Home Brewing Tips

How to Brew a Low Cost Beer

homebrewer — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:11:54 +0000

Beer brewing can be a pricey process at times. If you decide to buy a beer brewing kit that can only be used so many times you may be investing in a lot of these if you brew your own beer more than occasionally. The amount of time you spend on brewing a batch of beer has little to do with the cost, so do not worry about this factor if you are trying to find ways to brew cheap. Using ingredients that are not top of the line, so to speak, can sometime help to save some money for the home brewer. The cost of brewing a five gallon batch from your home is still cheaper than going to the store and buying a couple of cases.
Thankfully for all the home brewers out there, beer is made of relatively cheap ingredients. So, sometimes there is no need to compromise the taste of your beer to save a few bucks. It is a waste of time to mess around with ingredients that are not fresh, so do not worry about cutting corners on the cost when it comes to the ingredients. If you like a stronger beer than they sell in the store you may end up spending a bit more on the fermenting agents of the beer like barley. So, if you like a strong beer, do not cut corners on the fermenting agents of your beer either. You will get a much richer flavor from your beer if you do not do this.
The cheapest way to brew beer from home is the all grain brewing method. If you buy your grain in bulk you will be saving far more money this way. Of course, to do it this way you will have to make the small investment in a grain mill and a mash tun. However, with this investment you will be able to brew beer at under two dollars per gallon. You will also be able to brew a mild ale for nearly one dollar a gallon. So, if you can afford to make the initial investment in these pieces of equipment, you can make you home brewing process as cheap as possible.

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The Basic Home Brew Equipment You Will Need

homebrewer — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:00:25 +0000

As with any hobby, there’s really no limit to the amount of money you can spend on specialized home brew equipment. From commercial grade fermenting containers to huge boiling pots, a person could stand in a home brew equipment supply store for hours and find everything they need, and many things they obviously don’t. This doesn’t mean however that everything you see advertised online and in a catalog is unnecessary or just for show. Sometimes there’s a reason why a company puts certain accessories or elements into their brewing kits or why they recommended certain products for certain brews.
The Basics
Your home brew equipment is always going to need some basics; just like someone that wants to bake or cook a certain recipe, there are a few things that can be considered essentials. For one, you’ll need a large pot or kettle in which you can boil up your mash, which becomes wort or the liquid that will eventually become beer. Depending on the amount of beer you want to make in one batch, a twenty quart pot is usually typical.
You also need two fermenting containers as part of your home brew equipment. The reason you need two is because during the fermenting process you move the liquid from one to the other. This is an absolutely necessary step and can’t be skipped, so don’t think that you can scrape by with just one. Most home brew equipment kits come with two fermenting containers anyway.
An airlock, a hydrometer, and a thermometer are also your basic needs for your home brew equipment. The airlock keeps air and other particles from getting into your fermenting batch while allowing air to escape; the hydrometer and thermometer are used to measure the alcohol content in the beer, which is how to tell if it’s done or not.
And of course all your equipment needs to be sanitized properly; this is essential to your brewing process. Most home brew equipment kits come with sanitizing agents, or you can purchase these separately from your retailer if need be.
Custom Equipment
As we said, there is no end to the amount of home brew equipment you can buy. Custom or deluxe equipment might include chillers for helping the wort to cool before placing it in the fermentation container, and glass fermentation containers as well. These are typically much more expensive than the usual plastic buckets or pails you find included in most home brew equipment kits. These items of course aren’t necessary for actually making beer, but can speed up the process and improve its flavor at least somewhat.
After the Brew
Depending on how serious you are about your hobby, your home brew equipment might include kegs or casks, bottles, bottle caps, a bottle capper, and privately made labels for your finished product. These too aren’t actually necessary for the entire procedure of home brewing, but can be a fun addition if you can afford them.

