Instuctions

Introduction

There are thousands of different styles of beer in the world today but the one thing they all have in common is that the brewing process has been the same for 4,500 years (Papazian, 2003). The steps are basic: clean the equipment, make the wort, ferment, and bottle. There are many books on brewing beer and they are exhaustive with theory. This being the case, the fermentation process, and the bottling will not be cover herein. By following these simple instructions, anyone can make the transition from Beer Lover to Beer Aficionado. As I was once told, it takes beer to make beer. So grab a beer and let us get started.

Equipment Needed

Inspect your equipment for cracks, leaks, chips, etc. Ensure your equipment is safe for use and sanitized properly.

* a 20 qt. brew pot (large canning pot)

* large stirring spoon (non-wood)

* ordinary table spoon

* timer ( a clock will work)

* measuring cup (preferably Pyrex glass)

* fermentor (food-grade plastic bucket or glass carboy)

* airlock (get from homebrew shop)

* sanitizer (Iodine concentration)

* thermometer

Preparation

1. Assemble ingredients. Gather the ingredients for the brew. A kit usually consists of malt extract, yeast, and hops. The extract may already be "hopped" and the kit may not include any hops.

2. Clean and sanitize.

***Note***

It is not recommended to use chlorine bleach to sanitize the brewing equipment. Bleach makes a great sanitizer but corrodes many metal brewing parts.

It may seem strange, but the most important thing in brewing is cleaning and sanitization. Clean all equipment and then sanitize it in an iodine solution with the exception of the brew pot, wort chiller (if available) and the spoon. Sanitization will occur for these items during the boil. The homebrew shop sells a great iodine concentration for this or medical iodine is a suitable substitute. Make a sanitizing solution and allow these items to soak. To make this solution, add one tablespoon of iodine concentration for every gallon of water.

Table 1 - Cleaning and Sanitizing Checklist

Tablespoon __ Clean __ Sanitize

Measuring Cup __ Clean __ Sanitize

Yeast Starter Jar __ Clean __ Sanitize

Fermentor and Lid __ Clean __ Sanitize

Airlock __ Clean __ Sanitize

Thermometer __ Clean __ Sanitize

Making Wort

Wort is what brewers call the sweet, amber liquid extracted from malted barley that the yeast will later ferment into beer.

1. Boil the brew water. In the brew pot, bring two gallons of water to a boil. Pour this water into the fermentor and leave it to cool. Now bring three gallons of water to boil in the brew pot. You will be boiling all of the extract in just three gallons and adding this concentrated wort to the water already in the fermentor to make the total five gallons.

2. Rehydrate the dried yeast. While many people say this step is not necessary, re-hydrating the yeast assures the best results. While waiting for the brew water to boil, rehydrate two packets of dried ale yeast. Put one cup of warm (95-105oF), water into the sanitized jar and stir in the yeast. Cover with plastic wrap and wait 15 minutes.

3. Add malt extract. Once the water in the brew pot comes to a boil, turn off the stove and stir in the malt extract. Be sure the extract is completely dissolved (if the malt extract is the dry variety, make sure there are no clumps;