Home Brew Craft

Making your own homebrew is a wonderful and rewarding past time. But how is it that beer is made? In olden times, it was thought that when one prepared the wort (the mixture of Malt, Hops, Barley, and Water) that certain spirits (or saints / angels) were attracted to it. The quality of the prayers said over the beer were what determined its quality, taste and potency. The Vikings used to shout angrily at their ales in an effort to wake up the spirit within. Over time, it was discovered that a tiny life form, so small you could never see it without a microscope, is the cause of the process of fermentation. It turns out that this life form exists somewhere on the hazy border between plant and fungal life, and is virtually omnipresent in the natural world. Yeast, the hidden key to fermentation. In this article I will relate a working and scientific knowledge of the processes of malting, fermentation, and carbonation, yielding inebriation!

Yeast is the initiator of the process of fermentation, but not where the process of beer making begins. First, there is the malt. Barley grows, and is harvested and dried. Each grain of barley contains the genetic blueprint for a new life form, waiting to be awakened with the spring rains. By soaking the grains of barley in water, a process starts by which the starches of the grain are converted to sugars by enzymes. The seed then uses the sugars produced to grow rapidly, and the seed starts to sprout. Just as the seeds are sprouted, the barley is dried up once again, and sometimes roasted. This kills the budding new life of the seeds, but the enzymes still function, and are still transforming the starch they encounter into sugar. This is the beginning of the process known as malting.

After malting the grains, the process of the mash begins. When mashing, one takes the lightly roasted barley, which is the malt, and mixes it with other roasted grains and warm water to produce a flavorful, sweet liquid called the mash. This is the beginning of the beer making process.

Most folks in the homebrew community use malt extract instead of making a mash. Malt extract is a sticky, super sweet syrup that is made industrially by mashing and then boiling down the mash until it is this syrup. Either way you produce beer, you eventually have a hot mixture of Malt, Hops, Barley, and Water. After this cools, Yeast is added into an environment that is very helpful to the yeast’s life cycle. Thus starts the process of fermentation.

Yeast devours the sugars and a few other nutrients supplied by both the hops and barley, and excretes two things: alcohol and CO2. Alcohol is primarily what we’re after, but not at the expense of the taste of our homebrew. Yeast thrives in a warm, humid environment. If it is too warm, however, the yeast will create undesirable undertones in your beer. This is why Lagering is such a popular process of beer making. The definition of lagering means to keep the wort at a low temperature, in a refrigeration unit, while the beer is fermenting. In light beers, temperature is very important, because there are not heavy flavors to cover up undesirable accents. Lagering increases the amount of time it takes to have a finished homebrew, but often the benefit in taste far outweighs the extra time it takes to brew. Hops also enhance the environment for the yeast, adding essential nutrients.

The natural process of carbonation occurs throughout fermentation, but is most useful to the home brewer near the end of the fermentation process. At this stage, nearly all of the sugars in the wort have been devoured by the yeast. When there is still a small amount of sugars left in the wort, it is bottled and sealed. Now, the little remaining live yeast devours the last of the sugars, and excretes a little bit more of alcohol and CO2. The beer then slowly becomes saturated, and then supersaturated with CO2 in the confined environment of the beer bottle. This is the process of carbonation, which takes about two weeks to complete.

Finally the mixture of Malt, Hops, Barley, Yeast, Water has produced the penultimate goal – the homebrew beer which is nutritious, enjoyable, and inebriating!

Do you enjoy the delicious taste of beer? Have you ever thought about how proud you would feel to learn how to brew beer? Want to learn the simple truth to the most popular-held myths about brewing beer at home? Well, it’s time to arm yourself with some knowledge to debunk the top beer myths and set the record straight – even with people you know who may think they know more about beer than you.

The top of the list…Myth one: Only men have an interest in homebrewing beer. Drinking or brewing beer is just not popular with women.

This could not be further from the truth! Even though there is a large number of men who both drink and home brew beer, there is also a large number of women who not only appreciate and enjoy the taste of beer, but who are also interested in homebrewing.

Myth two: If you want the best results for your beer, you should bottle it using green bottles only.

Absolutely false. Believe it or not, brown bottles work the best because they are better equipped to keep out the most dangerous culprit to your homebrewing efforts – light. Due to a shortage of brown glass in Europe during the 20th century, green glass was used more frequently and it was incorrectly assumed the beer was of a better quality. Truth is, exposure to light is an excellent way to dash your efforts and spoil a good batch of beer.

Myth three: Drinking beer is unhealthy.

Since beer is an alcohol and alcohol consumption has always been linked to poor health habits, there is a stigma that follows for beer drinking. In actuality, beer contains zero cholesterol and zero fat! Do not let this myth keep you from brewing and enjoying good beer. Always drink responsibly. Moderation is key to really appreciating a delicious beer.

Myth four: Bitter beer is beer that is ruined.

All beers have a bitter flavor, some just more pronounced than others. And the reason is due to the use of hops, which are essential for an authentic beer taste. Do not worry – if your beer tastes bitter it is fine as is. Tip: when brewing beer you can adjust the bitterness level by the amount of hops you use and the amount of time you boil the hops. The longer you boil the hops, the more bitter tasting the beer will be.

Myth five: Beer is ruined if the bottles are not kept refrigerated.

Actually, assuming the bottle has not been opened, simply pop the warm beer back in the refrigerator. Once it is chilled, it will taste as good as before. Note: some beers, like many traditional English ales and stouts, are not their best when served ice cold. Rather, they are better served closer to room temperature or slightly cool. The only ways to ruin a good beer is to either leave it sitting out open to the air or exposing it to the sun/extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. Once you have made a batch, simply store it in a dark place and it will be just fine.

Now that you know the truth to these myths, you can confidently venture into the world of homebrewing. However, there is one final, widely-popular myth we need to bust first: Homebrewing is difficult work. With ready-made malt extracts and six-gallon fermenters available these days, it’s no more difficult to brew beer than to make bread with a bread machine. Simply mix your ingredients, pop the cap on the fermenter and let the yeast go to work making your beer. With a little work and a lot of fun, you too can easily learn how to brew beer.

