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Freshops
36180 Kings Valley Hwy.
Philomath, OR 97370
(541) 929-2736
(800) 460-6925
fax (541) 929-2702
sales@freshops.com
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HOMEBREWING BASICS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Homebrewing is (1)easy, (2)relatively inexpensive and (3)does not take very long.
(1)Basically all your doing is boiling water, adding some ingredients and filling bottles.
(2)Cost of ingredients and equipment is about $100.00 to $200.00 from your local homebrew supply shop. But
if you are resourceful you can find some of the equipment at 2nd hand stores or already in your kitchen. Remember
the initial investment for first time brewers will be the highest cost.
(3)Time involved varies with experience, but usually 5-7 hours for preparation and clean-up . 2 weeks for
fermentation and then 2-3 hours bottling. And another 1-2 weeks waiting before the beer is ready to chill and serve.
So the actual time you spend is about 10 hours working and 4 weeks monitoring and waiting.
The following recipe is The simplest way for making 5 gallons of beer.
INGREDIENTS
- MALT EXTRACT SYRUP
Malt extract is made from barley and has a lot of natural sugar in it. Brewing yeast eats the sugar, and produces
alcohol and carbon dioxide. The extract normally comes in 1.5 kilogram(3.3lb) cans. You'll need two cans of lightly
hopped, light-colored extract for your first batch.
| Freshops has 2 |
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varieties from New Zealand. |
| The Fall 1997 Hop Harvest is in. To Order |
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- HOPS
Hops are flowers with a bitter flavor. The bitterness balances the sweet flavor of the malt. Hops are usually in
the form of compressed pellets at most suppliers. Freshops has fresh hop flowers for a unique homebrewing
experience try usingFRESHOPS flowers. The amount of freshop flowers
varies with the bitterness and type of beer you are brewing. We can suggest variety type and amounts for a particular
beer you wish to brew.
USING ALPHA ACID PERCENTAGES
Once you determine how bitter (alpha acid units) you like a particular style of beer, simple algebra is used to
balance changing varieties and alpha acid percentages.
Cascade- alpha 5.5% x 2 ounces = 11 alpha acid units. Chinook- alpha 10.7% x Q ounces = 11 alpha acid units
Q= 11/10.7 = 1.028 ounce
- ALE YEAST
Dehydrated yeast is sold in small paper packages. You should use two packages of ale yeast for your batch of beer.
That's what you'll be brewing - a basic ale.
- WATER
Tap or bottled water is fine.
- CORN SUGAR
You need only 3/4 cup(4 ounces dry weight) for your first batch. This is used to prime your bottled beer, giving
it carbonation.
EQUIPMENT
- BREWKETTLE
Use an enamel-coated or stainless-steel pot that holds at least 3 gallons. It's for boiling your wort,(pronounced
"wurt") which is what beer is called before it is fermented.
Don't use aluminum.
- PRIMARY FERMENTER
A food-grade container, usually a white plastic bucket with a lid, that holds at least 6 gallons will do.
- BOTTLING BUCKET
This should hold at least 5 gallons. It can be the same type of container as your primary fermenter.
- SIPHON HOSE
This is usually clear, food-grade plastic tubing. You will need about 6 feet. This is for transferring your beer
from one container to another.
- RACKING CANE
A stiff piece of plastic about 2 feet long, often with a curve on one end. It connects to your siphon hose and
is used when transferring your beer from one container to another. It makes siphoning easy and efficient.
- FERMENTATION LOCK
It's also called an airlock and it keeps your beer from being exposed to outside air while letting carbon dioxide
escape from your fermenter. It should fit in a hole in the lid of your primary fermenter.
- BOTTLES
These should be made of brown glass. Don't use the twist-off variety. You'll need about 50 12-ounce bottles of
the same volume in whatever size bottles you use.
- BOTTLE CAPPER
Numerous styles of this device are available, any one will work for capping your bottles of homebrew.
- BOTTLE CAPS
These must be new. You'll need about 50.
- BOTTLE FILLER
This is a clever device that will speed up your bottling process.
- LONG HANDLED SPOON
You probably already have one that will work. It's for stirring, of course.
