Home Brew 101

I love to brew beer, it’s one of my hobbies that is relaxing and has so many tasty rewards!!  There are a few ways to brew – extract partial mash or all grain.  I brew mostly all grain, there rarely is a reason for me to use an extract unless I’m making a starter for my yeast, or I want to awaken something in second fermentation, plus all grain is wwwwaaaayyyyyyy cheaper!  What’s that, really tasty cheap beer; does such a fabulous thing exist?  Yep it’s called homebrew. 

Beer is made from 4 basic things grains, water, hops and yeast.  The grains have been malted in order to extract the proper sugars and starches needed to brew.  This is not the barley found on the shelf of the grocery store!  Remember like anything in life; the better the quality ingredients the better your final product will come out!  I’m lucky to have a top notch home brew supply store so close to my home and the guys that run Perfect Brewing Supply in Libertyville, Illinois always help point me in the right direction.  I think that sometimes they wonder where I come up with my crazy beer ideas, hey I’m a chef!!  That translates into crazy, rule breaking, tell me I can’t do that and I will prove you wrong 10 times over.  Who makes rhubarb Belgian wit, or angry ale with a blend of yeasts strains that probably shouldn’t go together?  Yep that’s me and that’s what home brewers do, we help invent the next great batch of beer!

The basic idea of beer is that you steep grains at certain temperatures for extended periods of time like a tea, drain the liquid off and reduce it to a specified amount along with items to clarify and flavor the ”wort” as it is referred to at this stage in beer making.  As you see in the picture the grain is just resting in the liquid, which is drained off and boiled with various flavorings etc…

Boiling the wort with hops and any adjuncts.

The wort just before straining and cooling to 70 degrees in less than 20 minutes.

Before I add the yeast it’s important to boost the oxygen in the wort.  Shaking the beer for 3 minutes will only achieve 8 parts per million, but who wants to shake 5 gallons of liquid for 3 minutes, not me!  If I use my oxygen tank, stone diffuser and some tubing I infuse 15 parts per million in about 45 seconds.

On the left a package of unactivitaed yeast, the packet on the right is ready to go.

Here the wort/yeast mixture has been sealed, fitted with an airlock so co2 escapes and no oxygen can enter.  The wort sits for 5-7 days in temperatures generally between 45-75 degrees where it ferments and becomes beer.  After this first fermentation I have the option to put it into second fermentation & add more flavorings or depending on the type of beer bottle or keg immediately.

 More to come on second fermentation, bottle or keg conditioning, happy brewing!