Home brewing beer can be very exciting and at the same very challenging. Yes, home brewing beer may take time and effort but once you really get the hang of it, you will have so much fun doing it that you will not really pay much attention to how much time and effort you put into producing a few bottles of beer. Besides, the satisfaction that you get when you finally get your bottles of beer is really something.

Getting Started

When you do decide to brew your own beer, you must make sure that you get the right equipments and ingredients. For your ingredients, you will need water, malt, hops and yeast. If you like you beer to appear light and taste light, you will need to buy some light colored malt and hops with a low alpha number.

Malts and hops with high alpha number gives out stronger flavor, so avoid that one if you have no desire of producing strong beer. On the other hand, if you are interested in getting a more assertive type of beer, go for hops with higher number but use only less than 2 ounces at the beginning of the boiling process otherwise your beer will taste too bitter.

Always remember that timing and proper measurement is very important when home brewing beer. If you put in too much stuff into your concoction, you will ruin the taste of your beer.

The first thing that you will need to do when home brewing beer is to boil your malt extract for 30 minutes. Stir the liquid occasionally and then add the hop pellets 5 to 10 minutes before you finish the boiling process. Make sure that you do not over boil your liquid or else your beer will not really taste as good as it should.

When home brewing beer, it is very important to pay close attention to cleaning and sanitizing of equipments especially the ones that you use for fermenting and storing your beer. Always remember that cleaning is different from sanitizing. Just because you have washed the utensils and containers with soap and water, that doesn’t mean that these things are already sanitized.

After cleaning your utensils and containers, you need to apply some bleaching or sanitizing solutions to your equipments to kill whatever bacteria that may be in them. Don’t forget that bleaching agents and sanitizers often leave some odours on the equipment, so you will need to rinse the utensils and containers thoroughly. In case you don’t want to use sanitizers or bleaching agents, you can sterilize your containers and utensils by boiling them for about 15 minutes.

Thanks to Ann Marier for these tips.

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.”

If you are going to make your own beer then your biggest worry has to be that something will go wrong and the whole brew will be ruined. What can you do to reduce the chances of that happening to almost zero? The answer could be very simple…

Who Likes A Challenge?

OK, sometimes a challenge is good. It can stretch us, and if the task is that bit more difficult then the satisfaction in getting a good result is all the greater. But it’s all a matter of degree. If the odds are so stacked against you that the chances of failure are seriously high, then that can kind of take away the enjoyment.

It’s like that with home brewing. A little difficulty or ‘challenge’ might be OK, but too much and it can ruin the hobby, and your brew.

And let’s face it, the processes in home brewing the traditional way can be quite complicated. All that preparing the ingredients, malting your grains, mixing at different stages, transferring between containers etc … It’s a long, drawn out business that is full of risks. And any mistake can potentially ruin everything.

Why Take The Risk?

So, if there’s a good alternative why take the risk of failure? Why pour all your time and effort into something that is hard work and can so easily go wrong?

You see, the sort of home brewing kits you can get these days make the whole operation so much easier. Compared to the traditional method, with kits there’s really very little you have to do. Each malt kit (for whichever type of beer you choose) comes ready prepared; you just add the odd extra ingredient, mix with water, and leave to ferment.

Quality and Reliability

But, how about the quality with kits? After all, there’s no point taking the easy route if all you can get is second rate beer. Thankfully, with kits nowadays there is absolutely no compromise on quality. You can achieve the most delicious results — everything that homebrewed beer is renowned for.

And what’s more, you can achieve top results with incredible reliability. With kits the process is made so easy that virtually all the risk is taken away, so you can brew with confidence — instead of with worry.

Sure, you can get great results the traditional way also, but not with the same reliability unless you are already an expert. No, if you take the traditional route you will need to know what you are doing or be prepared for a lot of trial and error and learning the hard way. That’s not what most people are looking for in a hobby.

Sadly, traditional home brewing can be full of disappointment. It’s bad enough that one little mistake in a long sequence of steps can ruin the whole brew, but what’s worse is that you might not realize it till quite some time later…

… How quickly eager anticipation can turn into bitter disappointment! Have you read all those posts in the forums from people agonizing over why their brew isn’t looking right? There’s no need to suffer like that.

Instead — Relax and Enjoy

Instead of worrying over how your brew is going to turn out, when you use kits you can relax and enjoy yourself because you can be confident in the result — top quality beer, time after time. And all with minimum work!

Oh, and by the way you can really impress your friends with this — they won’t know how easy it was, but each week you can bring out a top quality homebrewed beer of your own. All the favorite varieties are available with kits, and you can even experiment with your own original flavors and versions. This is how the hobby should be — easy, fun and delicious!

Ready to make your own beer this fun and easy way? Take the next step now by getting a Homebrewing Kit.

Section II: Yeast Profiles

PART 1: DRY ALE YEAST (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

PART 2: LIQUID ALE YEAST

PART 3: LAGER YEAST (Saccharomyces uvarum)

PART 4: WEISSEN, LAMBIC, MEAD, AND BARLEYWINE STYLES

Section II: Yeast Profiles

Part 1: Dry Ale Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

Coopers Ale Yeast
Good to very good reputation.  The Coopers is quite fruity fermented at
65F.  It’s not phenolic at all and all the flavor is a very clean
fruitiness.

Glenbrew Special Ale Yeast
Specially designed for use in “all malt” beers.  Contains a special
enzyme to obtain extremely low terminal gravities.

Doric Ale Yeast
Ok to very good reputation.  One person reports “reliable, clean finish”.

Edme Ale Yeast
Starts quick.  Produces some fruity esters.  Attenuative.  Good
reputation.

Lallemand Nottingham Yeast
This yeast is remarkable for its high degree of flocculation.  It settles
out very quickly and firmly.  Very good reputation.  It is a fast starter
with quick fermentation at 62F.  It’s very clean and only very slightly
fruity in the keg, but tastes/smells nutty in the bottled version.
Nottingham appears to be relatively attenuative (more so than the Coopers).

