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Brew Great American Style Beers at Home was written with the
intention of providing the necessary information to allow one to
make his/her own beer at home without requiring alot of reading
or understanding of the chemical processes involved. The beers
described in this book are unique in that they are for American
Style beers. I have found no other publication that tells how to
brew these lighter type beers.
This book is being presented on a shareware basis. If you use
the information in this book, please send $5 to the address
listed below. The money you save on your first batch will more
than cover the $5 you send me. Please copy and share the book
with others and pass along this page and encourage them to send
in the $5 for their copy.
Send $5 to: Brewmaster
c/o Darin Danelski
P.O. Box 236
Hartland, WI 53029
Thank you, from one beer drinker to another.
Brew Great
American
Style Beer
at Home
Written by: Darin Danelski
Brewmaster
P.O. Box 236
Hartland, WI 53029
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Types of Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Record Keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sterilization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Brewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Fermenting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Bottling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Appendix A - Recipes
Appendix B - Record Keeping Sheet
Appendix C - Suppliers
Introduction
Congratulations, you have just made the first move
toward discovering the wonderful world of homebrewing.
You will find that making your own beer is rewarding,
enjoyable, and best of all, much less expensive than
purchasing commercial beer. The beer you will brew
will contain no preservatives and will be as or more
palatable than your favorite commercial beer. Because
of the pure nature of your beer, you will find that
side effects such as morning head and stomach aches
will be much less noticeable or even nonexistent.
I have prepared this booklet to provide you with the
basic information necessary to get you brewing in a
short period of time. Most books published about
homebrewing are written by beer connoisseurs or
purists. They teach you about the chemistry of
brewing, matching alpha and beta acids, water testing,
mashing, etc. They also assume that you want to make
heavy, dark, syrupy, bitter beers. I have read several
homebrewing books, and have yet to find a single recipe
for an American type beer included in them. This
booklet is targeted toward you, the person who enjoys
American style beer.
I have experimented with several recipes of my own, and
have developed American type brews that even my friends
and relatives enjoy. If you have ever tasted a friends
or relatives home brew, chances are you were less than
impressed. Don't let this prevent you from trying the
recipes in this booklet. Most casual homebrewers use
ingredient kits to brew their beer. These kits are
expensive, and usually do not taste good because they
are fashioned after popular premium beers and are
generally heavy, dark, and bitter.
The brewing process presented in this book applies to
most types of beers. If you enjoy premium type beers,
recipes are provided to allow you to brew your favorite
type also.
So let's go!
Costs
If you are like me, you are getting very annoyed by
having to pay $12 to $17 for a case of commercial beer.
Taxes, packaging, advertisement, and distribution make
up most of the cost of commercial beer. This upward
trend will only increase in the future as taxes and
costs continue to increase. I began brewing my own
beer because of the high cost of commercial beer. Now
I do it because it is enjoyable too.
Like most hobbies, an initial investment for equipment
is required. Once the equipment is obtained, you will
find that beer making consumables/ingredients are very
inexpensive. You can expect to shell out anywhere from
$50 to $100 for the required equipment depending on
where you purchase the equipment and on what equipment
you may already have.
The ingredient costs can range from $4.50 per batch to
$25 per batch. A batch is 5 gallons or a little over
two cases of 12 ounce bottles. As you can see, $2.25
per case is much less than the equivalent commercial
beer would cost.
The cost of your beer depends on the cost of the
ingredients. I have found that mail order is the best
source for low cost quality ingredients. I purchase
ingredients in bulk quantities rather than premeasured
individual packs.
I suggest that you purchase your ingredients at a local
beer and wine making store for your first few batches.
This will give you the chance to find a recipe that you
really like before purchasing bulk quantities. I have
included a few mail order suppliers in Appendix C.
Equipment
Like most hobbies, homebrewing requires some special
equipment. This section describes what equipment you
will need and where you can obtain it.
