Das Bier!!!

[seismic wonder2]

Every time I bottle I always end up with a little extra that I bottle in the 16oz bottles. I use them as "test Tastes". After only ageing for three days, I popped one open last night.....YUM! You guys are missing out!

 

[chickinlickin]

Ok, this past weekend, my 2 nephews (one is a senior in college and the other is finishing up law school) were home and were talking about making their own beer...and I got mildly interested in the topic....now I find this thread and so what the heck.....is there a "beer making for dummies" book or what is a good way to get started/learn a little? There is probably plenty of info on the web, but I'd like to learn the basics first, I guess.

As a side note, my nephew's parents (my sis and her dh) have a maple syrup making operation on their farm. The sap is really running right now, it's that time of year. Both of the boys are coming home this weekend to experiment with some kind of maple beer. I am going to head out there and "help" them, I think....

Thanks for any help.

 

[saddina]

Quote:
it's "homebrewing for dummies" actually. For complete novices, order your yeast from midwest brewing, and check for the free how-to brew DVD.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

 

[chickinlickin]

Hey, thanks saddina!

 

[seismic wonder2]

Google a home brewmart or home beer making kit etc... to find out what you need

It's really easy but you do need some special equipment. Bottles (NOT the screw off type) caps, a bottle capper.
Everything else can be improvised by food safe plastic buckets and clear hose from the hardware store.

You can start off buying the whole beer kit, The usually come with a fermenter bucket, bottling bucket, clear hose, bottling cane, bottle washing brush, caps, capper. You have to find bottles on your own.

If you get your stuff at a beer making store, you can buy bottles too.

Most beginner recipe kits come with 6 or 8lbs of pre-hopped malt extract syrup, corn sugar, and a packet or two of the correct dry yeast as a starting point, then you add specific malt extract to make the type of beer you like, dark malt for heavy dark beers (guinness, stout ale, etc...) and plain light extract for pilsners and lagers (budwiser, miller light etc...)

You boil the syrup in two gallons of water for 15 min, add it to the fermenter with enough cold water to make 5 gallons. Pop on the lid and allow it to cool to below 80degrees, "pitch" the yeast, secure the lid, add an airlock (or balloon) and put it in a closet for a week.

When ready to bottle, boil about 1/4 to 1/3 cup corn sugar in about a quart of water and add it to your bottling bucket. Then siphon your beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket. The extra sugar is called "priming sugar" and the little yeasties use that to make the carbonation in the bottles. If you add too much priming sugar your bottles will blow up. ERR on too little.

The bottling cane has a spring loaded valve in the tip so you just push down and the beer comes out to fill the bottle. You fill it to the rim and when you remove the cane it leaves the exact amount of "head space" inthe bottle! (How cool is that?)

Cap them all and store them in the closet for at least a week to build carbonation and to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle.
YES there will be a layer of yucky looking stuff in the bottom of the bottle, It's the dormant yeast. It won't hurt anything but it you pour the beer too fast it will make your beer cloudy.

Now Relax....Have a homebrew...and get brewing!

 

[chickinlickin]

Thanks for the great info....I'm googling as we speak.
Stay tuned....