| I would break down brewing beer into 9 steps. Doing | | | | Step 5: Boil |
| these steps takes a total of about 3 to 5 weeks and | | | | Bringing the liquid to a boil will release the flavor of |
| the finished product is a delicious beer that you can | | | | the hops and some of the trapped flavors within the |
| take pride in. Although it may seem hard, the brewing | | | | grains. |
| process is actually quite simple after you have done it | | | | Step 6: Quickly Cool |
| a couple times. It is a lot like cooking but with precise | | | | After you have reached a boil and held it there for a |
| instructions; waiting too long on one step could be | | | | while, you will need to take the wort and quickly cool |
| the determining factor on whether or not your beer | | | | it. I recommend doing this in a nearby sink or bathtub |
| will succeed. | | | | filled with ice. |
| Step 1: Add the Grain | | | | Step 7: Transfer to Fermenter |
| During this step you put grain into a bag and place | | | | Once your wort has cooled in the ice bath, transfer it |
| the bag in water. The amount of grain needed | | | | to a container where it will sit for a couple days to a |
| depends on the beer that you are brewing. | | | | couple weeks. After it is all transferred you will |
| Step 2: Heat | | | | probably add some water to top it off. |
| This is necessary to get some of the flavor of the | | | | Step 8: Add Yeast |
| grains into the liquid. This step only requires you to | | | | The yeast will react during the next week to make |
| heat the mixture to a certain temperature, not to | | | | your beer alcoholic. During this time a lot of foam will |
| boil. You will boil later on in the process. | | | | form. Add the yeast (either liquid or powder) and |
| Step 3: Add Extract | | | | cover the fermenter. |
| For the beginning brewer this extract comes in a | | | | Step 9: Wait |
| syrup form. It, along with the grain, is one of the | | | | It takes a couple of days to a couple of weeks for |
| three ingredients that give your beer a flavor. | | | | the yeast to fully react. After the reactions have |
| Step 4: Add Hops | | | | stopped, you are ready to bottle. |
| Hops is the last thing that gives your beer flavor. It is | | | | Although the list may seem long and incomplete, |
| usually added multiple times during the brewing | | | | these basic steps are present in almost any |
| process. The time that the hops are added along | | | | homebrew. You will probably learn the order of these |
| with the type of hops all are factors that determine | | | | steps after completing your first batch of beer. |
| the taste of your beer. | | | | |
