Brew Your Own Beer, Save Money & be the most interesting man in America
So, you are considering brewing your own beer or wine or buying a HOMEBREW kit for yourself or as a gift?Homebrew is more popular than ever and is growing in popularity, it costs far less than buying beer and it is fun…therefore we think it is an excellent choice.
Here is what you need to get started;
A complete HOME BREW kit would include; Ingredients, Brew Kettle Kit, Stir Spoon, Brew Paddle, Long Tongs, Corney Keg,Large Funnel, 6 Gallon fermenting bucket and 6 Gallon Dispensing/Bottling Bucket w/ spigot or Glass Carboys,Cooling Coils Fermentation lock, Siphon Tube, Bottle/Growler Filler, Bottle/Carboy Brush, Auto Siphon,Blow-off Hose, Bottle Capper, 48-12oz Empty Bottles, Hydrometer,4oz. Sanitizers, 2oz. PBW Cleaners and instructions (Boiling/Brewing, Moving, Sanitizing, Waiting, Kegging, Bottling).
The Process Of Home Brewing

Brewing; Malt + Hops + Water + Boiling = Wort. (Brew Kettle)

Fermenting; Wort + Yeast + Time = Beer (Carboys or Buckets)

Kegging/Bottling; Flat Beer, Priming Sugar, Time = Carbonated Beer

Boil Clean Filtered water and steep special grain-if included-for 20 minutes or 170°F.
If no special grain is being used, stir in your Malt Extract(s) with heat off to prevent scorching, then heat to a boil and boil for 60 minutes to make your WORT (un-fermented beer).You will boil your WORT for 60 minutes; Add Hops, Flavors and spices at specified times included with your ingredient kit.Avoid Boil-over; do not leave your brew unattended. As you add Flavors and Ingredients it will create froth and if it boils over you will have a very sticky mess!As froth develops, simply reduce the heat and stir.
Now that the 60 minute Boil is complete you are ready to cool; this can be done using cooling coils or cold water bath.Carefully place your kettle in the bath of cool water; if using this method you will need to add ice or replace the water until the kettle is cool down to around 97°.Keep the lid on it! Leave your WORT 99% covered while cooling.
Now you are ready for fermentation. While the WORT is cooling; be sure to sanitize everything the BEER will come in contact with for best results.With your cool WORT and Sanitized Equipment you are now ready to begin the process of fermentation.
Add 2 gallons of cool, filtered water then your COOL WORT and add more cool, filtered water to the pre-marked 5 gallon line of your FERMENTER (Bucket or Carboy),Seal and rock the FERMENTER to aerate and mix the WORT. Now it’s time to "Pitch the yeast!"-add yeast to the WORT. Sprinkle Dry YEAST into CARBOY.Seal the FERMENTER with an AIRLOCK and move to a dark and quiet location.
Within a couple of days, FERMENTATION (The conversion of Malt Sugars to Carbon Dioxide and Alcohol) will begin and you will begin to see foam on the BEER surface and bubbles in the AIRLOCK.
Within a couple of weeks FERMENTATION is complete; signaled by the reduction of the foam and and/or lack of bubbles present in the AIRLOCK.
Fermentation Foam aka Kraeusen: is a sign of healthy FERMENTATION However, Fermentation Foam through the neck is Blow-off and may clog and can be messy.
In order to create an over sized airlock; Use a pre-sanitized BLOW-OFF HOSE and place into your FERMENTER and the other end into a bucket of SANITIZER to allow remaining CO2 gas toescape without allowing Oxygen in and large enough to allow the Kraeusen to escape and keeping everything sanitary.
Now it’s time for Two-Stage Fermentation; this process allows the beer to clarify and sedimentary to settle while the Beer develops its flavor.
Carefully Transfer the beer to a pre-sanitized FIVE GALLON CARBOY without splashing using a Siphon-avoid the bottom by starting high and ending on a tilt.Use a pre-sanitized airlock and allow to rest for a couple weeks.
Bottling; Using pre-sanitized Buckets, Siphons, Caps, Bottles. Mix your priming solution and boil. Let stand for 5 minutes and pour into bottling bucket. Siphon Beer into Bottling Bucket andstir gently. Now attach bottling hose to spigot and begin to bottle by placing filler on bottom of bottle and leaving one inch of head space in the neck of the bottle and cap.Let stand for 1-2 weeks; then it will be ready for the cooler! And your Mug!
Salute!