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Looking for Home Brewing Supplies Online

homebrewer — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:21:10 +0000

If you’re interested in brewing your own beer or making your own homemade wine, you have a wealth of opportunities to find home brewing supplies online. Home brewing is fast becoming a favorite pastime as more and more people are discovering the fun and enjoyment of being able to tweak their recipes in order to find a mix that’s just right for them. Because of that, there are many companies that are now selling home brewing supplies online, and most carry just about everything you’re going to need.
For those that are new to this hobby or are just looking to start out, you may want to consider a kit. Most kits include just about everything you need to get started, including two fermentation containers, an airlock, a hydrometer and a thermometer. More deluxe kits may include a strainer, some bottles and bottle caps or corks, and a few other accessories you may need. When shopping for home brewing supplies and when choosing a kit, don’t forget your ingredients! Some of the fancier kits include a nice selection of grains and brewing yeast, but some don’t. If your kit doesn’t, be sure to put the needed ingredients in your shopping cart. Your home brewing supplies without your ingredients is like a cake pan without a cake mix - absolutely useless!
Some online stores that offer home brewing supplies can also act as your one-stop shop for recipes, tips and tricks, troubleshooting help, and even forums where you can talk to other enthusiasts to get help or to swap ideas. Many of these online sites are owned and operated by home brewers just like you, and are happy to help you with any questions you may have.
Of course, you can use some things you have around the house as your home brewing supplies, but remember that your equipment goes a long way toward having a tasty batch or something that just tastes like flavored water. Especially may those just starting out with homemade beer and wine want to invest in some professional home brewing supplies, at least while you’re learning the ins and outs of the processes involves in home brewing.
When purchasing home brewing supplies online, you want to use all the usual precautions that you would when purchasing anything over the internet. Be sure you figure in the cost of shipping when thinking about your budget for purchases. Make sure you understand their return policy, in case the home brewing supplies you purchase don’t work out or arrive damaged.
Most places that you find online are very legitimate and offer some great home brewing supplies, so if you’re interested in starting with this great hobby, you shouldn’t be too hesitant. Making your own homemade beer or wine is a fun hobby that virtually anyone of the appropriate age can indulge in. It’s not hard and it’s not expensive, and can be great fun. Don’t wait to get started in this fun and interesting diversion today!

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What Ingredients are needed for Beer Making?

homebrewer — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:07:39 +0000

Beer making or brewing requires a very short list of ingredients compared to some other recipes. However, even though the list of ingredients is relatively small, the process of beer making or brewing can be complicated at points. It is simply not a matter of adding the right amount of these ingredients together to make beer. There are complex biochemical reactions taking place during the brewing process. The ingredients that are needed to start this complicated process are malt from barley, water, hops, and yeast. These four simple ingredients are combined to make the popular beverage known as beer.
Barley is merely the seed of a grain that is very similar in appearance to wheat. Before we can use this barley to make the beer it must be malted. Malting involves a natural conversion process which consists of germinating the barley. During this germination process there are enzymes released from the barley that convert its own nutrients into sugars. The hops that are used to make beer are a flower of the hop vine. This plant is a member of the hemp family and contains acids that help give beer its bitterness as well as oils that give it certain flavors and aromas. Adding hops to beer will also help inhibit the forming of particular bacteria that can spoil the beer. There are several different kinds of hops that all have their different tastes, aromas, and level of bitterness. Yeast is simply a single celled micro organism which is responsible for creating the carbon dioxide and the alcohol that is found in beer. There is not only one kind of yeast that is used to make beer and just as hops, every different kind of yeast gives the beer it is used in a different taste. The two main categories of beer yeast are ale yeast and lager yeast. The ale yeast is top fermenting which means it rises near the surface of the beer during the fermentation process. The ale yeast is also more favorable in warmer temperatures in the brewing process. Lager yeasts, on the other hand, are bottom fermenting. This means they ferment more slowly and prefer more of the colder temperatures.

