How can you make home make beer and can you make it more then oneway?!
How can you make home make beer and can you make it more then oneway?
Answers: By German definition, beer is made of exactly 4 fundamental ingredients - Barley, Hops, Water and Yeast. If it does not have all of these it isn't beer. In the general definition, it can have MORE ingredients besides these that add flavor, body, etc.
There are many ways to "make" it. I'll assume you are asking about HOW procedurally to make it, not how many recipes (there are thousands).
From easy to hard:
- "No boil" kits - they contain all the ingredients you need. Mix up and ferment. The down side is low quality beer, high risk of spoilage due to bacteria. (MrBeer.com)
- Extract Kit - They contain all the ingredients. They require mixing the ingredients with 2 - 3 gallons water, possibly steeping some ingredients just like a tea bag, and boiling. Boiling improves flavor and sterilizes the beer, greatly reducing the chance of contamination. This needs a good heat source (stove is OK, propane turkey fryer is ideal) and a 3 - 5 gallon pot.
- Mashing - This involves "soaking" cracked grains with hot water at very controlled temperature (i.e. 150 degrees ples or minus 1/2 degree), draining, rinsing, etc. and then boiling. This requires additional equipment, time and knowledge.
Best bet for a beginner is an extract kit from an online retailer. Most people who buy Mr Beer are so disappointed they think homebrewing is a waste, but it's really crappy Mr Beer. You can buy everything you need from a homebrew specialty shop in your area or online. A local shop will be a great resource in getting you started.
Sanitation (boiling, cleaning) is key to producing contamination free homebrew. Easy to do, but you have to think about it each step of the way.
15 year homebrewer Source(s):
Great source for starter kits:
www.austinhomebrew.com
www.williamsbrewing.com