Introduction to Homebrewing

It wasn't so long ago that the search for quality beer led many Americans down the path to brewing their own. Although it has become much easier these days to find a good brew there are still many people willing to go the extra step to more fully appreciate and understand the complexities of a fermentable malt beverage. If you are new to the homebrewing scene or have been thinking about giving it a try here are some helpful hints and sources of information and supplies that should insure success.

The first step is to familiarize yourself with the process and the equipment you'll need to get started. The bible for homebrewers is Charlie Papazian's "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing", this is a revised and updated version of Charlie's original book which is now more than ten years old. This book should be obtainable at a good book store but if you have trouble finding it call one of the suppliers listed below, any reputable homebrew supply shop should carry it. The next step is purchasing equipment and supplies. The initial outlay for brewing equipment will cost about $75 to $100 including a good stainless steel brewing pot, (this also comes in handy for cooking large quantities of pasta). After this you'll only need to spend $15 or $20 for the malt, hops and yeast necessary for each 5 gallon batch you brew.

Most supply shops sell a basic equipment kit which will get you started, some of the things to look for include: one or two 5-gallon glass carboys or food grade plastic containers (one with a spigot on the bottom will eliminate the need for syphoning); an air lock with stopper to fit one of the containers; several feet of clear plastic transfer tubing; long handeled stirring spoon (wood is better than plastic); thermometer ; hydrometer (measures the density of liquids and is necessary to determine the progress of fermentation); large strainer or sparging bag; bottle capper; bottle caps. Bottles can usually be obtained by saving your own or asking friends for some. Long necks are usually easier to cap but others will do, try to avoid twist offs. You may purchase a commercial cleaner but a solution of household bleach in water will work just as well.

Although mail order is cheaper and a good plan for purchasing your equipment, a local supply shop is recommended for ingredients. Malt extract can be purchased as a syrup or as dry powder, it also comes in hopped and unhopped versions. Regardless of the style of beer you decide to brew I recommend choosing an unhopped extract. By purchasing the hops separately and adding them yourself you will learn much more about the characteristics that distinguish one type of hop from another and the quantities you prefer. Most hops come in pellatized form, the whole flowers have been compressed into small, more easily manageable pellets, they have not been adulterated in any way. Yeast can be either dry or liquid, some believe the liquid to be the more pure form but brewers have been achieving splendid results with dry yeasts for years. Be careful about mail ordering liquid yeasts, these need to be kept cool to suspend the activity of the cells. When shipped they are usually not kept cool, especially in the summer, this can result in the yeast becoming active and subsequently dying of starvation. Whichever you choose make sure that you get the proper strain for the beer you are brewing - either an ale or a lager yeast.

Once you have everything together you can get down to business. There are two main phases to homebrewing, brewing and bottling. Set aside at least three hours for the first phase and try to recruit a partner to lend a helping hand. There is not much actual work to be done, most of the time will be spent watching the malt extract, now diluted with water, boil on the stove (this is now called "wort"). Once the boiling is done you will transfer the hot liquid to your 5 gallon container and use cold water to top it off. When this cools down to 80 degrees or less you can pitch the yeast, if you pitch the yeast when the wort is still too hot it will kill the yeast. There are commercial wort chillers available to hasten the cooling process but one of the best ways for the homebrewer is to place the 5 gallon container in a bathtub or keg tin filled with cold water then add a bag of ice or two. Fermentation should start within a day or two and will last about a week, your hydrometer will tell you when it's time to bottle.

For phase two, bottling, set aside about two hours and once again recruit that helping hand, one to fill and one to cap. Your beer will be ready to drink about ten days or two weeks after bottling. Charlie's book will guide you through each of the steps and answer most of your questions, if you still have questions or a problem try one of your local homebrew shops.

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© C. Renegar Jr.