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What are the Parts of the Brewing Process?

homebrewer — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:04:04 +0000

Beer can be brewed in either a home setting or at a factory. Beer brewing in a factory is usually a much easier process for the people involved, which is mostly due to the fact that machines pretty much handle everything. No matter where the beer is being brewed at, the process is nearly identical at either place. Only at a home setting a person brewing there own beer has a much smaller set up than one will run into at a factory.
The first step in the brewing process is the mash. This process is one that will convert the starches in malted barley into fermentable sugars. Usually this process begins with crushing the malted barley to break up its kernels. This is done with rollers at a factory and is done in the home setting with various tools. The more the kernel of the barley is broken up, the more sugars that will be extracted from the grain. However, if the barley is broken up too much the husk that surrounds the kernel will get broken down which results in a stuck mash. If it is broken up properly, when the mash is finished the husk will form a sort of filter bed that will capture any solids from the liquid. After this process, these crushed grains will go through a pipe and into the mash lauter tun. This is an insulated vessel that encases a device that is known as a hydrator. This hydrator eliminates any dry spots in the mash. Any dry spots in the mash mean wasted sugars, so these grains remain in this particular vessel for at least an hour.
After the last couple steps of the mash are completed the next step is the boil. So, the liquid from the mash is put into a huge brew kettle at a factory or a smaller brew kettle at the home setting. At the beginning of the boil the hops will be added. These hops are then known as boiling hops and they will add bitterness to the beer. Depending on what type of beer is being brewed, more hops may be added at the end of the boil.

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How to Home Brew Beer

homebrewer — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:04:01 +0000

If you’re curious as to how to home brew beer, hopefully it’s not because you’re underage and can’t find anyone to buy beer for you. If that’s the case, close this article right now and go clean your room. For the rest of you, finding out how to home brew beer is not that difficult, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that you can not only make the best tasting beer you’ve ever had, but that you can easily tweak your recipes and mixtures in order to come up with something to your exact taste and liking.
The process involved when you home brew beer isn’t not as terribly difficult as you might think, but does mean some special ingredients and procedures. Your first step is to make your wort, which is the term used for the liquid that will eventually turn into your beer. You make wort by boiling a large amount of water with a small handful of grains or malt that are in a mesh bag. This is kind of like making coffee or tea - you don’t actually add the coffee beans or tea leaves to the water but steep them in a filter or bag. Your grains are important when you home brew beer, because each different type of grain will produce a different flavor or type of beer. These grains or malt are easily available at any home brewing retailer.
The next step when you home brew beer is to remove the grains and continue to boil this wort with some extra water added. You then add some hops. Hops add flavor and aroma to beer. When you add hops to home brew beer, you want to do so exactly according to the recipe that you’ve been given. If you boil the hops for any longer, your beer will be bitter, and for any less time and it will be too sweet.
When the wort is done boiling and has been cooled, you put this into what’s called a fermenting container. When you home brew beer, you actually need two fermenting containers because down the road you’ll transfer this liquid from one to another. You also add beer yeast to this mixture; when the yeast reacts to the sugars you’ve just produced by boiling your grains or malt, this is what will eventually become alcohol. This mixture is then allowed to sit for days or a full week before it’s ready.
Obviously when you home brew beer there are a few more small steps and some additional ingredients and additives you’ll need, but this is the basic process. Boiling, flavored water has yeast added to it and is allowed to sit for some time in order to steep properly and produce alcohol. If you think it sounds easy to home brew beer, you’re right. And once you get the hang of it, you may very well find that this is the most enjoyable hobby you’ve ever taken up.

