| Making beer at home uses the same chemistry and | | | | fermeter is a 2-5 gallon glass or plastic container with |
| principals that a micro or commercial brewery would | | | | a vented lid preventing air borne bacteria and mold |
| use. Follow these simple steps with slight | | | | spores from entering the liquid brew, but also allowing |
| modifications for your beer kit, and you'll be drinking | | | | the gasses that are produced escape from the |
| home brew in 2 weeks! Typically home made beer is | | | | fermenter so that it doesn't build up gas pressure |
| brewed in batches of 2-5 gallons at a time. You can | | | | and explode |
| start your fermenting process tonight, let the wort | | | | Step 3 is bottling your beer! It takes place after a |
| ferment for a week and then bottle this first batch. | | | | week or so of fermentation during which time the |
| that very same night, you can brew up another wort | | | | sugars and yeast from the original wort have run |
| to start fermenting. In this way, you can always | | | | their course, producing alcohol as a byproduct. The |
| have fresh new brews ready to go for bottling and | | | | higher the sugar content in the wort, the more |
| drinking. | | | | alcohol will be produced. However, at this stage, the |
| The first step is brewing the wort. This is can be | | | | beer is "flat" with no bubbles...remember that we had |
| done entirely from scratch on your stovetop, or you | | | | to vent the gasses from the fermenter during the |
| can buy a starter can of "pre-hopped" malt (more | | | | previous step. |
| about this later) to speed the process and make it a | | | | When we bottle the beer, a small amount of sugar is |
| little less messy. At the end of this step, you'll have | | | | added to each bottle and the fermented wort is |
| the foundation of your future brew. Using a sterilized | | | | siphoned off into each bottle which is then capped |
| scoop or spoon, pour a little into a glass and let it | | | | and allowed to rest for another week or more. |
| cool down. Take a sip...can you taste the future? | | | | During this time the remaining yeast produces more |
| The next step is to transfer the wort into the | | | | carbon dioxide bubbles...these are the bubbles that |
| fermenter. A fermenter has a few pieces to it that | | | | are released when the bottle is opened producing |
| you can assemble separately, or buy as a ready to | | | | that nice foamy head and helping a fresh cold beer |
| assemble kit like the Mr. Beer fermenter. The | | | | feel great when it hits your lips and tongue. |