The following list summarizes the equipment you will
need to obtain:
- Brewpot 16 quart or larger with cover
- Large funnel
- Stainless steel strainer/colander
- Large spoon
- Rolling pin
- Syphon tube (J-Tube)
- Airlock
- 5 gallon Carboy
- 10 or 15 gallon white plastic garbage can with lid
- Hydrometer
- Bottle capper and caps
- (52) 12 ounce returnable type beer bottles
- Chlorine bleach
Brewpot
Your brewpot should be constructed of either stainless
steel or enamel coated steel. Enamel coated steel pots
are usually black with little grey speckles all over or
white with little black and grey speckles all over.
Stainless steel pots are very expensive (approximately
$120 for a 20 quart) compared to the enamel coated type
(approximately $30 for a 20 quart). The advantage of
the stainless steel type is that they are virtually
indestructible and will last a long time. The enamel
coated tend to chip over time and will last 2-3 years.
The stainless steel types transfer heat better from
your stove to the liquid. Most people have the enamel
type already in their homes for soups, etc. Use
whatever type you can afford or have available. Do not
use aluminum pots because the brew you will be making
contains acids that will react with the aluminum. This
will make your brew taste like a rusty bumper! The
stainless steel pots can be found at department stores
such as JC Penney, Sears, or Boston Store. The enamel
type can be found at most discount stores.
Large Funnel
A stainless steel or food grade plastic funnel with a
top diameter of 8" or more. Try to find one with a
handle and a removable filter insert. This type of
funnel can be found at your local discount or hardware
store.
Stainless Steel Strainer
This item is used to strain your brew and should be
constructed of stainless steel that looks like a window
screen. The strainer should fit inside your funnel.
Most kitchens are already equipped with this item, but
if you need to buy one, it can be obtained at most
discount stores.
Large Spoon
The spoon should be of a metal construction with a
plastic handle. It can be stainless or plated steel.
Try not to use plastic as you will be stirring boiling
liquid and some plastics melt. Wood can also be used,
but is much more difficult to clean.
Rolling Pin
Again, most kitchens are already equipped with a
rolling pin. If you do not have one, one can be
obtained at most discount stores.
Syphon Tube (J-Tube)
A J-Tube is a special tube that is curved like the
letter J that is used to transfer fermented beer from
various containers. It is equipped with a special end
that draws liquid from approximately 1/2 inch above the
bottom of a container. The special end prevents
sediment from being transferred. The J-Tube includes a
clear tube that is approximately 3 feet long. The tube
should be obtained from a local wine and beer making
supply store (check your yellow pages under wine and
beer making). If you have no local source, there are
several mail order houses that equipment can be
purchased from. The J-tube costs about $3.
Air Lock
An air lock is a special device that allows
fermentation gasses to be expelled from a fermentation
container while preventing air from entering it. There
are three types of air locks currently used, the one
piece, two piece, and the three piece. The one piece
is shaped like an S. A small amount of water is placed
inside and it bubbles as gasses escape. The two and
three piece types use an inverted cone shaped cup that
floats over a tube submerged in water. Gas escaping
the tube bubbles from under the cone. The two and
three piece are desirable as they are easier to clean.
The airlock should be supplied with a rubber stopper
that fits into the opening of the fermentation
container like a cork. Air locks cost about $2 and are
available at wine and beer making suppliers.
5 Gallon Carboy
A carboy is a large clear glass container with a small
mouth opening at the top. The small opening is
necessary to allow placement of the air lock described
above. Some people use a 5 gallon plastic water bottle
which looks just like a carboy to ferment their beer.
Either are acceptable, but the glass type is easier to
clean as it will not stain. The glass type costs
approximately $20 and is available at wine and beer
making supply stores. The plastic bottles can usually
be obtained for free or at a nominal cost from anyone
who owns and uses a fresh water dispenser.
Hydrometer
A hydrometer is a simple device that is used to
determine the alcohol content of your brew. It is also
used to determine when fermentation has completed. It
is constructed of glass which encloses a graduated
scale representing specific gravity. This item sells
for approximately $7-$15 at any wine and beer making
supply store. Purchase the least expensive one you can
find as accuracy is not that critical.
Bottle Capper & Caps
Bottle cappers are available in two basic styles, the
lever type and the bench type. The purpose of the
bottle capper is to crimp a new bottle cap onto your
bottles to seal the bottle. Both types do a good job
of crimping the cap. The lever type is a little more
difficult to operate, but is less expensive. The lever
type costs about $13 and the bench type costs about
$30. You will also need bottle caps. They sell for
approximately $3 per 150. Again, these items can be
purchased at any wine and beer making supply store.
