HomeBrew # 4

Some people have jobs. I am not one of these. So why not brew up some beer?

This is batch number 4 for me in beer making. I have learned a lot about some of the things I can do to improve it, and to ruin it.

Previously, I have been making beer from a Mr. Beer kit. I buy the kit with all the parts I need and the beer is "ok" to drink. I did like some of it, especially when I added a little hops to my last batch.

After some reading and a beer making supply store near me called Doc's Cellar , I now am on the road to great beer, or at least good drinkable stuff. The new way I am trying, is the best simple way to brew beer. it is called extract brewing. The old method took only about an hour from start to the fermentor. this new (to me) method requires at least twice that or two hours in production. It should be worth it. Here is what I did...

Check back later for the final results or tasting notes.

Amber Ale: This is a recipe from the now defunct Central Coast Brewery. It has a blend of spicy and floral hop character with a clean finish.

I steeped grains in hot water for 30 minutes (just like tea). These grains impart color and flavor. I took the lid off just for the picture

After removing the grain sack, I added a thick syrup (from the plastic container below), malt extract, to the water. I brought the solution, called wort, to a boil.

Now I added hops, a bittering spice, to the wort and boiled it for 60 minutes. I added a couple of other types of hops at the end of the boil. These are called aroma hops, the type we first smell when we open a beer.

After the boil, I put the pot into an ice bath to cool it for fermentation.

Below is the fermentor container for the beer. On top, a one-way air-lock allows CO2 gas out as it is produced by the yeast.

Below, the fermentor is full and ready for me to add the yeast.

Finally, I take the specific gravity of the wort. This helps me determine when the fermentation is complete and gives an idea of the percent alcohol by volume

Finally, I put the yeast in and put it in a dark cool place for about a week.

After that, I make sure that fermentation is done, then transfer to another container for secondary fermentation. After another week, I'll then bottle the beer, wait a few weeks, then drink it.