Home brewing often sounds like something we do when we are having a midlife crisis, or perhaps something we do once we have some vacation time, or even after we have retired.
But, doing so could actually be a tasty pastime which can save you a pretty penny!
You could buy yourself a home brewing kit, which is a great way to get started, probably only setting you back a few bucks.
However, if this is something you want to turn into a new hobby, you could get to grips with the full know-how, minus the kit.
If you choose to get a kit, even if you are brewing regularly, you will surely see a return on this investment when you do so.
So, instead of telling you to just go out and buy a kit, I will give you the full walk through to ensure you have all the information you need to know to get you brewing!
Ingredients
Luckily, to brew your own beer, you can find most of what you need at online stores like Amazon, or you can get them at the local superstore as well!
750 grams of sugar.
Water.
1 kilogram of malt extract.
Ale yeast.
50 grams of dried hops.
These are all pretty easy to get. Note that the amounts of these ingredients you need will depend on just how much you are intending to make.
I am using the amount of 24 pints, as this is a good starting number. However, how much you make it up to you!
Equipment
Once you have your ingredients you will need a select few typical household items to start making your own beer.
Note that most of these will be included in home brewing kits, but if you have decided to go at it without one, they are all pretty easy to get your hands on!
Muslin cloth.
Sterilized siphoning tube.
Pan (large enough to hold 12 pints.)
Bucket (large enough to safely hold 25 pints).
40 glass bottles, and caps (crown capper included), or a very large jug.
If you want to save money, you could just reuse old bottles. If you do this, ensure that you sterilize the bottles first.
Older beer bottles which have a new capper can work brilliantly well, however, screw capped wine bottles work just as well.
If you do choose to use old wine bottles, do use a bit less sugar when you make your beer, as the leftover remnants of the wine make the beer taste much sweeter.
Step-By-Step Guide
Now to get down to business.
You can brew your beer in a few easy steps. However, these steps are done over a long time. You need to be ready to tend to your beer for a good 3 weeks at least.
It is worth it though, so do not let the longer time scale put you off giving this a try.
Do not forget, my recipe is for 24 pints of beer, if you want to make more or less, increase or decrease the ingredients as needed.
1. Time To Boil
The first step is to fill a sizeable pan with around 12 pints of water, then slowly bring it to a boil. Now, add in 50 grams of dried hops, and let this boil for an additional 30 minutes.
Now that you have done this, slowly add in your kilo of malt extract as well as around 750 grams of sugar, then boil this for an additional five minutes.
2. Fermentation
Now, cover a food bucket which you have sterilized (you can also use a very big pan), using a clean muslin cloth and then very carefully strain out the mixture of the pan.
Continue to pour in another 12 pints of water, cold this time, and then leave the mix to cool down. Around 30 minutes should do well enough.
Once this is done, pop in another packet of ale yeast. Then it is time to fully cover over the bucket, and let it stand in a nice and dry, cool place for around 10 days.
It does seem like quite the crazy wait, but it is 100% worth it, as this is the time your beer will spend fermenting to become exactly what you are after.
3. Siphoning
After the 10 days is up, you should see a crusting layer on the mixture, you should check that this is starting to slowly degrade.
Once you have seen this, add ½ tablespoon of sugar per each of your bottles. Then you need to siphon your beer. Doing so will ensure you rid your mix of any clumps in it.
Separate your bottles or jugs and cap them. Once you have done this, you will need to wait 14 more days before the beers are ready to be drunk.
Sure, it is a bit of a long wait when you have been waiting for these beers for so long, but it is well worth it to enjoy your very own homemade beers.
4. Enjoy
Once you have got to grips with going this, making a batch of homemade beer makes for an awesome gift. Once you have perfected beer, you will also be able to make a start of ales, ciders, and mead!
Overall
Brewing beer from scratch is not exactly easy, but it sure is fun, and while it takes time, the end results are so concerning.
Any beer fan should give it a try at least once. You do not need a lot of materials, and it is pretty easy to do.
If I am totally honest, the main ingredient you need to have to make your own beer is patience. So, are you going to give it a try, I did. And I never looked back!
Hi, my name is Jenna King and I used to be so bored with my life - waking up, working, watching TV, and going to bed.
I made one major change in my life - I started saying yes to everything. My friend wanted to take a cooking class with me, which I would never normally do, but I said yes.
I created this website as an inspiration to you, no matter where you are in life, to get out there and try something new.
Right now - pick something from my site, whether it be a recipe, DIY, or activity - and have fun!