Lallemand Windsor Yeast
Produces a beer which is clean and well balanced.  This yeast produces
an ale which is estery to both palate and nose with a slight fresh yeast
flavor.  Very good reputation.  Not as quick as the Nottingham.  Definite
banana smell at racking.

Munton-Fison Ale Yeast
Starts quick.  Produces some fruity esters.  Attenuative.  Fair to good
reputation.  It is reported that a phenolic taste is no longer a problem
due to some strain changes.

Red Star Ale Yeast
This brand had a very bad reputation in the past, and for a while
production was suspended.  A different strain (AHY 43391) was selected by
the company and is now being sold as Red Star Ale Yeast.  The new strain
is much improved!  Reports from Dr. Fix, a brewer’s yeast consultant,
suggest that this is an excellent general purpose ale yeast with a clean
taste.  Apparent attenuation 76-78%.

Whitbread Ale Yeast
Fast starter.  Distribution switched to Crosby and Baker with a change in
the yeast.  Very good reputation despite past quality problems.

Part 2: Liquid Ale Yeast

Brewtek CL-10   American Microbrewery Ale #1
A smooth, clean, strong fermenting ale yeast that works well down to
56! F.  The neutral character of this yeast makes it ideal for Cream Ales
and other beers in which you want maintain a clean malt flavor.

Brewtek CL-20   American Microbrewery Ale #2
Gives an accentuated, rich and creamy malt profile with generous amounts
of diacetyl.  Use it in lower gravity beers where the malt character
should not be missed or in Strong Ales for a robust character.

Brewtek CL-60   North-Eastern Micro Ale
Produces a malty, bready, yet clean malt charactar and, interestingly,
leaves hop flavors and aromas well intact.  This versatile yeast is well
suited for many ales including American red and amber styles.

Brewtek CL-110  British Microbrewery Ale
Provides a complex, oakey, fruity ester profile and slightly under
attenuated finish suitable to low and medium gravity British ale styles.
Very distinct, this is a great bitter and mild yeast.

Brewtek CL-120  British Pale Ale #1
Produces a bold, citrusy character which accentuates mineral and hop
flavors.  The distinct character of this yeast makes it best suited for
use in your classic British Pale Ales or Bitters.

Brewtek CL-130  British Pale Ale #2
A smooth, full flavored, well rounded ale yeast.  Mildly estery, this
yeast is a strong fermenter and highly recommended for strong or spiced
ales.  This yeast is well rounded and accentuates caramel and other malt
nuances.

Brewtek CL-150  Britsh Real Ale
For those longing for the character of a real pub bitter.  This yeast has a
complex, woody, almost musty ester profile that charactarizes many real
ales.  Typically underattenuating, the malt profile is left intact with a
mild sweetness in the finish.

Brewtek CL-160  British Draft Ale
One of our favorite Ale yeasts, gives a full bodied, well rounded flavor
with a touch of diacetyl.  This yeast has a way of emphasizing malt
character like no other yeast we’ve used.  Highly recommended for Porters
and Bitters.
Brewtek CL-170  Classic British Ale
Like CL-160, produces a beautiful draft bitter or Porter.  This yeast
leaves a complex ale with very British tones and fruit like esters, it
also produces a classic Scottish Heavy and plays well in high gravity
worts.

Brewtek CL-240  Irish Dry Stout
A top fermenting yeast which leaves a very recognizable, slightly woody
character to Dry Stouts.  Has a vinous, almost lactic character which
blends exceptionally well with roasted malts.  Highly attenuative and a
true top fermenter.

Brewtek CL-260  Canadian Ale
A clean, strong fermenting and well attenuating ale yeast that leaves a
pleasant, lightly fruity, complex finish.  Well suited for light Canadian
Ales as well as fuller flavored Porters and British styles such as Bitter
and Pale Ale.

Brewtek CL-300  Belgian Ale #1
Produces a truly classic Belgian Ale flavor.  Robust and estery with notes
of clove and fruit.  Recommended for general purpose Belgian ale brewing,
it also ferments high gravity worts well.  (Note: this in not Chimay!)

Brewtek CL-320  Belgian Ale #2
A Flanders style yeast.  Makes a terrific strong brown and a good base
brew for fruit flavored beers.  This strong fermenting yeast attenuates
well and produces a fruity, estery malt profile but is a little slow to
flocculate.

Brewtek CL-340  Belgian Ale #3
Slightly more refined than our CL-300, this yeast also produces a classic
Trappist character, with esters of spice and fruit.  Mildly phenolic, this
is a strong fermenting yeast, well suited to Trappist and other Belgian
ales.

Brewtek CL-380  Saison
A pleasant yeast best used to recreate country French and Belgian Ales as
well as Grand Cru styles.  This yeast leaves a smooth, full character to
the malt with mild yet pleasant esters and flavors reminiscent of apple
pie spices.

Brewtek CL-400  Old German Ale
For traditional Alt Biers, a strong fermenter which leaves a smooth,
attenuated, yet mild flavor.  Use in your favorite German Ale recipes.
Also makes a slightly dry but clean, quenching wheat beer.

Brewtek CL-450  K\”olsch (Koelsch)
Produces mild sulfur during fermentation which smooths with time into a
clean, well attenuated flavor.  Mineral and malt characters come through
well, with a clean, lightly yeasty flavor and aroma in the finish.

Wyeast 1007 German Ale Yeast
Ferments dry and crisp leaving a complex yet mild flavor.  Produces an
extremely rocky head and ferments well down to 55 deg.F (12 deg.C).
Flocculation is high and apparent attenuation is 73-77%.  Optimum
fermentation temperature: 62 deg.F (17 deg.C).  A good balance of
sweetness and tartness.  A very pleasing yeast.

