Brewing Beer?!
Brewing Beer?
I really want to start brewing my own beer out of my house. I was watching the food network the other day and watched a show about brewing beer. I was wondering if anyone knew a good kit that i could buy to start brewing? Or should I go into a brewing supplies store and get my supplies (i.e. fermentor, bottles, etc.) from there?
Answers:
There is one simple answer: Buy Charlie Papazian's Complete Joy of Home Brewing (http://www.amazon.com/new-complete-joy-h...
While the name may sound silly, Papazian is serious. This is the Bible for anyone who wants to start brewing.
You can start brewing 5 gallons. See if you like it and if you want to get hardcore and start your own brewpub.
Papazian has great recipes so you can find what type of beer you like to brew and not just drink.
You'll need the basic supplies. My husband and I have been brewing for years and add a new toy every time we go to the brewing supply store. You need to start with the basics that everyone will list but I'd recommend a propane burner and propane tank so you can brew outside when you start and avoid messy spillovers on your stove (a pain to clean and this gives you better heat). Also, you MUST get a one-handed bottlecapper no matter what anyone tells you.
Remember that lager likes to be at 55 deg Fand ale at 65 deg F so if you don't have a cool place, have a spare fridge (and if you have a spare fridge, make sure you never run it empty or your electric bill will go through the roof).
Good luck! Let me know how it goes!
Source(s):
http://www.amazon.com/new-complete-joy-h...
Go to a brewing store - all you really need to do your first brew is:
a five gallon tub, ideally with a hole for a bung
A bung with an airlock in it (to go in the hole)
A "brew kit" (big can full of malt, with a sachet of yeast)
A bag of sugar.
A five gallon pressure barrel.
They can give you some good advice too. I'd really recommend this, lots of cheap beer and the satisfaction of making your own.
Go to your local Brewing Supply store for your Yeast, Sugar, Hops, Malt, Wood chips, plastic tubing (six feet about 3/8s inch outer diameter) Air locks (2), and Hydrometer, a small funnel, and a large funnel, cheesecloth brewing bags, And your plastic long hollow tube to go down to the bottom of your brewing container, and a pot big enough to hold about 3 gallons of the mash.
Buy two five gallons of Water in those big five gallon plastic bottles. You can use this to make your beer with.
Always sterilize your Water before you add your ingredients to it by boiling it at least ten minutes at a simmering boil.
Stay away from Glass bottles! They have a tendency to explode and send glass all over the place!
Start collecting your quart plastic bottles to put your beer into and save the lids - no screw ons! You will need between 30 - 25 of these to put your freshly brewed beer into while it ages. I have used plastic bottles over the last eight years and the beer tasted fantastic!
I have brewed beer for over fifty years and finally gave it up several years ago when I found out that there are over l9,000 different brands and kinds of Beer regularly brewed in the World every year!
Now I buy beer from all over the world and constantly keep about 19 different kinds of beer in my refrigerator at all times.
The most important thing about brewing beer is that you have to have absolutely clean stuff to use at each step of the way!
Good Luck and Good Brewing!
You will have the time of your life!
If you have a brewing supplies store nearby;, head on over. They should have starter equipment kits available. The starter kits have two plastic food grade buckets and all the connectors and hoses you will need to get going. Save your money for the time being a don't get the upgraded kit with the glass carboys (5 gallon glass fermenting containers). This will be a good upgrade to get after you have done a couple of batches. The starter kits should be $50-75.
Also pick up "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing" by Charlie Papazian. It's the homebrewer's bible; very fun to read and it has all the know how you need to get going. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and just about every home brew shop will carry it. The book will run about $9-15.
The brewing supply stores also have starter ingredient kits with everything all measured out for your first five gallon batch. Definately go this route for the first batch (or even the next couple); it's easy and worry free.
Lastly, pick up a 6 or 12 pack of good beer to enjoy while you are brewing up that first batch (but get everything clean before you get tipsy!).
Don't let anyone convince you it's too hard. Have fun!
http://www.cookzon.com/?i=2
Its a messy and smelly process, but pretty fun too. You can get a number of different starter kits at your local brewing store. Start small and see what you like. It definitely better if you have an area to work other than your kitchen, but do what you gotta do.
Here is an interesting article on how the big boys use flow meter technology to control their brewing process.
http://www.sierrainstruments.com/article...