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Which is Better Home Brewing Beer or Homemade Wine

homebrewer — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:00:46 +0000

The question of which is better, home brewing beer or homemade wine can probably bring about some responses as heated and emotional as asking someone which of two football teams are better, or if they prefer Angelina Jolie over Jennifer Aniston. Chances are you’re going to get some heated responses either way. But if you’re interested in making your own beverages, you might be wondering about the differences in home brewing beer versus homemade wine; not that you don’t know the difference between the two finished products of course, but why anyone would choose one over the other . If we examine the different processes and what is involved with each one just a bit closer, you may be able to make your decision a bit easier.
First of all, understand that the actual processes for home brewing beer and homemade wine are very similar. You start with a particular liquid; for beer, it’s water that is used to steep malt or grains. For wine, it’s fruit juice or a mashed bunch of fruit pulp with water. This liquid is usually boiled for a certain amount of time, and for beer you then add hops. For wine, you may have other additives as well. Then it’s transferred to a fermentation container, and you add yeast to this. For both home brewing beer and homemade wine, you do need to use the particular type of yeast that’s appropriate; bread yeast just won’t do.
Each product needs to sit and ferment for at least a few days, and then you transfer it to a secondary fermentation container. After a few more days or even weeks, your liquid has turned to beer or wine. You bottle it, and when home brewing beer, you then add a carbonation agent when you do so. For wine, you may need to bottle it and then let it age for a bit longer before drinking it.
Each process can be tweaked according to your own particular tastes and imagination. When home brewing beer, you can try different grains and malts to produce different types of beers, from pale ales to dark lagers. You can also try using oatmeal as a base. With wine, you can mix and match the fruits that you use; you’re not limited to just grapes. Of course, when home brewing beer you can add some fruit or honey to your mix as well for a sweeter or tarter beverage.
As you can see, the actual processes are very similar; wine usually takes longer to ferment than when home brewing beer, but often allows you more leeway with the ingredients you use and want to try. The decision of which to go with probably relies on you and your preferences more than anything; if you like beer, then trying your hand at home brewing beer should be fun and enjoyable for you. If you like a sweeter beverage, then homemade wines may be the better option.

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Purchasing Home Brew Supplies for Your New Hobby

homebrewer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:04:26 +0000

Most people who want to start brewing their own beer at home probably go online and find the cheapest website retailer that sells home brew supplies, and just load up their cart with some basic equipment.
If you do this, you’re well on your way to brewing some very tasty homemade beer. However, there is more to brewing beer than just the basics, and there’s really no fun to the hobby of homemade beer if you don’t experiment a little and learn some new ways to make your brew. When you’re ready to get away from the everyday ales and lagers, there are some things you want to keep in mind when looking for the right home brew supplies.
For one thing, you’ll notice that different recipes for beers call for different yeasts. There’s ale yeast, lager yeast, cider yeast, mead yeast, and then general types of beer yeasts. The best home brew supplies in the world aren’t going to do anything if you don’t use the right ingredients, so check your yeast and see how switching to a different type will yield a different kind of beer. A lot of time the correct yeast needs the correct hops to go with it, and mixing up your hops, trying a different type, or adjusting the time you leave it in before pitching the yeast can also go a long way toward giving you a brand new flavor. Most retailers that sell home brew supplies will also carry a complete variety of hops with recommendations for their use.
Some people believe that plastic fermentation containers leave an aftertaste to the beer, and have discovered that using a glass carboy improves the flavor and texture. You may find this to be a step up from the typical home brew supplies that are readily available, but it may be worth your while to try a glass fermentation container. See if you don’t notice a difference in the quality of your beer and its taste and texture.
Keeping your home brew supplies properly cleaned and sanitized is a must, not just for the taste and quality of your beer but for your safety and health as well. Microbial elements can still be lurking in your containers, so make sure you use the right sanitizers that are specifically designed for your particular home brew supplies. Most come with a recommendation or you can use a general brand that is also available at your retailer.
The same goes for your bottles, if you plan on using them repeatedly. Make sure they’re cleaned in a hot wash and sanitized properly. Not doing so can ruin your batches; what’s the point of investing in all these home brew supplies if dirty bottles ruin the taste of the beer at the very end of the process?
If you ever have questions about what home brew supplies you need, you should never hesitate to contact the owner of the website where you’re shopping. Usually they’re happy to help!

