How To Make Beer
Author: Mario OReilly

How To Make Beer
Beer has been in our midst for as long as anyone can
remember, it is one of the most common alcoholic beverages
to be consumed in the world. But it's worth a thought as to
how beer is actually made. Just imagine how the beer tastes
when it's a blistering hot day or you have had the day from
hell at work.

So How Is Beer Made?

To put it in simple terms beer is a fermented combination
of water, barley, yeast and hops. The different types of
beer that are sold in pubs and bars are 80% determined by
the strain of yeast used during fermentation, the other
main percentage is determined by the water that is used.

So let's take a beer apart and examine the different
properties that make up a "pint".

Water

The chief ingredient in beer is of course water, in the old
days the purity of the water is what mainly affected the
outcome when brewing beer. Beer production in this time was
specific to a particular this would have been mainly due to
water quality. This is no longer the case with the
purification technology that we have available today.

Malt Barley

Malt barley is essential to beer brewing as the barley
contains the highest amount of fermentable sugar. A lot of
breweries today have moved to wards powdered or instant
barley malt as it ferments far faster and therefore the
beer brews quicker. The barley malt powder also contains
extra minerals that help the yeast to grow.

Yeast

Yeast is crucial to beer production and without it there
would be no beer. Yeast is a single celled organism that
consumes any sugar it comes in contact with and expels 2
very well known chemicals that you will know as alcohol and
carbon dioxide.

There are several different variations of yeast used to
make beer, but the 2 most common yeast strains used are
lager and ale. Now if beer was brewed using only water,
yeast and barley it would be almost too sweet to stomach,
this is where hops come in to the mix.

Hops

Hops are the flowers that grow on a climbing vine plant;
these vines can be found in various different regions
through out the world. Hops are used to make beer because
of the bitterness of the flower, adding bitterness to beer
helps to balance out the sweetness as well as acting as a
natural preservative. When a higher percentage of hops are
added the brew then becomes very tart and is known by the
name "bitter", which is very popular in England for its
crisp refreshing taste.

For those of you who want to start brewing your own beer at
home, there are plenty of resources available in the form
of home brewing kits. Home brewing kits are fun to use but
as always you must read the packet before use to ensure
that you get the optimum beer desired. The only point I
should stress to you is when home brewing, USE FRESH WATER!

Many have often sought information on how to make beer and
the basic home brewing equipment can be bought for as
little as $100

In order to start making your own beer the following items
are needed:

A Brew Pot Primary Fermenter Airlock and Stopper Bottling
Bucket Bottles Bottle Brush Bottle Capper Thermometer

To make beer is quite easy even from your home kitchen. A
breakdown of all the equipment is as follows.

Brew Pot

A brew pot is usually made from stainless steel; some of
the newer brew pots are made from enamel coated metal and
can hold up to 15 litres. For brew pots you need to steer
clear of aluminum or chipped enamel coated as these 2 pots
will make the beer taste strange, the brew pot is used to
cook the beer ingredients and therefore start the
fermentation process.

The Primary Fermenter

The primary fermenter is where all the action starts; this
is where that amazing stuff that makes you so charming all
begins. The primary fermenter has to hold at least 26
litres and must have an air tight seal; the airlock and
rubber stopper. Make sure when you are buying one it is
made of food-grade plastic, this will ensure nothing gets
in or escapes.

Airlock and Stopper

The airlock is a handy gadget that allows for C02 to escape
this is a must or it would blow up; at the same time it
doesn't let in any fresh air. The airlock fits into a
rubber stopper and this stopper then fits into the top of
your primary fermenter. The stoppers are numbered according
to size, so make sure you use the correct stopper for the
correct hole

Plastic Hose

This hose must be over 5 feet in length and made from food
grade plastic, there must also be no holes or clogs and
must be kept clean at all times, this hose is used to shift
the beer from one system to another.

Bottling Bucket

This is a large food grade plastic bucket with a tap for
drawing water at the bottom, this bucket needs to equal in
size to your primary fermenter so your beer can be
transferred over for bottling.

Bottles

After the fermentation stage, you then siphon the beer in
bottles for the secondary fermentation and storage. The
best types of bottles to use are solid glass with smooth
tops that use bottle caps and not the twist-off caps. You
can use plastic bottles with screw on lids but with these
bottles the beer does not ferment as well and does not look
anywhere near as good as the glass bottles. A quick point
to remember, when making beer use dark bottles (brown or
green) this is essential as bright light damages the beer.

Bottle Brush

This is a thin, curvy brush which is used to clean bottles;
because of the shape of the brush it does a superb job at
cleaning the bottles. The bottle brush is a specialized
cleaning utensil you will require in order to maintain your
bottle kit.

Bottle Capper

If you buy glass bottles for the fermented beer, you will
need some sort of bottle capper and of course bottle caps,
you can buy them from any brewing supplies store. The best
bottle capper is one which can be affixed to any surface
and worked with one hand while you hold the bottle with the
other.

Thermometer

This is a thermometer which can be attached to the side of
your fermenter; it is just a thin strip of plastic which is
self adhesive these temperature strips can be found in any
store or shop.

Household Items

In addition to the above specialized equipment, you will
need the following household items:

Small bowl Saucepan

Rubber Spatula

Oven Mitts/Pot Handlers:

Big Mixing Spoon

So there you have the ingredients and the method to make
your own beer, all you need now is to get yourself a beer
making kit and you're on the way to beer heaven.


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