The Backyard Homestead

by Carleen Madigan

  5. Kilning. To make a dark malt, use a home oven at the lowest setting possible. Spread out the grain on a baking sheet, place the sheet in the oven, and leave the door slightly ajar. It should take about 48 hours to dry 5 pounds of wet malt.

  To make a pale malt, a professional dehydrator with more exact temperature control is recommended.

  6. Roasting. Once the malt has been dried, it can be spread in a ¾-inch layer on a baking sheet and roasted in the oven. All home-roasted grains should be allowed to cool after roasting and stored in a cool, dry place to mellow for five to seven days before brewing.

  Growth of the acrospire

  Roasting times vary according to the kind of malt you’re producing. Here are a few examples:

  Toasted malt. Roast the dry, kilned malt at 350°F (177°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.

  Munich malt. Roast the dry, kilned malt at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes, until it’s lightly toasted.

  Black patent malt. Start with dry, finished malt. Spread the malt very thinly and roast at 350°F (177°C) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning. (A certain amount of smoke in the kitchen is inevitable, however.)

  Basic Homebrew

  Learning a basic recipe is a must and this one is intended to produce a Continental-style lager that will please most palates.

  5 gallons brewing water; 4 gallons chilled, 1 gallon at room temperature

  2 cans (3L to 4 pounds each) unhopped amber malt concentrate

  ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon corn sugar

  1 packet lager yeast

  ½–1 pound crystal malt

  1½–3 ounces hops pellets

  Preparation

  Thorough preparation is essential to the success of any homebrewing effort — it cannot be overstressed. Preparation includes cleaning and sanitizing all equipment and procuring all necessary supplies before beginning. It is best to use baking soda and warm water for cleaning brewmaking equipment, as soap leaves a residue that can harm the beer. Be sure to allocate sufficient time for each step.

  Besides the above ingredients, you’ll need the following equipment:

  • Chlorine sanitizing solution

  • Stockpot

  • Long-handled spoon

  • Grain bag

  • Mason jar

  • Primary fermenter with fermentation lock

  • Aluminum foil

  • Carboy

  • Bottling bucket

  • Bottles

  Basic Brewing Ingredients

  • Water. 5 gallons. Bottled springwater or tap water that is preboiled may be used. Boil 6 gallons of tap water, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and let cool. Siphon the water into sanitized containers. For most types of beer, a pH of 5.0 to 5.5 is best; adding gypsum or Burton Water Salts will lower the pH of brewing water. Burton Water Salts also treats water with minerals for optimal beermaking.

  • Malt concentrate. 6 to 8 pounds of malt concentrate, a molasses-like syrup made from malted barley sugar. Available in amber, dark, and light.

  • Hops. 1½ to 3 ounces of hops pellets, depending on desired bitterness. Hops is an herb that flavors the beer.

  • Yeast. Brewer’s yeast, available in dry and liquid form, usually comes in amounts that are right for one batch.

  • Crystal malt. Toasted, malted barley for imparting a mellow flavor.

  • Corn sugar. A small amount of corn sugar to add at bottling time to produce carbonation.

  Brew Talk

  Pitch. To add yeast to the wort to begin the fermentation process.

  Prime. The process of adding sugar or malt extract to beer at bottling to induce carbonation.

  Rack. The process of siphoning unfinished homebrew from the primary fermentation vessel to the secondary fermentation vessel or bottling bucket.

  Wort. Brewing liquid, steeped with malt and flavorings, before fermentation; pronounced “wert.”

  1. Prepare chlorine sanitizing solution according to package instructions, or use homemade solution. Plastic items should be dipped into the solution but should not be allowed to soak; they may pick up and transmit an unpleasant chlorine taste. All items should be rinsed three times in very hot tap water after being sanitized.

  2. Wash the stockpot and the spoon. These need not be sanitized, because they will be in contact with only the boiling wort.

  3. Wash and sanitize the Mason jar and a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the mouth of the jar. Rinse, and then let the jar drain by placing it upside down on clean paper towels.