12oz Returnable Bottles
For each batch, you will need from 48-52 12 ounce
returnable type beer bottles. These are the type of
bottle that come in 24 bottle cases with the hinged
type cardboard containers. Do not use screw top type
bottles as they are not strong enough to handle the
pressures that home brew exerts on the bottles.
Chlorine Bleach
You will need a supply of standard laundry type
chlorine bleach for sanitizing your equipment and
bottles. Usually 4-6 oz per session is enough.
Types of Beer
There are basically two types of beer that homebrewers
make, ales and lagers. The type of beer depends on the
type of yeast that is used for fermentation. Simply,
ales use ale yeast, and lagers use lager yeast.
In this booklet, I have limited the recipes to all malt
ales, which include most American pilsners. Typically,
lagers are fermented at lower than room temperatures
for much longer periods of time than ales.
Beer flavors range from extra light pilsners, to golden
ales, amber ales, brown ales such as bock, and dark
stout beers. The recipes we will focus on are light
pilsners and golden ales.
You will need to determine what recipe in Appendix A
that you want to start with before you obtain your
ingredients. After you have found a recipe that you
really like, you will want to start buying those
ingredients in bulk quantities.
Overview
This section will give you an overview of the entire
homebrewing process. The process is similar for most
recipes you will work with.
The brewing process starts by creating the wort
pronounced "wert". The wort is the mixture of water,
malts, extracts, hops, sugars, and additives that are
cooked together. This mixture becomes the base of the
beer. The purpose of the cooking process is to break
down the starch in the malts into fermentable sugars.
The wort cooking process takes about one hour to
completely break down the various malts into sugars.
The wort is then cooled and transferred to a
fermentation container (carboy). Hops is added to the
wort to add the desired amount of bitterness and acts
as a natural preservative for your beer.
The fermentation process starts when yeast added to the
wort consumes the sugars. The yeast cells are living
organisms which eat sugar and expel alcohol and carbon
dioxide (referred to as fermentation gasses earlier).
Initially, the yeasts go on a binge and they produce a
foamy discharge out of the carboy for 2-3 days. This
foamy discharge is called froth. Once the froth
subsides, the airlock is placed onto the fermenter
(carboy) for the remainder of the fermentation.
Eventually, the yeasts run out of sugar to consume and
fermentation stops. This usually takes from 8-14 days
depending on sugar content and temperature. The
hydrometer is used to determine the end of
fermentation. As you probably figured out, the more
sugars in your wort, the more alcohol that will be
produced.
After fermentation ends, the brew is basically
uncarbonated beer. In other words, it is flat. The
next process is to bottle the beer. The carbonation
process occurs in the bottle and is accomplished by
adding priming sugar to the brew prior to bottling.
The remaining yeast cells in the brew begin consuming
the newly added sugar and expel the required amount of
carbon dioxide (CO2). This process is called naturally
carbonating your beer.
The next step is the most difficult...waiting. The
carbonation process takes about 5 days to accomplish.
It is usually desirable to let the bottled beer settle
and clear up for approximately 10-14 days before
drinking. Opening a bottle after only 5 days will
yield a somewhat cloudy beer with a more bitter taste
as the yeast cells have not completely settled out.
Record Keeping
In Appendix B I have included a sample blank brewing
record. It is very important to keep records of all
the beers you brew, as when you find the perfect
recipe, you want to be able to reproduce it as close as
possible. You will find yourself referring back to old
recipes often when deciding what recipe to make next,
or to use as a background for a new recipe you are
creating.
Sterilization
This is probably the most important subject pertaining
to homebrewing and cannot be over emphasized. It is so
important to make sure all equipment, utensils, and
containers are sanitized prior to use. If foreign
bacteria or molds enter your beer, you will have to
toss the entire batch in most cases, and believe me
that is very upsetting.
In general, two methods are used to sterilize your
equipment and accessories. The first is to immerse as
many items as are practical into boiling water and even
into your wort during boiling. As it is not practical
to boil carboys, beer bottles, and J-tubes, a mixture
of very hot tap water and chlorine bleach, at a ratio
of 4 ounces (1/2 cup) per 5 gallons, is used to
sanitize. The chlorine will kill almost all bacteria.
