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Beer and FoodSUPPLIES
- Malt barley extract
- Purified water
- Hops
- Yeast
- Brewing pot
- Fermenter
- Storage container
- Bottling bucket
- Funnel
- Strainer
- Rubber hose
- Bottles
- Bottle capper
Overview
The beer making process involves a deceptively simple series of steps designed to create the right mixture of ingredients and flavors. Beer was first brewed by the Egyptians, and while the process has become exceedingly more sophisticated, the basics remain the same. Home brewing kits allow you to emulate the beer making process in your kitchen. With practice and effort, you can tailor the beer you make to fit the precise flavor you desire, using the same basic steps that the big brewing companies use.
Step 1
Obtain a measure of malt extract, hops and yeast. Home brewing kits typically carry ready-made samples of these ingredients, and are probably the best option for someone engaging in the beer-making process for the first time.
Step 2
Sterilize every piece of brewing equipment you intend to use. It's usually sufficient to run them through a dishwashing cycle using the hottest possible setting. Otherwise, you can scrub them with hot water and soap, then mix a capful of bleach with a few gallons of water and soak them very briefly in the mixture. Rinse them thoroughly with distilled water to make sure all of the bleach is off of them.
Step 3
Pour water into a brew pot and bring it to a boil. Allow it to continue boiling for a good half-hour, then remove the head and stir a measure of malted barley into it. Blend the malt completely until it has formed a mash with no large chunks.
Step 4
Boil the mash again and let it bubble for 60 to 75 minutes. As it boils, add a measure of hops slowly and regularly. Hops added early will increase the beer's bitterness, while hops added late produce more flavor. The precise balance will determine the flavor of your beer (a beer-making kit will instruct you on the exact amount if you are a beginner).
Step 5
Prepare a sink or a large container (something much larger than the brew pot) by filling it with ice cold water. Place the brew pot in it immediately after removing it from the heat. The object is to cool the mash as quickly as possible.
Step 6
Strain the mixture into your fermenter and then fill it close to the top with more distilled water (a few gallons should suffice). Add yeast to the remainder, stirring it around to help it oxygenate. As the yeast ferments, it will remove the sugar in the mixture and replace it with alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermenter will slowly bleed off the CO2 over time.
Step 7
Shut the fermenter tightly and store it in a cool place out of the sunlight. It should remain there until the CO2 bubbling out of the airlock slows to a trickle--usually about a week or so.
Step 8
Boil a cup of sugar in 2 1/2 cups of purified water, allowing it to bubble for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and place it in a bottling bucket.
Step 9
Funnel the beer in the fermenter through a rubber hose and into the bottling bucket. Stir the contents until they are thoroughly blended.
Step 10
Bottle the beer and cap the bottles, and then let them sit in a cupboard at room temperature for 1 to 4 weeks. Chill them in the refrigerator and drink.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : The exact mixture of ingredients and the exact time involved in each step varies from beer to beer. Lagers take longer to age than ales, for example, and the ingredients are handled slightly differently. Beer Recipes.org contains a number of recipes for beer, and beginners should consult the instructions in their beer-making kits.
- WARNING : It's very important to sterilize all of your equipment before you begin and after you are done. The entire process hinges on it. Slow down and take your time when cleaning your equipment, and be as thorough as you can.
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