  4. Wash and sanitize the primary fermenter, its lid, and the fermentation lock.

  Steeping and Primary Fermentation

  It is a good idea to read and understand all these steps before you begin to work. They will take you from preparation of the yeast through the start of the fermentation process.

  1. Have the 4 gallons of chilled brewing water ready. Pour the remaining gallon into the stockpot.

  2. To prepare the yeast: In a small saucepan, measure 2¼ cups of the brewing water. Heat it to steaming. Add 1 tablespoon of the malt concentrate and 1 level tablespoon of the corn sugar; stir until dissolved. Increase heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool until lukewarm.

  3. Pour the mixture into the sanitized Mason jar. Add the yeast; gently swirl the jar to mix. Cover the jar with aluminum foil; set aside.

  4. Heat the water in the stockpot until it is steaming but not quite boiling. Meanwhile, pour the crystal malt into the grain bag; tie it off to prevent spillage, then lower the bag into the stockpot. The crystal malt will begin to flavor the water and prepare the grain for cooking. Remove the stockpot from the heat; remove the grain bag and set it in a clean container.

  Step 4

  5. Add the remaining malt concentrate to the hot water. Stir until it is dissolved.

  6. Return the stockpot to high heat; heat the mixture until it is almost boiling. Return the grain bag to the hot mixture. Stir frequently but gently.

  7. Vigorously pour the 4 gallons of chilled brewing water into the primary fermenter. (Vigorous pouring will aerate the water.) Cover the fermenter.

  8. When the mixture in the stockpot is heated almost to boiling, remove from heat and transfer the grain bag to the primary fermenter.

  9. Stir the grain bag and the water briefly; replace the cover. Add the hops pellets to the hot mixture in the stockpot; stir. Return the pot to high heat; stir frequently.

  Read this paragraph carefully.

  Now that all the ingredients have been added to the stockpot and the grain bag has been removed, you will bring the mixture to a boil. As the mixture approaches boiling, a froth will form on the surface. When it reaches the boiling point, it will vigorously foam to as much as twice its normal volume. This foaming is the reason for using such a large pot for what seems to be such a relatively small amount of liquid. An over-flow of hot foam can scald you badly on contact; at best, it will make a sweet foamy mess all over your stove.

  After foam-up occurs, the froth will die down of its own accord and the liquid will maintain a rolling boil. Stir occasionally during this time. Let it boil about 20 minutes from foam-up.

  10. After 20 minutes of boiling, remove the pot from the heat. Let the mixture cool in the pot until the outside of the pot feels cool. You can hasten this step by placing the pot in a sink full of cold water, being careful not to let any of the sink water get into the pot. As the mixture is cooling, remove the grain bag from the fermenter and discard the grain. Clean the grain bag immediately in warm water; it can be reused almost indefinitely.

  11. When the outside of the pot feels cool, dry the outside and pour the mixture into the water in the fermenter. The mixture should not be stone-cold, but if it is too warm, the heat will kill the yeast preparation. Stir the contents (now called the wort) of the fermenter to mix well.

  12. By this time, the yeast preparation in the Mason jar should be actively working. Swirl the jar gently and carefully pour the preparation into the wort. Cover the
fermenter. Put the fermentation lock in place, following directions for its proper use.

  Air Is the Enemy

  Remember that in brewing, air is the enemy. Once the wort is in the fermenter, a delicate process is taking place. Living yeast is consuming sugar and producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The environment in the fermenter is the perfect place for this to happen. It is vital to keep aeration of the fermenting wort to a minimum. Whenever you move, siphon, skim, stir, or otherwise disturb the process (as you sometimes must), take care to cause the least possible agitation. Fermenting beer is a living thing — nurture it.

  Step 12

  13. Place the fermenter in a location that maintains a fairly constant temperature of about 65 to 70°F (18 to 21°C). When yeast becomes active, move the fermenter to a cooler (45 to 50°F [7 to 10°C]) location. Note: When making ale, do not move the fermenter to a cooler location.