It is important to rinse the chlorine off your
equipment thoroughly as any chlorine residue will kill
your beer yeasts also. When working with chlorine
bleach, make sure you have old clothes on. I have
ruined several pair of pants from bleach splashing on
me during sanitizing.
In general, don't use anything in your process that has
not been sanitized. I have made several batches of
beer and have only had to throw one batch away because
of careless sanitation procedures. In this case, an
ounce of prevention is worth 5 gallons of delicious
homebrew!
Ingredients
Beer can consist of many ingredients and can be made
from almost anything. I have heard of cherry beer,
potato beer, chocolate beer, and even iced tea beer.
Although others find joy in creating weird beer recipes
like those, I prefer to stick to American type beers.
These beers consist of malt, hops, yeast, and sugar.
Malts:
Malts come in many varieties and forms. Some people
buy malt in a liquid or powder extract form, some buy
it in a grain form, and others use a mixture of both.
The extract form is usually sold in 3 pound, 6 pound,
50 pound, or 75 pond quantities. The liquid extract is
a very thick and sticky molasses like syrup. The dry
powder extract looks like colored flour. They are
available in several flavors which are described by
their color. Typical flavors are Extra Light, Light,
Golden, Amber, Weiss (wheat), Brown, and Dark.
Liquid malt extracts are very convenient in the 3 pound
and 6 pound packages. They are supplied in vacuum
sealed plastic bags that allow you to work with them
without getting the sticky extract all over. The
disadvantage is that it is more expensive than the
grain type malts.
The dry powder type extracts are also convenient. They
are also supplied in plastic bags. I have found that
the dry malt extracts don't dissolve as well and seem
to settle out and leave a lot of sediment in the
fermenter. The advantage of the dry malt extracts is
that they will keep longer, so you can buy in bulk to
get better prices.
Both liquid and dry malt extracts are fairly neutral
tasting. They are often used as a base and grain type
malts are added to obtain specific flavors the
brewmaster desires.
Malts that are supplied in a grain form are available
in many more flavors. They can be purchased by the
pound or in bulk quantities of 50 pounds. Some typical
malts are two-row pale malt, crystal malt, chocolate
malt, dextrine malt, pale ale malt, wheat malt, black
patent malt, and roasted barley to name a few.
Dextrine and two-row pale malts are very light in
color. Crystal malt produces a slightly darker golden
color. Chocolate, black patent, and roasted barley
produce dark beers. Chocolate malt is named for it
color and not for the taste it creates. Chocolate malt
actually gives beers a coffee like taste.
The color a malt produces is rated on a scale called
Lovibond. A typical two-row pale malt will have a
Lovibond rating of approximately 1 or 2. A black
patent malt will have a Lovibond of up to 500.
Grain type malts require a little more time to utilize,
but are well worth it. They are less expensive than
extract type malts and add flexibility to your recipes
because they are available in so many flavors. The
additional time required to use grain type malts is due
to the fact that grain type malts must be mashed. The
mashing process is not difficult, but it requires about
an hour to perform. This process will be described
later.
Hops
Most beer drinkers are familiar with the word hops,
know that it is something that is in their beer, but
wouldn't recognize one if it passed him/her on the
street.
Hops are actually flowers. They are available in two
forms, whole and pelletized. Whole hops look just like
a flower bud with petals. The pelletized type is made
by compressing whole hops into pellets that look like
rabbit food. Most people use pellet type hops because
they retain their freshness longer and don't have to be
strained out prior to transferring the wort to the
fermenter.
There are two reasons hops are added to beers. Hops
are acidic in nature and act as a natural preservative.
The acids in hops (called alpha acids) prevent the
growth of molds and other bacteria. Hops also have a
bittering effect, which help offset the natural
sweetness of the malts.
Like malts, hops are available in several aromas or
flavors. Hops are rated by their alpha acid content,
which usually ranges from 3% to 10%. The higher the
alpha acid content, the more bittering effect that
usually results.