Wyeast 1024 Belgian Ale Yeast
Banana estery flavor.  With both clove-like phenolics and alcohol spice,
the Belgian will tell you right away that it’s no ordinary yeast.
Tartness often develops over time.  Ferment warm or with inadequate
aeration and you’re likely to get a bubblegum-like note.  Intended for
abbey beers, and works very well for that.  And, depending on the wort
composition, *lots* of banana notes.

Wyeast 1028 London Ale Yeast
Rich minerally profile, bold woody slight diacetyl production.  Medium
flocculation.  Apparent attenuation 73-77%.  Optimum fermentation
temperature: 68 deg.F (20 deg.C).  Complex, woody, tart, with strong
mineral notes.  It produces ales of marvelous complexity and
sophistication.  This yeast was used for the 1992 B.0.S.S.  Challenge
1st place Barleywine, brewed by none other than Brian and Linda North.

Wyeast 1056 American/Chico Ale Yeast
Ferments dry, finishes soft, smooth and clean, and is very well balanced.
Flocculation is low to medium.  Apparent attenuation 73-77%.  Optimum
fermentation temperature: 68 deg.F (20 deg.C).  The cleanest of the bunch,
but mutation-prone.  This is Sierra Nevada’s yeast.  Probably the best
available all-around yeast, this strain can be used for anything, without
embarrassment.  Wyeast 1056 is reported to be Seibels BRY-96 strain.

Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale Yeast
Slight residual diacetyl is great for stouts.  It is clean smooth, soft
and full bodied.  Medium flocculation and apparent attenuation of 71-75%.
Optimum fermentation temperature: 68 deg.F (20 deg.C).  Soft, round,
malty; the least attenuative of the Wyeast line.  Very nice for any
cold-weather ale, at its best in stouts and Scotch ales.  Reputed to be
the yeast Guinness uses.

Wyeast 1087 Wyeast Ale Blend
Comes in the new 80 gram (50 liter) packages.

Wyeast 1098 British Ale Yeast
Ale yeast from Whitbread.  Ferments dry and crisp, slightly tart and well
balanced.  Ferments well down to 55 deg.F (12 deg.C).  Medium
flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-75%.  Optimum fermentation
temperature: 70 deg.F (21 deg.C).  Tart, crisp, clean.  Great in pale ales
and bitters, good in porters.

Wyeast 1338 European Ale Yeast
Ale yeast from Wissenschaftliche in Munich.  A full bodied complex strain
finishes very malty.  Produces a dense rocky head during fermentation.
High flocculation, apparent attenuation 67-71%.  Optimum fermentation
temperature: 70 deg.F (21 deg.C).  It’s clean and malty, especially well
suited to Altbier.

Wyeast 1728  Scottish Ale Yeast
Rich smoky, peaty character ideally suited for Scottish style ales,
smoked beers and high gravity ales.

Wyeast 1968  Special London Ale Yeast
Highly flocculant ale yeast with rich malty character and balanced
fruitiness.  High degree of flocculation makes this an excellent strain
for cask conditioned ales.

Yeast Culture Kit A01
From California.  Vendor’s suggested uses (VSU): Barley Wine, Brown Ale,
Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Cream Ale, Porter, Stout.

Yeast Culture Kit A04
From Oregon.  VSU: Dusseldorf Altbier, Kolsch.

Yeast Culture Kit A06
From Oregon.  VSU: Porter, Stout, Imperial Stout.

Yeast Culture Kit A08
From Dorchester, England.  VSU: Barley Wine (high residual sweetness).

Yeast Culture Kit A13
From Ireland.  VSU: Porter, Stout, Imperial Stout.

Yeast Culture Kit A15
From England.  VSU: Brown Ale, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Cream Ale,
Bitters and Milds.

Yeast Culture Kit A16
From Belgium.  VSU: Trappist Ales (Abbeys, Doubles, Tripples).

Yeast Culture Kit A17
From London, England.  VSU: Brown Ale, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Cream
Ale, Bitters and Milds.

Yeast Culture Kit A34
From Edinburgh, Scotland.  VSU: Barley Wines, Scotch Ale, Scottish
Bitters, Strong Ale.

Yeast Culture Kit A35
From central Belgium.  VSU: Belgian Whites.

Yeast Culture Kit A36
From Houffalize, Belgium.  VSU: Belgian Ales.

Yeast Culture Kit A37
From Bavaria, Germany.  VSU: Altbier, Kolsch.

Yeast Lab A01   Australian Ale
This all purpose strain produces a very complex, woody and flavorful beer.
Australian origin.  Medium attenuation, medium flocculation.  Great for
Brown ales and Porters.  65-68F.

Yeast Lab A02   American Ale
This clean strain produces a very fruity aroma, with a soft and smooth
flavor when fermented cool.  Medium attenuation and low flocculation.
This is an all purpose ale yeast.  65-66F.

Yeast Lab A03   London Ale
Classic Pale Ale strain, very dry.  A powdery yeast with a hint of
diacetyl and a rich minerally profile, crisp and clean.  Medium
attenuation and medium flocculation.  65-68F.

Yeast Lab A04   British Ale
This strain produces a great light bodied ale, excellent for Pale Ales and
Brown Ales, with a complex estery flavor.  Ferments dry with a sharp
finish.  Medium attenuation and medium flocculation.  65-68F.

Yeast Lab A05   Irish Ale
This top fermenting strain is ideal for Stouts and Porters.  Slightly
acidic, with a hint of butterscotch in the finish, soft and full bodied.
High attenuation, high flocculation.  65-68F.

Yeast Lab A06   Dusseldorf Ale
German Altbier yeast strain finishes with full body, complex flavor and
spicy sweetness.  Medium attenuation, high flocculation.  65-68F.

Yeast Lab A07   Canadian Ale
This strain produces a light bodied, clean and flavorful beer, very fruity
when fermented cool.  High attenuation, high flocculation.  Good for light
and cream ales.  65-66F.

Yeast Lab A08   Trappist Ale
This is a typical Belgian strain, producing a malty flavor with a balance
of fruity, phenolic overtones when fermented warm.  Alcohol tolerant, high
attenuation and high flocculation.  64-70F.