  14. The time that the wort will spend in the fermenter in its primary fermentation will depend largely on ambient temperature and on such conditions as initial water temperature and the type of yeast used. After as little as two days or as many as seven, the foam head on top of the wort will collapse and the top of the wort will be visible. (Resist the temptation to lift the lid and examine the wort too often. Any opening of the lid invites the invasion of unwanted microorganisms that can spoil the beer. The bubbling of outgoing carbon dioxide through the fermentation lock will let you know that things are progressing well.) When the bubbling slows to one bubble every 90 seconds, it is time to siphon the wort into the glass carboy.

  Secondary Fermentation

  The second fermentation will take longer than the first and will complete the principal production of alcohol in the wort. It will also contribute much of the flavor and character to the beer. The steps to accomplish the second fermentation are very simple, but you must follow them carefully so as not to spoil the wort.

  1. Wash the carboy thoroughly, sanitize it with a chlorine solution, and rinse it thoroughly with hot water three times. Wash, sanitize, and rinse the carboy’s fermentation lock, rubber stopper, and siphoning tube.

  2. Use the siphoning tube to transfer the wort between fermenters. To do this, set the primary fermenter on a surface above the carboy.

  3. Start the siphon: Fill the tube completely with water, using your thumbs to seal the ends of the tube. While holding your thumb over one end of the tube, place the other end into the fermenter. Let the water flow into a catch container. When beer starts to flow out of the tube, stop the end again, using your thumb.

  Step 4

  4. Insert the tube into the carboy, with the end of the tube at the bottom of the carboy. Release your thumb and let the flow resume.

  5. It will take several minutes for the wort to flow from the fermenter into the carboy. During this time, hold the tube in the fermenter as steadily as possible to prevent bubbles or agitation. Channeling the wort against the side of the carboy helps.

  6. When you begin to hear sucking noises from the inflow of the tube, stop the siphon and remove the siphon hose.

  7. If necessary, add brewing water to the carboy until the top of the wort is about 1 inch below the lip of the carboy. Insert the rubber stopper (which should not touch the wort) and fermentation lock into the top of the carboy right away.

  8. Place the carboy in a location with a steady temperature of 40 to 50°F (4 to 10°C) and minimal light exposure. (You can cover it with a lightproof cover, such as a coat or black plastic bag.)

  9. Leave the carboy undisturbed and listen for the bubbles through the fermentation lock. These will occur less frequently than during the primary fermentation, but they will come.

  10. Thoroughly wash the siphon hose and the fermenter. These need not be sanitized at this time, but they must be kept clean. They will be used again before you are done.

  11. The secondary fermentation will take anywhere from two to six weeks. It is complete when bubbles have just about stopped rising to the top of the wort and a 1/8-inch-wide ring of bubbles has formed at the surface.

  12. You should wait at least one week after secondary fermentation is done to let the sediment settle, and you may wait an additional week to suit your convenience.

  13. During this waiting period, make sure that all of your bottling supplies and equipment are ready. It’s best to thoroughly wash the bottles well in advance, so that they are ready to be sanitized and rinsed right before they are needed for bottling.

  Where Do I Get That?

  Equipment and ingredients for beermaking are often available in home wine and beer supply stores; check your local Yellow Pages under “Brewing Supplies” or “Winemaking Supplies.” You may also obtain information about brewing and supplies from the Home Wine & Beer Trade Association (see Resources, page 340).

  Many homebrewers learn more about making beer by joining a homebrew club. Ask about clubs when you visit a local supplier, or contact the Brewers Association (see Resources, page 340).

  Too Many Bubbles?

  Excessive carbonation occurs for many reasons: The fermentation temperature may have been too low, there may not have been enough fermentation time, or there may have been too much corn sugar in the bottling process, for example. Most of the time, the worst that happens is that the beer has too much foam, and you’ll have to wait a little longer than usual for the foam to die down in the glass before you drink. The beer isn’t ruined.

