How to Brew Your Own Beer

Small batch brewing your own beer is great fun, and makes the perfect addition to summer BBQs or nights in with good friends and plenty of food. There are many different recipes you can experiment with, but here is a basic guide to get you started.

Equipment

Large brewing pot, usually a large casserole pot
Strainer
Large beer bucket or large glass bottle (carboy) with air lock lid
Funnel
Siphon hose
Clean bottles with swing/latch tops
Grain Bag (see below about specialist kits)
Kitchen thermometer

Ingredients:

All available in a specialist kit with grain bag

Hops
Grains
Malt Extract
Yeast
2 gallons of filtered water
Large bag of ice

Steps

Making the Beer:

Put the grains into the grain bag, and tie it up. Fill the saucepan with approximately 2 gallons of water and put on medium-low heat. Place the grain bag in the saucepan and steep in the water for around 20 minutes.
Once the grain bag has steeped and the water has changed colour, remove the bag. Into the water, add the malt extract and bring to a boil. Add the hops. Depending on the type of hops you’ve purchased, exactly when you add these will vary, so follow the pack instructions. Boil on low heat for around an hour, stirring regularly.
You now have a wort mixture that needs to be cooled quickly. Fill your sink (or a bathtub) with ice water, and place the saucepan in it. With your thermometer, test the wort until it’s cooled to around 25-27 degrees.
Using a strainer, remove all the hops from the saucepan and throw them away or compost them. Then, pour the wort mixture into your beer bucket or carboy using the funnel. This is when fermentation begins.
Add two gallons of filtered water and the yeast before placing the lid on top.
Place the bucket or carboy in a cool, dark room (or refrigerate for lagers) and leave for two weeks. After 24 hours, you’ll notice bubbles in the airlock - this means the yeast is working, and the beer is happily fermenting.
Leave the beer alone for at least two weeks before bottling.
Bottling the Beer:
1. Remove the airlock and add the malt extract to the liquid. If this is a dry extract, it will need to be boiled in water before adding (you’ll find instructions on the kit pack)
2. Then decant the beer into your bottles, seal and store it at room temperature for at least a fortnight before moving to a fridge.
3. Drink up and enjoy! You’ll notice some sediment at the bottom of the bottles - we don’t recommend drinking this; it isn’t particularly pleasant!