How to Make Beer for Beginners

The process of brewing beer can be as easy or as complex as one makes it. This article is intended to simplify the process and outline the basic elements of homebrewing for the first-timer. It is recommended that you first purchase an equipment kit from your local supplier or online. These generally cost between $60 and $100 and include the essentials you need to get started such as a fermentation bin, bottling bucket, racking tube, fermentation lock, and additional accessories. Now, let’s prepare for our first brewing session. Cleanliness is key. Make sure your work area is clean, organized, and your equipment is sanitized. For the sake of ease, we’ll make what I like to call an “in-and-out” kit. One of my favorites that falls into this category is EDME’s Red Devil Ale. This particular kit comes with a 4lb. hopped can of malt extract and a pack of dried yeast. The only additional ingredients needed are 2lbs. of dried malt extract and five ounces of corn sugar for priming. Some homebrewers still prefer to add hops for aroma, but this is not completely necessary as our can of malt extract has already been hopped. We begin by bringing ½ gallon of water to boil in a stainless pot. Then, we add the entire contents of the can of malt extract and the additional 2lbs. of dried malt extract. Continue stirring to avoid scorching. Also, adjust the heat. We’re not looking for a rolling boil. Rather, a light boil at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit for between five to ten minutes is perfect. Once the boil is finished, remove the pot from the burner. We can now pour three gallons of cold to lukewarm water into the fermenting bin. Be sure to pour from a reasonable height so as to add oxygen to the water. Next, siphon the mixture (wort) from the pot into the fermenting bin, and top off the bin with additional water until the total volume is at five gallons. Place the lid on the fermenting bin to avoid the introduction of potential contaminants, and allow the wort to come to a temperature of between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, you may add the yeast, and thoroughly stir with a sanitized, stainless or plastic stirring spoon. Place the lid and fermenting lock on the bin, and stand the bin at room temperature for approximately seven to ten days. When fermentation appears to have stopped, the beer is ready for priming and bottling. Siphon the beer from the fermenting bin to the bottling bucket making sure to transfer the smallest amount of the yeast sediment as possible. Dissolve about five ounces of corn sugar into one cup of boiling water. Add this mixture to the bottling bucket, and stir. Now, siphon the beer from the bottling bucket into individual bottles. Cap each bottle and store at room temperature and away from any light for about two weeks. In all, your beer should be ready for consumption within four weeks from the original date of brewing.

Dominick Famiano is a homebrewer and webmaster of TheBrewZone.com, a social networking site for homebrewing and beer enthusiasts. He also manages the informational site, Beer.MadSimple.com.

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