Hops are added at two times during cooking of the wort,
once at the beginning, and again near the end of the
boil. The hops added at the beginning are referred to
as boiling hops, and the hops added at the end are
called finishing hops. The boiling hops are used
mainly to provide the preservative, and the finishing
hops are used to provide the desired bittering flavor.
Yeast
There are two main types of yeast used in homebrewing,
ale yeast and lager yeast. They are available in
either liquid or dry forms.
Liquid yeast is available in more flavors or strains
than dry yeast and imparts a smoother flavor to the
brew. It takes up to a week to prepare. This makes it
difficult to plan when you are going to make your brew,
as you must use the yeast within a day of when it is
ready. Liquid yeast is also more expensive than dry
yeast.
I typically use dry yeasts because of their convenience
and low cost. The batches I have produced using liquid
yeast were noticeably smoother although the dry yeast
versions are more than acceptable.
Most recipes you will be brewing utilize ale yeast,
which are considered top fermenting. Ale yeast
requires temperatures between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit
for fermentation. Lager yeasts require temperatures
between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit for much longer
periods of time. As you experiment with various
recipes of your own, you may want to try liquid and/or
lager yeast.
Sugar
Sugar is sometimes added to the wort to produce a
lighter beer. The added sugar will also increase the
final alcohol level of the beer. The addition of sugar
to beer is frowned on by many beer purists and
brewmasters. Sugar is very inexpensive and is used as
an alternative to malts. American beers contain a high
percentage of sugar.
Sugar is also added during bottling. This addition of
a small quantity is called priming. The priming
process provides a new supply of sugar to the remaining
yeast cells in the beer, causing the natural
carbonation process to occur.
The most commonly used sugar for brewing is corn sugar.
It is supplied in a fine granular form with a
consistency similar to powdered cane sugar. It is very
sweet and dissolves easily.
Other Ingredients
There are two other inexpensive ingredients that are
added to beer to aid in clearing the beer. The first
is gypsum and the other is irish moss. Gypsum is used
if the water you use is soft. It will make the water
harder, which will give you a less cloudy beer. Irish
moss works with gypsum to produce even clearer beer.
Brewing
Well you now have the basic background required to
allow you to understand the process of homebrewing. We
will now begin the beer making process by preparing the
wort.
The first step is to pick out a recipe that you want to
make and give it a name. Beer is a living organism,
and I have found that it acts much better if it has a
name. It is also much easier to talk to your beer if
it has a name. I have included a few recipes in
Appendix A for your review. Choose one of the recipes
and purchase the required quantities of ingredients
from your local brewers supply store or through any
reputable mail order brewers supply store.
The next step is to gather and prepare the equipment
and ingredients you will be using. You should gather
the following equipment as described earlier: brewpot,
large container, funnel, strainer, large spoon, rolling
pin, carboy, hydrometer, and a measuring cup. You
should also have a kitchen timer, wash rags and hot
pads available.
Next, you need to roll the grains to crack the shells
of the grains. This process is required to allow the
water to permeate the inside of the grains. Some
suppliers offer precracked grains. If you have
purchased this type, you can skip this step. To crack
the grains, spread a small amount of the grains onto a
cookie sheet or any flat surface that will contain the
grains. Gently roll the rolling pin over the grains to
crack them. The goal is only to crack them, not to
pulverize them. If you over crack the grains, a more
bitter taste will be transferred to the wort. Proceed
with cracking small quantities at a time and collect
the cracked grains into your brewpot. After all the
grains are cracked, bring your brewpot to your stove,
but do not turn on the heat yet.
The next step is to mash your grain. Mashing involves
soaking the grains in hot (150-170 degree fahrenheit)
water for about an hour. This process converts the
starches in the grains into fermentable sugars.
To begin the mashing process, measure 2.5 gallons (10
quarts) of cold water and pour it over the grains in
your brewpot. Turn on the burner to begin heating the
grain/water mixture. Set the heat control to medium or
medium-high. Note the time on your record sheet. To
eliminate the need for a thermometer, it is usually
sufficient to heat the mixture until you just begin
seeing very small bubbles escaping from the surface of
the liquid. At this point, reduce the heat to medium
and continue to heat for about 30-45 minutes to
completely convert the starches to sugars. The mixture
should never come to a rolling boil during this step.
