Beer making has undoubtedly become a trendy hobby in recent years. This is because ingredients and equipment are much more affordable. As long as the brewer is willing to put in enough time and effort, their reward will be a delicious beer made in their own home. All they need to do is follow these steps.
Preparation
First, the person needs to gather up all of the necessary equipment required for the brewing process. This will likely include a large kettle, fermenter with an airlock, funnel, sanitizer, siphon, stirrer, and a beer recipe kit. It might sound like a chore tracking down all of these separately. Luckily a lot of kit provider companies will sell all of the equipment in one box to make things easier.
Once everything has been gathered, the person must sanitize it. The success of the brew will depend mainly on the cleanliness of the kit. The beer can easily be spoiled by anything that comes into contact with it after it has been boiled. This can be prevented with industrial standard sanitizers.
Brewing
The first step of the brewing process is to steep the grains. To do this, the brew kettle should be filled with water. As it is heated, the grains can be placed in it and steeped until the water gets to 170 degrees. It is an ex
cellent idea to let the water drip from the grain bag gradually, rather than squeeze it.
Now it is time to bring the kettle to a boil. As soon as this happens, it needs to be removed from the heat. Several news publications, such as the Independent, explain the importance of doing this. Then the malt extracts should be added. The kettle can once again return to boil once the malt has dissolved. At regular intervals, the hops will be added.
Once everything has mixed well, it is time for a process known as “worting.” It is generally done by placing the pot into a sink filled with iced water. Alternatively, a wort chiller could be utilized.
Fermentation
The cooled wort should be poured into a fermenter. Modern brew kettles tend to have valves to make this easier. Water is then added, and the wort is aerated. This is because the yeast needs oxygen. The yeast is added, and the fermenter is sealed. Dry yeast is generally the best option. Finally, the brew is stored in a dark and cold area. To ferment properly, most beers need to stay at 68 degrees for two weeks. Afterward, it is time to bottle the finished beer and enjoy it! Siphons, hoses, and spigots should be used to minimize the beer’s exposure to the air.