Yeast Lab A09   English Ale
A old English brewery strain, this clean yeast is fairly neutral in
character, producing a fruity, soft and estery finish.  A vigorous
fermenter.  64-66F.

Part 3: Lager Yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum)

Dry Lager Yeast: (Generally not recommended–tend to be inconsistent).

Liquid Lager Yeast: Much preferred over dry types!

Brewtek CL-600  Original Pilsner
Leaves a full bodied Lager with a sweet, underattenuated finish and
subdued diacetyl character.  Use in classic Czechoslovakian Pilsners or
any lager you want to emphasize a big, malty palate.

Brewtek CL-620  American Megabrewey
A smooth yeast with a slightly fruity character when fresh which lagers
into a smooth clean tasting beer.  Use for your lightest, cleanest Lagers
or those in which you want an unobtrusive yeast character.

Brewtek CL-630  American Microbrewey Lager
A strong fermenter, leaving a clean, full flavored, malty finish.
Slightly attenuative, this yeast is a very versatile for most lager
styles.  Use in all Lager styles you wish to have a clean full flavor.

Brewtek CL-650  Old Bavarian Lager
Well rounded and malty with a subtle ester complex and citrus undertones.
This distinct, flavorful yeast is a great for full flavored, classic German
lagers such as Bock, Dunkle and Helles styles.

Brewtek CL-660  N. German Lager
Exhibits a clean, crisp, traditional Lager character.  A strong fermenting
and forgiving Lager yeast.  This is an excellent yeast for general purpose
Lager brewing.  Use in German Pilsners, Mexican and Canadian Lagers.

Brewtek CL-680  East European Lager
Imparts a smooth, rich, almost creamy character, emphasizing a big malt
flavor and clean finish.  Our choice when brewing lagers in which the malt
character should be full and smooth, as in Marzen\Oktoberfests.

Brewtek CL-690  California Esteem
Use to recreate “California common beers” leaves a slightly estery, well
attenuated finish.  The character of this yeast is quite distinct, try it
in American or robust Porters for a new and unique flavor profile.

Wyeast 2007 Pilsen Lager Yeast
Specific for pilsner style beers.  Ferments dry, crisp, clean and light.
Medium flocculation.  Apparent attenuation from 71-75%.  Optimum
fermentation temperature: 52 deg.  F (11 deg.  C).  It is worth
mentioning that this yeast strain is reportedly used quite a bit in
St. Louis, if you know what I mean ;^).  Wyeast 2007 is reported to have
the slight apple like flavors that distinguish all AB products.  One
person reported using this in a steam beer with good results.

Wyeast 2035 American Lager Yeast
Unlike American pilsner styles.  It is bold, complex and woody.  Produces
slight diacetyl.  Medium flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%.
Optimum fermentation temperature: 50 deg.F (10 deg.C).  This yeast
allegedly is the on used by August Schell in New Ulm, MN.  Wyeast 2035
is reported to have raspberry notes if fermented at 65F.

Wyeast 2042 Danish Lager Yeast
Rich, yet crisp and dry.  Soft, light profile which accentuates hop
characteristics.  Flocculation is low, apparent attenuation is 73-77%.
Optimum fermentation temperature: 48 deg.F (9 deg.C).

Wyeast 2112 California Lager Yeast
Warm fermenting bottom cropping strain, ferments well to 62 deg.F (17
deg.C) while keeping lager characteristics.  Malty profile, highly
flocculant, clear brilliantly.  Apparent attenuation 72-76%.  Allegedly,
the Anchor steam yeast.

Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast
Ferments clean and malty, rich residual maltiness in high gravity
pilsners, medium flocculation, apparent attenuation 69-73%.  Optimum
fermentation temperature: 48 deg.F (9 deg.C).  Allegedly, one of the
four (?) Pilsner Urquell yeasts, although that is the subject of much
dispute.  It is the same as Weihensephen 34/70.  The source for this
is in Brewing Techniques 2nd edition article on Octoberfest Beer, which
quotes no less an authority than Dave at Wyeast.

Wyeast 2178 Wyeast Lager Blend
Comes in the new 80 gram (50 liter) packages.

Wyeast 2206 Bavarian Lager Yeast
Lager yeast strain used by many German breweries.  Rich flavor, full
bodied, malty and clean.  Medium flocculation, apparent attenuation
73-77%.  Optimum fermentation temperature: 48 deg.F (9 deg.C).  Wyeast
2206 is good for bocks.  It is reported to be a slow starter.  Very
phenolic at high temps (>65 deg C).

Wyeast 2278  Czech Pils Yeast
Classic dry finish with rich maltiness.  Good choice for pilsners and
bock beers.  Sulpher produced during fermentation dissipates with
conditioning.

Wyeast 2308 Munich Lager Yeast
Lager yeast #308 from Wissenschaftliche in Munich.  One of the first pure
yeast available to American home brewers.  Sometimes unstable, but smooth soft well rounded and full bodied.  Medium flocculation, apparent
attenuation 73-77%.  Optimum fermentation temperature: 50 deg.F (10
deg.C). One report of an intense off aroma (like home perm solution)
with this yeast fermented at 45-50F but it miraculously disappeared after
four months aging in the bottle at 40F.  Wissenschaftliche #308 is also
known as “weisenheimer”.  It is reported to be complex, prone to diacetyl,
and more likely to bring out hop flavor than Wyeast 2206.

Wyeast 2565  Kolsh (sic.) Yeast
A hybrid of Ale and Lager characteristics.  This strain develops
excellent maltiness with subdued fruitiness, with a crisp finish.
Ferments well at moderate temperatures.

Yeast Culture Kit L09
From Bavaria, Germany.  VSU: American Dark Lager, American Lager, Bavarian Dark, Doppelbock, Dortmund/Export, Eisbock, German Bock, German Lagers, German Schwarzbier, Hellesbock, Munich Helles, Marzen/Octoberfest, Pilsner.  (Must be some yeast!

Yeast Culture Kit L17
From Pilsen, Czechoslovakia.  VSU: American Lagers, Bohemian Pilsner.