Turn off the heat when this step is complete and note
the time on you record sheet.
The next step is to create the wort from your mash.
You will need to remove the spent grains from your
brewpot. I usually transfer the liquid mash in the
brewpot into another large container. As I pour the
liquid out of the brewpot, I capture the spent grains
in the strainer. If you do not have a large container
to transfer the mash into, you can use a strainer type
spoon to spoon the grains out of the brewpot. It is
acceptable to leave small amounts of grains in the
brewpot, although the more that remain, the more bitter
the brew will be.
Transfer the liquid mash back into the brewpot. Add
the desired quantity and type of boiling hops to the
liquid. Turn the burner to medium-high to begin
heating and note the time in your record book. If you
are using liquid or dry malt extracts, they should be
added slowly while stirring at this time. Any
additives such as gypsum or Irish moss should be added
now also. Heat the wort to a boil. It is very
important to watch the pot during this step, as wort
tends to boil over very suddenly. While the wort is
being heated to a boil, it should be stirred every 2-3
minutes. Try to keep the cover on the brewpot, as the
temperature of the wort will rise more quickly.
When the wort begins to boil, reduce the heat to a
point where the wort just kind of rolls over rather
than letting it vigorously boil. Note the time and
continue to boil for about 45 minutes. Stir the wort
every 5 minutes or so. It is not necessary to keep the
cover on the brewpot once a boil is obtained.
While the wort is boiling, clean and sanitize your
carboy, funnel, J-tube, and strainer using the
procedure described earlier. Measure 2.5 gallons (10
quarts) of the coldest water you can find into your
carboy. The cold water is important because the wort
should be cooled as quickly as possible. This will
allow less time for bacteria to begin forming in the
carboy prior to adding the yeast.
After 45 minutes of cooking the wort are completed, add
the finishing hops. Note the time, and cook for 3
minutes longer. After the three minutes are up, turn
off the heat.
Place the strainer inside the funnel and place the
funnel into the carboy. I usually ask for some
assistance for this step, as handling the boiling hot
wort in the brewpot is somewhat dangerous. I have
someone hold the funnel while I pour the wort into the
funnel. Any remaining grains and hop sediment are
captured in the strainer. The hot wort hits the cold
water already in the carboy and cools down very
quickly. The complete contents of the brewpot should
easily fit into the carboy.
The next step is the worst part, cleaning up. I
usually begin cleaning my equipment and kitchen while
the mixture in the carboy cools to room temperature.
If you want to speed cooling, place the carboy in a
sink full of water and add ice.
After the brew cools to room temperature, the yeast is
prepared and added. The process of adding the yeast to
the unfermented beer is called "pitching". (I have
assumed that you are using dry yeast, as all my recipes
utilize it). To prepare the yeast, heat about 1 cup of
cold (8 ounces) of water until it is lukewarm. Remove
the water from the heat. You should not use hot tap
water, as it may contain undesirable bacteria. Open
the yeast packet and gradually pour it into the
lukewarm water while stirring. After the entire
contents of the yeast packet is transferred, loosely
cover the yeast/water mixture and let it stand for
about 15 minutes.
While the yeast is standing, you should check the
initial specific gravity of your brew. This is
accomplished by transferring a small quantity of the
brew into the vial that came with your hydrometer. Use
the sanitized J-tube to syphon the brew from the
carboy. To start the syphon, place the J-tube into the
carboy, suck on the end of the hose until the brew just
about reaches your lips, then quickly place your finger
over the end of the hose. Don't worry if you get some
of the brew in your mouth, it is only beer. Now lower
the end of the hose to a level that is below the level
of the surface of the brew in the carboy. Place the
end of the hose over the mouth of the hydrometer vial
and release your finger and fill the vial until it is
almost full. Place your finger back over the hose and
lift the hose well above the carboy. Release your
finger to allow the brew in the hose to return to the
carboy. Next, add the hydrometer bulb to the vial. If
the level in the vial is too high and the vial will
overflow, remove the hydrometer bulb and either pour a
small amount of the beer out or drink a little. This
is your first opportunity to taste your beer. If the
beer tastes even remotely acceptable now, you have had
a success, as it only gets better with time. Place the
vial on a level surface and read the hydrometer scale.
