Home Brew Craft

Why Try Home Brewing — 5 Good Reasons to Make your Own Beer

Ancient peoples may have brewed their own beer and wine out of necessity (and brew it they did — back at least as far as 10,000 BC that we know of) after all there was no liquor store or convenience store on the corner to grab a cold six-pack or the latest import.

But, really, this was how if was for them for everything they consumed. From bread and meats to vegetables and oils — it was all “do it yourself.”

It’s all changed today when we can easily go to the store and get just about anything we need. So why try homebrewing your own beer?

Homebrewing is More Common Than You Might Think

Home brewing has become in the past few years one of the country’s fastest growing hobbies.

Almost overnight there are several monthly magazines devoted to the subject. Brewing Techniques, Home Brew, The Complete Joy of Home Brewing, and Extreme Brewing are just a few.

And many online sites are now dedicated to selling home brewing kits and equipment.

Take heart that no matter what your family thinks, if you are interested in home brewing you’re not alone.

What are the Reasons That Home Brewing is Becoming So Popular?

Naturally there are almost as many reasons that people try home brewing as there are home brewers. In other words, everyone has their own reasons and everyone is different.

But a few good reasons keep coming up when home brewers talk to each other:

1. Home brewing is an art. It may be a hobby but there is much skill involved also. People who love to cook are often drawn to home brewing.

2. Every batch of beer is different. Forget trying the latest import of seasonal. With home brewing you always have something new to enjoy.

3. Home brewers are a friendly lot. If there is one thing that home brewers love almost as much as making beer it is talking about making beer. Sharing stories and recipes, trying new batches and just getting together with like minded friends are all reasons many people enjoy home brewing

Certainly these are all good reasons, but naturally the number one reason most home brewers give for making their own beer is…

4. Taste

There is nothing like being able to adjust the recipes to their own taste and experiment with different ingredients and cooking procedures. Sure there are some basic things that never change, but you can add different ingredients and experiment with different techniques to make your own signature creation.

Adjusting the ingredients can give you a lighter, paler ale or a thicker and heartier stout. Adding incredients, like honey or berries can give you a flavor that cannot be found in the stores.

One Last Reason No One Talks About

5. Although most won’t admit it, many people home brew simply because it is “cool.” If you and your friends like beer there is just nothing like being able to tell them that you make your own. Just watch the face of someone who has made his or her own beer as they offer you a glass.

It’s hard to be that excited about offerng someone a “Bud.”

Enjoy part four in this video course on brewing beer at home. Today’s instructions cover bottling your home brewed beer.

Beer is fast becoming a beverage of distinction and no longer just something to “let loose” with. There are many home brews that rival the big boys in taste and quality. Brewing a great beer is an art form and there are things to make this process all that much more easier and those are known as beer kits. but even a brew kit requires a bit of know-how to make a great beer and you need the equipment to do it justice. Beer drinkers are also becoming very health conscious and this article will show you how to use a beer kit and brew a great low carb beer.

Ingredients/Equipment:

• “Lite” Beer Kit
• Brewpot
• Primary fermenter
• Airlock
• Stopper
• Plastic Hose
• Bottling Bucket
• Bottles
• Bottle Brush
• Stick-On Thermometer
• Small bowl
• Saucepan
• Rubber spatula
• Oven Mitts
• Large Stainless Steel Mixing Spoon or Plastic)
• Plenty of Water
• Pure Iodine or Unscented Chlorine Bleach (2 ounces per 5 gallons of water)
• Pure Dextrose

Instructions:

Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Equipment

1. Clean the following items with soap and hot water in order to remove any film sediment: brewpot, primary fermenter, brew spoon, airlock and stopper, saucepan, small bowl, rubber spatula, big mixing spoon.
2. Mix your Iodine or bleach in a large basin or tub and soak the above items to sanitize them.
3. Once everything is submerged in either solution wait 5 minutes if using iodine and 30 minutes if using bleach.
4. Set a aside and allow to dry.

Initial Fermentation and Making Wort

1. Bring two quarts of water to a steaming point but not boiling, 160-180F. Remove from heat.
2. Add your beer kit per the kit’s instructions.
3. Stir the ingredients you just added until everything is thoroughly dissolved. Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to simmer and allow to sit for ten to fifteen minutes.
4. Add four gallons of cold water to your primary fermenter.
5. Combine the contents of the pot to the four gallons of water in your primary fermenter and stir vigorously for two minutes.
6. Feel the side of the primary fermenter and when it feels cold add your yeast.
7. Ferment your mixture as close to the correct temperature range as possible.
8. Wait three to five days.

Bottling and Second Fermentation

1. Follow the first section to clean and sanitize your bottles and bottling bucket.
2. Put three cups of water into the saucepan and dissolve 3/4 cup of dextrose in it. Bring to boil over medium heat, cover and set aside for fifteen to twenty in order to cool.
3. Place your bottling bucket on the floor.
4. Place the primary fermenter on a surface somewhere above the bottling bucket.
5. Attach the hose to the spigot on the primary fermenter and place the other end to the bottom of the bottling bucket. Pour the solution in the saucepan into the bottling bucket then turn the spigot on to allow the brew to flow from the primary fermenter into the bottling bucket.
6. Close the spigot and remove the hose – clean them both well.
7. Move the fermenter out of the way and place the bottling bucket on to a high surface attaching the hose to its spigot.
8. Line your bottles on the floor and place the hose into the bottom of the first bottle and turn on the spigot.
9. Fill your bottle to close to the top and quickly remove the hose and place in the second bottle and repeat until all your bottles are filled or the brew mixture is gone.
10. Cap your bottles.
11. Move your beer bottles to a cool, dark place with a temperature between 60-70 degrees, a basement or attic is ideal.
12. Wait one week and check the cloudiness of your beer. If it has gone clear you may chill your brew. If not, wait several more days.

Tips & Warnings

• You may add other fermentables to your brew to change flavors of the final product.
• When moving the primary fermenter try to not slosh the brew inside too much.
• Do not try to get the remaining brew from the fermenter – it contains sediment you do not want.
• Clean all of your equipment thoroughly before putting it away.
• Do not let anyone near your equipment after sanitizing them.
• Always be careful when working with bleach.
• Observe all safety precautions when working with hot liquids.

Author: Mike Johnson