| Homemade beer is the best beer in the world, by | | | | advice and go for the large, 22 oz. Bottles, as this |
| far. Have you ever tasted anybody's homebrew? | | | | is less bottling work. You will need 6 total gallons |
| If you have, you probably thought it was darn | | | | of starting water with about 2.5 gallons chilled in a |
| good. Let me tell you that when it is your own, it | | | | sealed container. The plastic bucket should be a 6 |
| is even better. In fact, it is incomparable to | | | | gallon size. Over half a gallon of water will |
| anything else on the planet. | | | | evaporate while you are brewing. |
| I am a beer lover and long-time homebrewer. | | | | Here is what you do: |
| There is no other hobby that is as satisfying as | | | | 1. Boil 3.5 gallons of water with 6 pounds of malt |
| this one. I have entered many, many | | | | extract for one hour, adding an ounce of hops at |
| homebrewing competitions and have won lots of | | | | the beginning of the boil, some more hops after |
| blue ribbons for my beers, including at my local | | | | 45 minutes, and some more hops when you turn |
| County Fair (which is a huge one). In fact I had so | | | | off the heat. Cool the pot in the sink by running |
| many ribbons that I finally threw them all away | | | | water around it. Sanitize your bucket fermenter |
| and stopped entering competitions. Now I just | | | | with a shot of bleach mixed into it full of water. |
| brew what I like and drink it while browsing the | | | | Let that sit for a few minutes with the airlock and |
| internet or watching television with my wife. Yep, | | | | rubber stopper then pour out over the inside part |
| life is good for homebrewers. | | | | of the bucket lid and rinse everything that the |
| Listen, anyone can make beer on their stove - | | | | bleach solution touched withhot water. |
| and I mean really, really good beer. You don't | | | | 2. Put the chilled 2.5 gallons of water in the bucket |
| have to take it to the level that I did. If you | | | | first, then pour the brew from the pot on top of |
| enjoy beer one-tenth as much as I do, then I | | | | it. Do not stir. Add the yeast and seal the lid tight |
| highly recommend that you at least make one | | | | on the bucket and put the airlock in the stopper |
| batch in your lifetime, just so you can say you did | | | | and the stopper in the lid-hole. Put water in the air |
| it. Having brewed a batch a beer changes a | | | | lock. After a day or two the airlock will start |
| person, for the better, and forever. You will then | | | | bubbling. |
| be one of my brethren. | | | | 3. After a couple weeks its time to bottle the |
| You are going to need some simple pieces of | | | | beer. Boil 3/4 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water |
| equipment: A large pot to brew in, a big | | | | and add it to your bucket of beer. You can |
| food-grade plastic bucket with a lid to ferment in, | | | | sanitize a measuring cup with hot water, or just |
| a small plastic "airlock" and rubber stopper that | | | | put it through the dishwasher with heated drying |
| goes into a hole in the bucket lid, bottles and caps, | | | | on. Scoop out the beer with the measuring cup |
| and a basic bottlecap crimping tool. It also helps to | | | | and fill the bottles leaving 1" of space in them. |
| have something to stir with; a big wooden spoon | | | | Crimp the caps on and store the bottles in a cool |
| will do nicely. | | | | dark area for two weeks. Clean everything. |
| There are only four ingredients in beer: water, | | | | 4. After two weeks put some bottles in the |
| malt, hops, and yeast. Malt refers to malted | | | | fridge and enjoy. |
| barley - for your first batch you will simply use | | | | Most of brewing is cleaning and sanitation. |
| packaged "malt extract." Hops are best purchased | | | | Everything that comes into contact with your |
| in pellet form; they look like rabbit food. A | | | | unfermented beer, and even on bottling day after |
| package of dry brewers yeast costs about one | | | | it has fermented, must be sanitized. A small |
| dollar. Water can come from any source, but at | | | | shotglass of household bleach mixed with 5-6 |
| least two gallons of it needs to be sanitized. | | | | gallons of water makes an effective sanitizing |
| Those 2.5 gallon water vessels from the market | | | | solution, given 5-10 minutes of contact time. |
| work nicely. | | | | Don't forget to tell me when the beer is ready to |
| Homebrew is typically made in 5 gallon batches. | | | | drink. If I live in a nearby state, I just may come |
| This will fill two cases worth of bottles. Take my | | | | over and taste it with you. |