Yeast Lab L31   Pilsner Lager
This classic strain produces a light lager in both flavor and body,
fermenting dry and clean.  High attenuation and medium flocculation.
50-52F.

Yeast Lab L32   Bavarian Lager
Use this classic strain for medium bodied lagers and bocks, as well as
Vienna and Marzen styles, rich in flavor with a clean, malty sweetness.
Medium attenuation and medium flocculation.  50-52F.

Yeast Lab L33   Munich Lager
German brewing strain for medium bodied lagers and bocks, subtle and
complex flavors, smooth and soft, a hint of sulfur when fresh.  Medium
attenuation and medium flocculation.  48-50F.

Yeast Lab L34   St. Louis Lager
This strain produces a round, very crisp and clean fruity flavor, with
medium body.  High attenuation and medium flocculation.  Good for
American style lagers.  50-52F.

Yeast Lab L35   California Lager
A California common beer strain, malty with a sweet, woody flavor and
subtle fruitiness.  Medium attenuation and high flocculation.  64-66F.

Part 4: Weissen, Lambic, Mead, And Barleywine Styles.

Brewtek CL-900 Belgian Wheat
A top fermenting yeast which produces a soft, bread like flavor and leaves
a sweet, mildly estery finish.  Lends its delicious Belgian character to
any beer, it is best when made with Belgian Pils, and finished with
Coriander and orange peel.

Brewtek CL-920 German Wheat
A true, top fermenting Weizenbier yeast.  Intensely Spicy, clovey and
phenolic.  This yeast is highly attenuative and flocks in large, loose
clumps.  Use for All Weizen recipes and is particularly good in
Wiezenbocks.

Brewtek CL-930 German Weiss
Milder than our German Wheat #1, our 930 strain, from a famous German
yeast bank, still produces the sought after clove and phenol characters
but to a lesser degree, with a fuller, earthier character underneath.

Brewtek CL-980 American White Ale
A smooth wheat beer yeast with an exceptionally round, clean malt flavor.
The poor flocculation of this yeast leaves a cloudy “Hefe-Weizen” yet
it’s smooth flavor makes it an integral part of a true unfiltered wheat
beer.

Brewtek CL-5200 Brettanomyces lambicus
Wild yeast strain associated with the country-side breweries of Belgian.
This yeast is an important contributor to the flavor profile of lambic
beers and contributes a unique and complex flavor sometimes described as
“horsey” or “old leather.” A slow-growing yeast which takes several weeks
to ferment and develop its unique character.

Brewtek CL-5600 Pediococcus damnosus
Lactic acid producing bacteria found in lambic beers.  This is is a
slow-growing bacteria which prefers anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions.  It
is also common brewery contaminant which produces large amounts of
diacetyl.

Wyeast 3056 Bavarian Weissen Yeast
A 50/50 blend of S. cerevisiae and delbrueckii to produce a south German
style wheat beer with cloying sweetness when the beer is fresh.  Medium
flocculation, apparent attenuation 73-77%.  Optimum fermentation
temperature: 56 deg.F (13 deg.C).  Problematic to get the right flavor,
often just produces relatively unattenuated beer, without the clove-like
aroma/flavor.  Perhaps it’s the freshness of the Wyeast #3056 that makes
the difference in whether you get the clove-like aroma/flavor or not.
Wyeast appears to be selecting a better, “truer” weissen yeast to replace
this quirky halfbreed.

Wyeast 3068  Wheinstephen Wheat Yeast
Saccharomyces delbrukii single strain culture for German wheat beers.
This is the better, “truer” weissen yeast that they selected.  Initial
reports are very positive.

Wyeast 3944  Belgian White Beer Yeast.
Rich phenolic character for classic Belgian styles including grand cru.

Wyeast 3273  Brettanomyces bruxellensis.
Belgian lambic style yeast with rich earth odiferous character and acidic
finish.

Yeast Culture Kit M01
From Bavaria, Germany.  VSU: American Wheat?, Dunkel Weizen, German
Weizen, Weizenbock.  Although the vendor lists American Wheat as a
suggested style, it appears to produce too much clove taste for that;
however, that does make it excellent for the Bavarian Weizens!  After all,
it is a Bavarian yeast.

Yeast Lab W51   Bavarian Weizen
This strain produces a classic German style wheat beer, with moderately
high, spicy phenolic overtones reminiscent of cloves.  Medium attenuation,
moderately flocculant.  66-70F.  Evidently much more consistent than
Wyeast at producing a true Weizen flavor.

Yeast Lab W52   Belgian Wheat
Yeast used in the production of Belgian White beer (Wit).  This strain
provides a soft elegant finish with moderate esters and mild, spicy
phenols.  66-70F.

Mike Sharp also reports that special lambic cultures (Brettanomyces and
Pediococcus) are available from the Yeast Culture Kit Co., even though they
were not on the flyer I received.  Those interested should call and ask!
Be aware that some suppliers may not consider lambic strains to be of wide
interest, so ask your favorite supplier.  If enough people ask, the supply
is bound to increase.  Good luck you lambicophiles!  I own no stock etc, etc.

Mead Yeast

Yeast Lab M61   Dry Mead
Very alcohol tolerant, ferments dry, fruity and clean, yet leaves a
noticeable honey flavor and aroma.  65-70F.

Yeast Lab M62   Sweet Mead
This strain has slightly reduced alcohol tolerance and produces a very
fruity, sweet mead with tremendous honey aromas.  65-70F.

Wine Yeast

Lallemand Lalvin Wine Yeast S. Bayanus.
Good reputation.

Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast
Very attenuative.  Good for mead.  Good reputation.  Popular yeast for
Imperial Stouts and Barleywines due to it’s high tolerance for alcohol.
Some use it by itself, others pitch Pasteur after their chosen beer yeast
poops out.

Wyeast 3021 Prise de mousse Champagne Yeast
Institute Pasteur champagne yeast race bayanus.  Crisp and dry, ideal for
sparkling and still red, white and fruit wines.  Also can be used for
Barleywines.  Optimum fermentation temperature: 58 deg.F (14 deg.C).

