How to make beer
When it comes to beer, you already know that you and your friends love to drink it, but did you know that with just a little bit more information, it's possible to make your own beer as well? More and more people are taking advantage of the kits on the market that let you brew up your own beer, and when you take a look at how straightforward the process itself really is, you'll be able to easily see why!
Essentially beer is produced when sugars made from starched-based materials are fermented. This is a process that most likely happened accidentally in ancient times and then was further refined. Barley is most often used to make beer, but wheat, corn and rice are all commonly used in beer production. Often, the variety of starch used is dependent on what is available; for instance, the potato was commonly used in Brazil by the indigenous tribes while beer made from malted barley was common in Europe.
Getting Started
To get started with brewing your own beer, there are several pieces of equipment that you will need. One of the first things that you need to get is plastic container; for the purposes of brewing, this container is known as a carboy. This is where your beer will ferment. You should also have a hydrometer, a device made to measure the gravity of a liquid. A hydrometer will be necessary to tell you when the beer is done, but some people prefer to rely on their sense of taste. You will also need a siphon and a siphon clamp to remove the beer and put it into the bottles that you have prepared.
Ingredients
In terms of ingredients, the list is surprisingly simple. As mentioned above, you will need some form of starch. To begin with, you should start with malt extract, which is a fairly straightforward way to go about your first experience with brewing. You will need water and sugar, and of course you will need brewer's yeast. As a side note, should you decide to buy malt, you'll often find that it comes with some small packets of yeast included.
Brewing
The brewing process itself is very straightforward. To begin, remember to make sure to wash out all the equipment you are using; beer can easily take on the taste of its container so make sure that everything is washed with hot soapy water. Pour some water into the carboy and let it sit while you are boiling more water on the stove. When the water on the stove comes to a boil, you can add a can of your malt and stir it for about twenty minutes.
Then, when the malt has been well and truly cooked in, you will add the sugar and wait for it to dissolve as well. When the sugar has dissolved, you will need to splash the hot contents into the carboy. Remember to splash the ingredients as the more oxygen the yeast gets, the faster it can be expected to perform. Then top the entire mixture with distilled water and sprinkle the yeast on top of it. When you set a lid loosely on the carboy, make sure that the lid is not to tight, because the action of the yeast can actually cause the carboy to explode due to the gas that is produced.
After this has been finished, ignore the carboy for the next week to ten days. Avoid moving the container or opening it too much, but use the hydrometer to check for the readiness of the beer. When your tastebuds and the hydrometer agree that you are ready to bottle, lay the bottles out. Add sugar to each of the bottles using a funnel, and then use the siphon to fill the bottles up. Make sure that you don't siphon up any of the sediment at the bottom of the carboy. People who have some experience with brewing often tape a straw to the siphon's end with about an inch protruding beyond the mouth; the straw will then hit the bottom, but the siphon will not. During this process, remember to keep as little oxygen from getting into the mix as possible, as this will cause a dry cardboard taste.
Try it yourself!
As you can see, brewing beer is a very straightforward experience. If you are new to this art, or you are looking to see how other people do it, you might want to see what benefits a good brewing kit can bring you.