Sometimes there are multiple scales on the hydrometer,
so use the one that reads from approximately 0.900 to
1.100 with 1.000 shown clearly. The reading you should
find for the recipes shown in this book should be from
1.015 to 1.045 or so. Record the reading in your
record book as the initial specific gravity. Do not
return the tested beer in the vial to the carboy as you
may contaminate the beer. Either drink it or pour it
down the drain.
After the yeast has been allowed to stand for 15
minutes, stir the mixture one more time. Pour the
mixture into the carboy, and stir it with the J-tube.
Fermenting
Move the carboy to a cool place where the temperature
will remain fairly constant. Temperatures in the 60-65
degree Fahrenheit range are best. Basements are ideal
locations as the temperatures remain fairly constant.
During the initial fermentation, the yeasts generate a
very active foamy discharge called froth. The froth
flows out of the carboy and runs down the side of it.
This initial fermentation typically lasts for about 2-3
days. To contain this froth, I have purchased a small
white covered 10 gallon plastic garbage can that I use
to place the carboy in during initial fermentation. I
place the carboy into the garbage can and place the
cover on it. This setup allows the froth to accumulate
in the bottom can and keeps dust and dirt away from the
brew.
After the primary fermentation completes, the cover
should be removed from the garbage can and an air lock
should be placed into the carboy opening. You will
notice that the airlock will bubble vigorously at
first. The fermentation process will continue for
about 8-14 days. You can tell when fermentation is
concluding by looking at for small bubbles rising from
the bottom of the carboy. When these bubbles are no
longer visible, you should check the specific gravity
the same way as before. Note the specific gravity and
date in your record. Wait one more day and check the
specific gravity again. If the reading is the same as
the day before, fermentation is complete and you can
begin bottling. Record the specific gravity reading
and date in your record book.
Bottling
When you are ready to bottle your beer, you should
gather your bottles, caps, capper, J-tube, garbage can,
bleach, and corn sugar.
First, sterilize your bottles by mixing one cup of
bleach with about 10 gallons of hot water in your
garbage can. Submerse as many bottles as you can and
let them soak for about 2-3 minutes. Empty the bleach
solution from each bottle back into the garbage can and
rinse each bottle two to three times with very hot tap
water. Set the bottles upside down if possible on some
clean towels to allow them to drain and dry. Sanitize
all the bottles this way. Now sanitize the J-tube in
the bleach water and rinse it with very hot tap water.
Finally, rinse the garbage can several times with hot
tap water to remove all bleach residue.
Next, sanitize enough caps for the bottles by placing
them into a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Keep
the caps submerged until you need them.
Now that everything is sanitized, you can begin
bottling. Begin by syphoning the brew from the carboy
into your garbage can (which was sanitized during the
bottle washing process). When the carboy is almost
empty, watch it carefully to prevent the bottom
sediment from being transferred to the garbage can.
Next, you need to prime the beer with more sugar to
create the carbonation. Boil 2 cups of water and stir
in 3/4 cup of corn sugar until it is completely
dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour
it into the brew in the garbage can. Use the J-tube to
gently stir the brew.
Place the garbage can on something higher than table
level so that you can syphon the brew into the bottles.
It is important to syphon the brew into the bottles
rather than pouring it in as you don't want to
introduce air into the bottles. Air will spoil the
beer.
The most efficient method of bottling is to set up a
small assembly line and get someone to help you. One
person will transfer the brew into the bottles and the
other will cap them. This helps out because a syphon
only needs to be started once. Try to make sure that
all the bottles are accessible to the person filling so
he doesn't have to stop to get more bottles. The
capper can help out with this. The bottles should be
filled to within 3/4 to 1 inch from the top of the
bottle.
After the bottles are filled and capped, they should be
placed into the returnable case they were purchased in.
The bottles should be kept at room temperature for 10-
14 days before refrigerating. This will allow the
carbonation and settling process to complete.
When pouring the beer from the bottles, it is important
to pour slowly with the bottle almost horizontal. The
yeast that created the carbonation settles out in the
bottom of the bottle and although it will not hurt you,
it has an undesirable bitter taste. By pouring slowly,
you can avoid transferring the yeast sediment to your
glass. For this reason, I do not recommend drinking
directly out of the bottle.