Wyeast 3028 Wine Yeast
French wine yeast ideally suited for red and white wines which mature
rapidly.  Enhances the fruity characteristics of most wines.  Optimum
fermentation temperature: 72 deg.F (22 deg.C).

Wyeast 4007 Wine Yeast
Malo-lactic culture blend isolated from western Oregon wineries.  Includes
strains Ey2d and Er1a.  Excellent for high acid wines and low pH.  Softens
wines by converting harsh malic acid to milder lactic acid.  Can be added
to juice any time after the onset of yeast fermentation when sulfur
dioxide is less than 15 ppm.

Yeast Culture Kit M06
From Montreal, Canada.  VSU: Barley Wine (Champagne).

LIST OF CONTENTS:

—————-

INTRODUCTION

SECTION I: YEAST CHARACTERISTICS

ACTIVITY

TEMPERATURE

ATTENUATION

FLOCCULATION

pH RANGES

ALCOHOL TOLERANCES

SMELLS AND TASTES

OBTAINING CULTURES AND MISCELLANY

WHERE TO LOOK IN THE ARCHIVES FOR MORE INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

Yeast are unicellular fungi.  Most brewing yeast belong to the genus
Saccharomyces.  Ale yeast are S. cerevisiae, and lager yeast are S. uvarum
(formerly carlsbergerensis, BTW S. carlsbergerensis is listed in some
places–for example, the ATCC–as a subspecies of S. cerevisiae).  Another
type of yeast you may hear mentioned, usually in conjunction with weizens, is S. delbrueckii.  Finally, many Lambicophiles want me to say that
Brettanomyces sp. are also used in brewing; however, I can’t think of
anything that somebody somewhere hasn’t tried to brew a Lambic with !!
You may ask, “If all ale or lager yeast are basically the same species, why
all the fuss?” The fuss has to do with strain variation.  All dogs are the
same species, yet no one will ever mistake a Basset Hound for a Doberman (at least not twice .  Using different strains can add fun and spice to
brewing, especially if you have some idea of the differences.  I originally
put together this guide to catalogue the different affects of different
strains.  This information is in Section II.  Section I outlines the general
characteristics of brewing yeast and tries to answer some of the more
frequently asked questions about yeast that seem to cycle onto the HBD.
Section III explains how the homebrewer can culture and maintain yeast
strains in the safety and comfort of his/her own home.

SECTION I: YEAST CHARACTERISTICS

ACTIVITY

Some yeast strains are more active and vigorous than others.  Lager
strains in particular do not show as much activity on the surface as many of
the ale strains.  Most packages provide an adequate quantity of yeast to
complete fermentation with varying amounts of lag time depending on strain, freshness, handling, and temperature.  If you find it too slow, make a
starter as recommended on the package or as listed in Section III.

The other main parameter besides the amount of yeast pitched that affects
lag time is the proper aeration of the wort.  Dissolved oxygen is essential
for the initial rapid growth of yeast.  Although there has been enough
verbiage on the HBD for 2 FAQs on aeration methods (which means that everyone has a favorite method and they all work well enough), I will try to summarize the essentials.

1. Aeration is very important.
2. Wait until the wort is cold before aerating because:
a. Why burn yourself with 5 gallons of boiling sugar water?  (Can you
say “Sterile!,” I thought you could!)  Very bad!
b. Hot aeration can cause oxidation, leading to off flavors.  Even
worse!
3. How you should aerate your wort depends on your personality and style:
a. Low Tech and/or Cheap: Put a cap on the carboy and shake it until you
get tired.  Make it a tribal dance! Revel in the bond you feel to the
original Sumerian brewers; revel in the 20 bucks you saved.
b. High Tech AR Gadget Lover: Buy an aquarium air pump including one of
the bubbler stones.  Sterilize it with your favorite method–
autoclaving is not recommended.  Bubble away, confident that the
small and uniform size of the bubbles you produce maximize the
gas-wort interface resulting in a higher rate of O2 exchange than
that of your chintzy brethren or sistren.  Besides who wants to look
like an idiot dancing around the kitchen clutching a carboy.
Especially with your back….
4. Drink a brew while watching the krausen rise majestically on your latest
masterpiece.

TEMPERATURE

The slow onset of visible signs of fermentation can be improved by
starting fermentation at 75 deg.F (24 deg.C) until activity is evident,
then moving to your desired fermentation temperature.  A few degrees can make a significant difference without adversely affecting flavor.

The normal temperatures for ale yeast range from 60-75 deg.F (16-24 deg.C).
A few strains ferment well down to 55 deg.F (13 deg.C).  68 deg.F (20 deg.C)
is a good average.  Lager strains normally ferment from 32-75 deg.F (0-24
deg.C).  50-55 deg.F (10-12 deg.C) is customary for primary fermentation.  A
slow steady reduction to the desired temperature for secondary fermentation gives the best results.

The fermentation rate is closely related to temperature.  The lower the
temperature, the slower fermentation commences.  Fluctuations in temperature such as cooling and warming from night to day can adversely affect yeast performance.

ATTENUATION

Attenuation refers to the percentage of sugar converted to alcohol.
Apparent attenuation of yeast normally ranges from 67-77%.  The attenuation is determined by the composition of the wort or juice and the yeast strain used.  Each yeast strain ferments different sugars to varying degrees, resulting in higher or lower final gravities.  That will affect the residual sweetness and body.

Really, it’s slightly more complex than that (isn’t everything ? .
There’s “apparent attenuation” and “real attenuation”.  The difference comes
about because alcohol has a specific gravity less than 1 (about 0.8).  Real
attenuation is the percent of sugars converted to alcohol.  So, if you had a
10% (by weight) sugar solution (about 1.040), and got 100% real attenuation, the resulting specific gravity would be about 0.991 (corresponding to about 5% alcohol by weight).  The apparent attenuation of this brew would be 122%!
George Fix published a set of equations relating apparent and real
attenuation and alcohol content last year.  For example, let

A = alcohol content of finished beer in % by wt and
RE = real extract of finished beer in deg. Plato.