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What is the Importance of the Fermentation Process in Beer Making and How is it Done?

homebrewer — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:06:36 +0000

Fermentation is one of the last steps in the brewing process. As a matter of fact, it is the last step of the beer making process besides the bottling process. Fermentation is the process in brewing by which yeast will convert the glucose in the wort to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. This will give the beer both its alcohol content and the carbonation in the drink. So, this is indeed one of the most important steps in the brewing of beer.
When beginning the fermentation process, the cooled wort is put into a fermentation vessel that the yeast has already been added to. If this particular batch of beer is being made into an ale the wort will be maintained at a temperature of about sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit two weeks. If this batch of beer is being made into a lager the temperature will be maintained around forty eight degrees Fahrenheit for around six weeks. The fermentation process will produce a substantial amount of heat so the tanks will need to be cooled around the clock to maintain the correct temperature.
When the wort is first transferred into the tank with the yeast, the specific gravity of a mixture is measured. Later this specific gravity will be measured again to make the determination of how much alcohol is in a particular batch of beer. This will also let the brewer know when to stop the fermentation process. This tank, which is also known as the fermenter, will be sealed off from air flow except for a long narrow vent pipe. This pipe will allow carbon dioxide to escape from the tank. There is a constant flow of carbon dioxide through this pipe so outside air is prevented from entering the tank this route and this will reduce the threat of contamination from other stray yeasts. When this process is almost finished, most of the yeast will settle at the bottom of the tank or fermenter. The bottom of this tank will be cone shaped so that it is easy to capture and remove the yeast from the brew. The yeast that is removed this way from the batch will be used again to be used in the next batch of beer.

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How to Add Some Kick to Your Home Brew Recipes

homebrewer — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:01:25 +0000

If you’ve been making your own homemade beer and wine for some time now, you may have found just the right mix of ingredients and fermenting time to produce the perfect brew for you. However, part of the fun of making your own beer or wine at home is being able to adjust your recipes and add some zing or zest to whatever you’re making; after all, this is the only way that you’ll never get bored! So just how can you “kick it up a notch” when it comes to your home brew recipes? There are actually a few simple tricks you can try.
For one thing, add some fruit to your beer. Many home brew recipes you’ll find online give you instructions on how to mash fresh fruit, such as raspberries, strawberries, or even blueberries, and add these to your wort before you’re ready for fermentation. Adding fruit to beer is something that has been practiced for centuries; don’t worry about whether or not it will turn out too sweet or syrupy. Just a handful or a cup or two of fresh fruit mash to your five or six gallons of wort will only give your beer a certain fresh flavor; it won’t overpower it or make it taste like cough syrup, we promise! Think about what fresh fruit you can add to your own home brew recipes; who knows but that you may actually invent some exotic mango or peach flavored beer that everyone will love! And mix up your fruit as well - a cup of raspberries with one peeled apple, for instance, can really add some extra zing to your home brew recipes without either fruit flavor being overpowering. Make sure you strain out any pips or seeds or anything else when you transfer to your secondary fermenting container.
You might also try using something else to age your beer when you’ve fermented it. Many large commercial breweries have oak barrels in which they store beer; the oak permeates the beer itself making it a bit crisper and woodsier in flavor. If you’ve already done all you can to adjust your home brew recipes, think about adjusting the fermenting and aging process. Placing your secondary fermenting container in a very cool place for the last half of this procedure can also greatly affect the flavor and taste of the beer, even if the home brew recipes don’t change themselves.
And of course you may want to step outside of your own comfort zone when it comes to trying new home brew recipes. If you love pale ales, try a darker beer, or vice versa. Browse the websites that post these recipes and find ones that get good reviews from those who have tried them. Don’t limit yourself to just your favorite home brew recipes over and over again, but kick it up a notch and you might find that these new endeavors become your favorite brews after all.

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