The next step is the best....Drink and Enjoy.
Appendix A
Recipes
The following recipes are provided to get you started
on the path to enjoying home brewed beer. I have tried
to provide an assortment of recipes that will please
your specific tastes.
Erika's Light Pilsner
3 lbs Briess Brewers Gold Malt Extract or Equivalent
2 lbs Crystal Malt
1 lb Corn Sugar (for wort)
1/2 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
1/4 oz Hallertau Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush crystal malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Erika's Extra Light Pilsner
3 lbs Briess Light Malt Extract or Equivalent
2 lbs Two Row Pale Ale Malt
1 lb Corn Sugar (for wort)
1/4 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
1/4 oz Hallertau Hops (boiling)
1/4 oz Cascade Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Special Amber
6 lbs Amber Malt Extract or Equivalent
1-1/2 lbs Crystal Malt
1 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
1/2 oz Hallertau Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush crystal malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Special Light Amber
3 lbs Amber Malt Extract or Equivalent
1 lb Crystal Malt
1 lb Two Row Pale-Ale Malt
1 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
3/4 oz Hallertau Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Best American Bock
6 lbs Amber Malt Extract or Equivalent
2 lbs Crystal Malt
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt
1 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
1/2 oz Hallertau Hops (finishing)
1/4 oz Cascade Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Best American Bock Light
5 lbs Amber Malt Extract or Equivalent
1-1/2 lbs Crystal Malt
1/4 lb Chocolate Malt
1/2 oz Cascade Hops (boiling)
1/2 oz Hallertau Hops (boiling)
1/2 oz Hallertau Hops (finishing)
1 pack (approx. 14 grams) Brewers grade Ale Yeast
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (used for priming at bottling)
1 tsp Gypsum (Food Grade)
5 gal Water
The following instructions summarize the steps described in the
text of this book. Refer to the text if you are unclear as what
is meant below.
1. Crush malt grains if required
2. Add crushed grains to empty brewpot
3. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to brewpot
4. Turn stove on medium/medium high
5. Heat until small bubbles appear then reduce heat to maintain
that temperature.
6. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes
7. Remove spent grains
8. Increase the heat setting on the stove
9. Add malt extract while stirring
10. Add boiling hops and gypsum
11. Heat to boil and adjust heat to maintain slow rolling boil
while stirring often
12. Let wort boil for 45 minutes from the time it starts boiling
13. Add the finishing Hops
14. Boil for 3 minutes longer
15. Add 2-1/2 gallons of cold water to carboy
16. Transfer the hot wort into the carboy
17. Prepare yeast as described in this book
18. Let mixture cool to room temperature
19. Measure and record the initial specific gravity
20. Add yeast to mixture
21. Stir mixture to distribute yeast
22. Follow fermentation and bottling processes as described in
this book.
Appendix B
Sample Record Sheet
Brewing Record
Recipe name:_________________________________
Date Brewed:__________________
Ingredient Quantity
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
____________________________________________ _________
Yeast Type (Ale or Lager)_____________
Boiling Hops Type_____________________________
Finishing Hops Type___________________________
Boiling Time:____________
Finishing Hops Time:______________
Initial Specific Gravity (ISG):_____________
Specific Gravity on__________ was __________
Specific Gravity on__________ was __________
Specific Gravity on__________ was __________
Bottling Date____________
Final Specific Gravity (FSG):_______________
Alcohol Content % by Volume = (FSG - ISG) x 131.25
Sampling Date:______________
Comments:
Appendix C
Suppliers
There are several mail order suppliers for beer making
equipment, supplies, and ingredients. Following are
two sources that you may want to try. Please note that
I am in no way affiliated, connected, or related to
these sources and take no responsibility for any
consequences that may arise as a result of any readers
dealing with the supplied sources. I also take no
responsibility for the accuracy of the information
supplied. I recommend calling the sources and
requesting current catalogs.
The Malt Shop
N3211 Highway S
Cascade, WI 53011
(414)528-8697
(800)235-0026
William's Brewing
2594 Nicholson Street
P.O. Box 2195
San Leandro, CA 94577
(510)895-2739
(800)759-6025