Since A and RE are generally not known to us, additional approximations are
needed.  The following are due to Balling, and have proven to be reasonable.
Let OE and be defined as follows:

OE = original extract (measured deg. Plato of wort)
AE = apparent extract (measured deg. Plato of finished beer).

Then,

RE = 0.1808*OE + 0.8192*AE,
and
A = (OE-RE)/(2.0665-0.010665*OE).

The “tricky part” here is the expression of the sugar content in degrees
Plato.  This is a fancy term for % sugar by weight, and corresponds *roughly*
to “degrees gravity” divided by 4.  That is, a 1.040 wort has an extract of
10 degrees Plato. He goes on to calculate an example: To take a specific
case, first note that from Plato tables an OG of 1.045 is equivalent to
OE = 11.25 deg. Plato, while a FG of 1.010 is equivalent to AE = 2.5 deg.
Plato.  Therefore,

RE = 0.1808*11.25 + 0.8192*2.5 = 4.08 deg. Plato, and
A = (11.25 – 4.08)/(2.0665 – .010665*11.25) = 3.68 % wt.

The apparent attenuation is 75% (from 1.040 to 1.010), the real attenuation
is (11.25 – 4.08)/11.25 = 64%. N.B.  Most attenuation figures are given in
terms of *apparent* attenuation.  (Thanks to Chris Pencis quoting Stuart
Thomas quoting George Fix).

FLOCCULATION

Flocculation refers to the tendency of yeast to clump together and settle
out of suspension.  The primary determinant of how well a strain flocculates
appears to be the “stickiness” of the carbohydrates in the cell wall.  The
degree and type of flocculation varies for different yeasts.  Some strains
clump into very large flocculate.  Some flocculate very little, giving a more
granular consistency.  Most yeast strains clump and flocculate to a moderate
degree.  A yeast that is more flocculant will fall out of suspension better.
How does that affect the final clarity of your brew? Well, since it will be
in the bottle at least a week before you drink it, it really doesn’t seem to
matter so much.

However, it does matter for other characteristics of the beer, namely
attenuation and diacetyl.  If the yeast settle out too quickly, they may
leave some chemical reactions unfinished.  Mostly these strains: 1) May
not be as attenuative because of shorter contact time with the sugars,
2) May not finish reducing all the diacetyls, leaving a butterscotch flavor.

pH RANGES

Typical pH range for yeast fermentations begins at about 5.1 and optimally
4.8.  The pH of wort is usually about 5, depending on the starting pH of the
water and the grains or extracts used.  During the course of fermentation the
pH reduces to typically 3.9- 4.1 and as low as 3.1 in some wines.  pH may be
checked using pH paper test strips, which are available at many homebrew
shops.

ALCOHOL TOLERANCES

The alcohol tolerance for most brewing yeast is as least to 8%.  Barley
wines to 12% can be produced by most ale strains.  Pitching rates need to
be increased proportionally to higher gravities.  Alternately, Champagne and Wine yeast can be used for high gravities sometimes reaching alcohols to 18%.
To get the characteristics of particular beer yeast strains in Barley Wines
or Imperial Stouts, some brewers start with the desired beer strain, brew to
5-8%, and finish with a champagne or wine yeast.

SMELLS AND TASTES

Although the principle tastes present in a beer are the result of the
malts and hops used, the strain of yeast used can also add important flavors,
good and/or bad.  Yeast that add little in the way of extra flavors are
usually described as having a “clean” taste.   These yeast are especially
useful for beginners because they permit experimentation with different
ingredients without worrying about yeast influence.  Yeast produce three main classes of metabolic by-products that affect beer taste: phenols, esters, and diacetyl.  Phenols can give a “spicy” or “clove-like” taste, but can also
result in mediciny tastes, especially if they react with chlorine in the
water to make chlorophenols.  Esters can lend a “fruity” taste to beer.
Diacetyls can give beer a “butterscotch” or sometimes a “woody” taste.  The
desirability of any one of these components depends largely on the style of
beer being brewed.  In addition there are certain by-products in these
families that are more noxious than the others.  A lot depends on the
individual palette and the effect you’re aiming for.

A final note: some yeast, especially lager yeast during lagering, can
produce a “rotten egg” smell.  This is the result of hydrogen sulfide
production.  Although the scent of this bubbling out of the air-lock is
enough to make the strongest homebrewmeister blanch, fear not! The good news is that this will usually pass, leaving the beer unaffected.  Relax, etc.

OBTAINING CULTURES AND MISCELLANY

Most of the dry strains are available by mail-order or at your local homebrew store.  Wyeast are also widely available (by which I mean, of course, that *my* local store carries a wide selection).  The BrewTek strains and the Yeast Culture Kit strains are significantly less available, so the company contact numbers are included as a public service.

BrewTek: (800) 8BRE-WTE
Yeast Culture Kit Company: (800) 742-2110

Please do not confuse the Yeast Lab numbers with the Yeast Culture Kit
Company numbers.  Both use strain designations with the form A(le)## or
L(ager)##, i.e. A06, L01, but they are *completely* different.

Also, a frequently asked question is “how do you pronounce Wyeast?”  Well,
it’s pronounced like “WHY-yeast.”

WHERE TO LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION
..In the Digest:
(Provided kindly by Thomas Manteufel)
Digests 529 and 725 have articles on reviving yeast from bottle conditioned
beer.  Basically, once you get them started, it is the same as the later
stages of propagating from slants.

HBD 802 discusses freezing yeast samples.

HBD 811 has information from Dr. Fix on the characteristics of several
strains.

And there is a cornucopia of information for all you closet yeast washers out
there, but I have integrated it into Section III, Part 3, YEAST WASHING.  For
the impatient, the HBDs referenced are 876 and 1157.

and on the WWW:
A hypertext link is at “http://guraldi.itn.med.umich.edu/Beer/yeast.html”.

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