- UNSCENTED HOUSEHOLD BLEACH
You will use a dilute bleach solution to sanitize your brewing equipment. Preventing common bacteria and wild yeast
from getting into your beer is very important. While they won't harm you, they can cause unpleasant flavors in
your beer.
BREWING PROCESS
Following the steps outlined
BOILING
- Soak the two cans of malt extract syrup in hot water for about 20 minutes. This makes the syrup easier to pour.
While they soak, bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to a boil in your brewkettle.
- Remove the kettle from the heat, add the malt extract to the water, stir until it's dissolved and return the
kettle to the burner.
- Boil the mixture, called wort, for at least 30 minutes(watch for boil over's). Stir occasionally if you want,
five or ten minutes before you are finished boiling, add the hops. These hops will give your brew a nice hop aroma.
SANITIZING
- While your are boiling, sanitize your primary fermenter using a solution of 1 ounce of bleach to 1 gallon of
water. Sponge all the surfaces of your fermenter with sanitizing solution and rinse well with hot water. From now
on, everything that comes into contact with your beer must be sanitized either with a clean sponge or by soaking
in a bleach solution. This is very important, in fact, it's one of the secrets to making good beer.
- Fill your fermenter with 3 gallons of fresh water and cover with a sanitized lid.
COOLING AND PITCHING
- When you are finished boiling, carefully pour all the wort into your water-filled fermenter. It's boiling hot,
so be careful. Put the lid on tightly.
- When the wort has cooled to near room temperature, open the lid and sprinkle the two packets of yeast over
the wort. (this called pitching your yeast.) Work quickly, so that the wort is exposed to air briefly as possible.
There is no need to stir. Cover again and attach your fermentation lock. Add water to half-fill the airlock.
FERMENTING
- Fermentation should start within 24 hours, but it could take longer. A sure sign fermentation is the bubbling
of carbon dioxide through the fermentation lock. The bubbling should be rapid and vigorous for a couple of days
and then gradually slow down. Keep the beer at room temperatures protected from the light and in a place where
children or animals can't disturb it. Fourteen days after fermentation has begun, you're ready to bottle.
BOTTLING
- Sanitized your bottles by soaking them in a solution of 1 to 2 ounces of bleach to 5 gallons of water. Or,
you can fill each bottle with the same solution. Let them soak for at least 45 minutes. Rinse each bottle with
hot tap water. Make sure the bottles don't have any gunk in them.
- Sanitize your bottling bucket, siphon, racking cane, bottle filler land anything else that's going to come
in contact with your beer using a bleach solution like the one used to sanitize your fermenter. Sanitize your bottle
caps with a dilute bleach solution.
- Dissolve 3/4 cup of corn sugar(4 ounces dry weight) in a cup of water. Boil for 10 minutes.
- Put your fermenter of beer on the counter and your bottling bucket on the floor. Pour the sugar solution into
the bottling bucket. Siphon the beer from the fermenter into the bottling bucket. Do this carefully, without splashing
or agitating the beer and leave the sediment in the bottom of the fermenter behind.(this is called racking) Don't
expose your beer to the outside air any more than you have to and make sure all services the beer contacts are
sanitized.
- Put the bottling bucket on the counter, hook up your racking cane, siphon and bottle filler, then begin filling
your bottles. Bottling can be messy, so have some paper towels or rags handy. Newspaper or a shallow baking pan
can be used to catch spills. Cap each bottle.
AGING AND TASTING
- You're done! Store your bottles in a cool, dark place. Wait two weeks, then uncap a bottle and pour into a
nice clean mug or glass, leaving the sediment in the bottle. The sediment won't harm you, but it can change the
flavor and appearance of the beer.
- Taste the fruits of your hobby. Congratulations you're a homebrewer! We hope you learn to love this hobby as
much as we do!!
SOURCE:
American Homebrewers Association
PO Box 1679
Boulder, CO 80306-1679
1 (303) 447-0816
For Wholesale and Home Brew Shop Call 1-800-460-6925 for Information
Copyright © 1997 Freshops
All Rights Reserved.
Counter installed 03/14/97
Site last updated 04/23/97.
