. Bottle Caps: Must be new. You'll need about 50 caps for 5 gal. of beer.

Bottle Filler: Bottle Filler: Several styles. Helps speed up bottling process. Bottle Filler: Several styles. Helps speed up bottling process.

Long handled spoon: Long handled spoon: Stainless, Plastic, or even Wood varieties available.

Unscented Bleach: Unscented Bleach: Used to sanitize brewing equipment. Prevents common bacteria and wild yeast from contaminating your beer. Unscented Bleach: Used to sanitize brewing equipment. Prevents common bacteria and wild yeast from contaminating your beer.

Hydrometer and test jar: Hydrometer and test jar: Used to read Original Gravity prior to adding the yeast, and Final Gravity prior to bottling. These numbers can be calculated to give you the percentage of alcohol in your beer. These readings also help you stay on track with the recipe and confirm when to bottle. Hydrometer and test jar: Used to read Original Gravity prior to adding the yeast, and Final Gravity prior to bottling. These numbers can be calculated to give you the percentage of alcohol in your beer. These readings also help you stay on track with the recipe and confirm when to bottle.

Thermometer: Many forms available. Adhesive thermometer can be used on the fermenter to monitor your fermenting temperature. Floating thermometers can be used during the boil, and prior to pitching the yeast. Many forms available. Adhesive thermometer can be used on the fermenter to monitor your fermenting temperature. Floating thermometers can be used during the boil, and prior to pitching the yeast.

Glass Carboy: Glass Carboy: Not necessary when starting to brew but may be an additional item purchased when you advance to a secondary fermentation. Glass Carboy: Not necessary when starting to brew but may be an additional item purchased when you advance to a secondary fermentation.

Basic Brewing Ingredients for 5 gal. of beer:

Malt Extract Syrup: Malt Extract Syrup: Malt extract syrup is made from barley and has natural sugars. Brewing yeast eats the sugar and produces alcohol and CO2. The extract normally comes in 3.3 or 4 lb. cans. You will typically use two 3.3 lb. cans of extract for your first batch of beer.

Hops: Hops: Hops are flowers with bittering flavor and aroma. Hops are usually in the form of compressed pellets or leafs. You'll need 1 oz. of hops for your first beer. Hops: Hops are flowers with bittering flavor and aroma. Hops are usually in the form of compressed pellets or leafs. You'll need 1 oz. of hops for your first beer.

Ale Yeast: Ale Yeast: Dehydrated yeast is sold in small packages. You'll need one package of yeast for a 5 gal. batch of beer.

Water: Water: Tap or bottled water will do. If you plan to use tap water you may want to boil 6-7 gal. of water the night before allowing it to cool overnight. Keep it covered. Water: Tap or bottled water will do. If you plan to use tap water you may want to boil 6-7 gal. of water the night before allowing it to cool overnight. Keep it covered.

Corn Sugar: Corn Sugar: Use Corn Sugar for priming your beer prior to bottling. You'll need 3/4 cup for your first batch of beer to give it carbonation.

Let's Brew:

Boiling:

Soak one or two cans of malt extract in hot water. While soaking, bring 1 1/2 gal. of water to a boil in your brew kettle. (You may be using some dry malt)

Remove boiling water from the heat. Add the malt extract to the water and stir until dissolved. Then return liquid to a boil.

Boil for 30 to 60 min. (Watch for boil-overs!) Stir occasionally. Add your hops to the liquid at the last 5 min. of this boil. (Only if you are using hops)

Sanitizing:

While beer is boiling you can sanitize your primary fermenter using 1 oz. of bleach to each gal. of water. Allow the fermenter to soak in bleach solution for at least 20 min. Also sanitize the fermenter lid and any other items such as a spoon, thermometer, syphon hose and racking cane. Rinse items with hot water thoroughly.

Fill the sanitized fermenter with 3 gal. of cold water (use the water which you may have boiled & cooled the evening prior).

Cooling & Pitching Yeast:

When you are finished boiling the wort, (boiled malt and water prior to adding yeast), carefully pour it into the water-filled fermenter. Add additional water if necessary to bring volume up to 5 gal. Cover and allow to cool.

If you need to speed up the cooling process, you may place the fermenter in an ice bath in your tub or kitchen sink. Never put ice into your wort!

When the wort is cooled to room temperature, sprinkle dry yeast on top of the wort. Cover and let set for 5 min. Next, stir the yeast into the wort vigorously with sanitized spoon. Fill airlock half full with water. Cover fermenter with lid tightly then place filled airlock into grommetted hole of the lid.

Fermenting:

Fermentation should start within 24 hours, but may take longer. A sure sign is the bubbling of CO2 through the air lock. The bubbling should be rapid for a couple of days and then slow down. Keep the beer at room temperature or slightly cooler, protected from light. Approximately 7 days, or when the bubbling in the air lock has slowed to once every 5-10 min., you are ready to bottle your beer.

Bottling:

Sanitize beer bottles by soaking them in a bleach solution of 1 oz. bleach per 5 gal. water. Allow to soak 30 min. or longer. Rinse each bottle thoroughly with hot water.

Sanitize a bottling bucket, syphon hose, racking cane, bottle filler and anything else that may come in contact with your beer. Use the same sanitizing solution as used for the bottles. Sanitize bottle caps with either vodka or a dilute bleach solution, or you may want to boil or steam them for 5 min.

Dissolve 3/4 cup corn sugar into 2 cups of water. Boil this mixture for 5 min.

Put the fermenter of beer on the counter and the bottling bucket on the floor below. Pour the sugar solution into the bottling bucket. While allowing the sugar solution to cool, you may want to take your second hydrometer reading. Next syphon your beer into the bottling bucket. Try not to agitate the beer, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the fermenter. Don't expose the beer to air if possible, cover each container with sanitized plastic or tin foil while syphoning if possible.

Put the bottling bucket on the counter once filled. Attach the syphon hose to the spigot and attach the bottle filler to the other end. Begin filling each bottle leaving about an inch of space at the top. This can be messy so have towels ready. Complete by capping each bottle.

Aging & Testing:

You're done! Store the filled bottles in a cool, dark place. Wait at least two weeks before sampling. For better tasting beer allow it to age at least a month. When pouring the beer from the bottle, try to leave the sediment in the bottle, not clouding your beer. Rinse out the bottle when you are done so it it easier to clean next time you use it. Cheers

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