The process for home beer brewing is very straight forward, but for the home brewer, combining the fermentation and conditioning or aging can make it much simpler. Most mistakes are made in the combination error of poor quality and quantity of ingredients, which produces batch failure.
Mass production beer brewers have claimed that successful brewing starts with the quality of water, other's use a variety of barley malts, hops and mash ingredients. As a home brewer you can be successful in making quality home brewed beer using quality equipment, ingredients, sanitary environment and the patience to work through the steps.
Since this is an article for simple home beer brewing we will forgo the lingo of brewing, and the volumes of information on each step. Instead we will focus on an easy beginner's first home brewing four step recipe and process. Once, you've finished your first batch you can move up to the more exacting recipes and processes.
STEP ONE:
Home beer brewing is produced by boiling water, the malt extract and hops together in a large kettle and then cooling the resulting wort. The wort is always boiled for 15 minutes. It takes an hour or so longer to remove some impurities, dissolve the character of the hops, and break down some of the sugar. The wort is then cooled to pitching temperature ( 60 F is best). Isolation from the ambient atmosphere is needed to prevent early bacterial contamination of the wort. The use of thermal heat exchanger's cools the wort, which usually consists of coiled copper tubing which cold water flowst hrough.
STEP TWO:
The wort is poured into the fermention jug, rapidly, to aerate the wort, oxygen is needed for yeast's growth. The yeast is poured into the wort. Dry yeast may be used and must be activated prior to mixing or liquid yeasts, that offer flavor characteristics, for various beer styles.
Fermentation takes place in a large sealed plastic bucket. It is stoppered with the carbon dioxide gas venting through a fermentation lock. During this time temperatures should remain the same for the fermentation process. For ale, usually 65-75 F and for lager, around 50 F. Fermentation takes place, starting within 12 hours and continuing over the next few days.
The fermentable sugars (maltose, glucose, and sucrose) in the wort are consumed by the yeast, while ethanol and CO2 are produced as by products of the yeast. A layer of sediment appears at the bottom of the container, composed of heavy fats, proteins and inactive yeast. A sign that fermentation has finished is the foamy head falls.
STEP THREE:
Often, the beer is then siphoned into another container, for conditioning or aging. This is done to separate the batch from the impurities, which can give the beer an off-flavor. It also helps separate the beer from sediment. During this time, some chemical by products from the primary fermentation are digested, which considerably improves the taste. This process can take from 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer. So, in our beginner method we'll keep the batch in the primary container, for the entire process. The potential drawbacks include added sediment in the finished product and risk of off flavors. This eliminates the need for a second container, reduces labor, and reduces the likelihood of contaminating the batch with bacteria during transfer to the second container.
STEP FOUR:
About 3/4 cup of corn sugar is added to the batch, which is then transferred to bottles and then capped, or placed in a keg. Fermentation of priming sugar by left-over yeast suspended in the beer creates carbon dioxide, which adds the carbination to the beer. This takes 1-2 weeks.
Once the bottle/keg conditioning phase ends, the beer begins aging. Aging typically rounds out any rough edges in the beer and can remedy many imperfections. Some beers such as wheat beers are considered best with little to no aging, while bigger, higher alcohol beers can benefit from age for years.
Mass production beer brewers have claimed that successful brewing starts with the quality of water, other's use a variety of barley malts, hops and mash ingredients. As a home brewer you can be successful in making quality home brewed beer using quality equipment, ingredients, sanitary environment and the patience to work through the steps.
Since this is an article for simple home beer brewing we will forgo the lingo of brewing, and the volumes of information on each step. Instead we will focus on an easy beginner's first home brewing four step recipe and process. Once, you've finished your first batch you can move up to the more exacting recipes and processes.
STEP ONE:
Home beer brewing is produced by boiling water, the malt extract and hops together in a large kettle and then cooling the resulting wort. The wort is always boiled for 15 minutes. It takes an hour or so longer to remove some impurities, dissolve the character of the hops, and break down some of the sugar. The wort is then cooled to pitching temperature ( 60 F is best). Isolation from the ambient atmosphere is needed to prevent early bacterial contamination of the wort. The use of thermal heat exchanger's cools the wort, which usually consists of coiled copper tubing which cold water flowst hrough.
STEP TWO:
The wort is poured into the fermention jug, rapidly, to aerate the wort, oxygen is needed for yeast's growth. The yeast is poured into the wort. Dry yeast may be used and must be activated prior to mixing or liquid yeasts, that offer flavor characteristics, for various beer styles.
Fermentation takes place in a large sealed plastic bucket. It is stoppered with the carbon dioxide gas venting through a fermentation lock. During this time temperatures should remain the same for the fermentation process. For ale, usually 65-75 F and for lager, around 50 F. Fermentation takes place, starting within 12 hours and continuing over the next few days.
The fermentable sugars (maltose, glucose, and sucrose) in the wort are consumed by the yeast, while ethanol and CO2 are produced as by products of the yeast. A layer of sediment appears at the bottom of the container, composed of heavy fats, proteins and inactive yeast. A sign that fermentation has finished is the foamy head falls.
STEP THREE:
Often, the beer is then siphoned into another container, for conditioning or aging. This is done to separate the batch from the impurities, which can give the beer an off-flavor. It also helps separate the beer from sediment. During this time, some chemical by products from the primary fermentation are digested, which considerably improves the taste. This process can take from 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes longer. So, in our beginner method we'll keep the batch in the primary container, for the entire process. The potential drawbacks include added sediment in the finished product and risk of off flavors. This eliminates the need for a second container, reduces labor, and reduces the likelihood of contaminating the batch with bacteria during transfer to the second container.
STEP FOUR:
About 3/4 cup of corn sugar is added to the batch, which is then transferred to bottles and then capped, or placed in a keg. Fermentation of priming sugar by left-over yeast suspended in the beer creates carbon dioxide, which adds the carbination to the beer. This takes 1-2 weeks.
Once the bottle/keg conditioning phase ends, the beer begins aging. Aging typically rounds out any rough edges in the beer and can remedy many imperfections. Some beers such as wheat beers are considered best with little to no aging, while bigger, higher alcohol beers can benefit from age for years.
About the Author:
Home beer brewing?? If you have a kitchen can begin Home Beer Brewing with a minimal amount of supplies. It seems daunting, and you may have a hundred questions and no one to ask them to, but making your first batch of beer is actually quite easy.. This article, Beginner Home Beer Brewing has free reprint rights.
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