  Bottling and Storage

  It’s no secret — bottling beer is tedious. Enlist a friend to help and to keep you company. Be sure to read this section through entirely before starting any of the following procedures. Practice the bottling procedure with water in the fermenter before you actually attempt to bottle beer. It can be a bit tricky, and it is better to learn on water than to waste beer.

  1. If you haven’t already, thoroughly wash the bottles and make sure that the other supplies and ingredients are ready. Have corn sugar at hand, the bottling bucket clean, the bottle caps ready, and the siphon tube and filler wand clean. Make sure that the bottle capper has been adjusted to the proper setting, so that the caps crimp properly onto the bottles; practice on some empties.

  2. Sanitize and rinse three times with hot tap water everything that will come into contact with the beer: the bottling bucket, the siphon hose, the stainless-steel spoon, the bottle caps, and the bottles.

  3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of water. When it is steaming, dissolve ½ cup of corn sugar in it; bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and let cool.

  4. Siphon the beer out of the carboy into the bottling bucket, leaving the sediment behind. Try to aerate the beer as little as possible.

  5. Gently pour the cool sugar solution into the beer in the bottling bucket. Slowly and without agitation, stir to mix thoroughly.

  6. Place the bucket on a surface above the one on which the bottles will rest as they fill. Some spillage is inevitable, so choose your location carefully. Clean the area thoroughly.

  7. Think through steps 8 through 11 and plan how to most efficiently and quickly accomplish them in your work area.

  8. Sanitize the bottling bucket spigot. Attach the tube to the spigot; attach the filler wand to the other end of the tube.

  9. Open the spigot to start the beer flowing.

  10. Position a bottle and place the filler wand down to the bottom of the bottle. Press the wand gently against the bottom of the bottle and let beer flow in until it reaches the mouth of the bottle. Lift up the wand to stop the flow of beer. As you remove the wand from the bottle, the level of the beer in the bottle will drop down to the appropriate height.

  11. Place a bottle cap over the mouth of the bottle and position it in the capper. Press down on the handle of the capper until the cap is firmly sealed on the bottle. Set aside the full bottle.

  12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 with the remaining bottles.

  13. Thoroughly wash all of the equipment you have used and store it in a clean,
dry place. You will get years of use out of most of the gear if it is properly maintained.

  14. Once the beer is bottled, it should be stored for six weeks before tasting. You may want to label and date the beer. Wipe dry the full bottles; place them upright in crates. Put the crates in a cool, dark place.

  15. During storage, the little remaining yeast is processing the corn sugar that you added at bottling and producing a little more alcohol and carbon dioxide. This carbonates the beer so that it will foam when you open it. After six weeks, the beer is ready to taste. It will improve even more over time, but it is ready for a first taste now.

  Yield: About 48 bottles

  Serving Beer

  Do not chill the beer too much. If you intend your beer to resemble bottled beer of a German or other European sort, naturally you will refrigerate it. Just don’t make it icy cold, or you won’t taste it properly.

  If you have an English ale flavor in mind, you may not want to refrigerate it at all. If you can store your ale at cellar temperature, about 55 to 60°F (13 to 16°C), you will find that the lack of chill enhances the ale taste.

  Use a large, uncolored beer glass or mug. Tilt the glass slightly and pour the beer gently down the side. Pour in one smooth, continuous motion without stopping. Continue to pour until you see sediment approach the mouth of the bottle. At that point, stop pouring.

  If you are tasting a six-week-old beer for the first time, the richer, fuller complexities of the hops will not yet have matured. After the first bottle, put away the rest for a couple of months. You’ll be pleased at how much it improves.

  Fresh Hop Ale

  This recipe uses fresh hops, right off the vine. Fresh hops should be used only for aroma or dry hopping, since their full flavor and bitterness are developed in the drying process. The rule of thumb is to use six times the amount of fresh hops as dry.