Basic Beer Making Recipe
Basic Beer Making Recipe
Ingredients:
2 – 3.3 lb. cans Malt Extract (Light, Dark or Amber)
1 lb. Crystal Malt (grain)
1 ½ oz hop pellets
1 pkt. Burton Water Salts
1 muslin straining bag
2 pkgs. yeast
¾ cup priming sugar
Specific gravity: Starting – 1.035-1.040 Finished 1.008-1.012
Equipment needed:
12- 16 qt stainless steel or enameled pot (NO aluminum)
Single stage fermenter (plastic bucket) and 5 gallon glass carboy
Stopper and fermentation lock
Racking tube and siphon hose
Thermometer, hydrometer
Instructions:
1. Crack the crystal grain with a rolling pin, put into the muslin bag and knot the end of the bag. Combine with 1½ gallons of cold water, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes.
2. Remove and discard grain, then add the 2 cans of malt extract, the Burton Water Salts and hops. Bring carefully back to the boil. Do not let boil over, and stir often to avoid burning malt. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil gently for 30 minutes. (Disregard instructions on malt cans).
3. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of B-Brite in 1 gallon of cold water and sanitize all the equipment (plastic bucket, lid, hydrometer, and thermometer). Rinse well with cold water.
4. Remove pot from stove, and place in a bathtub of cold water. Allow to cool for 10 –15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add cooled wort to plastic fermenter containing a few gallons of cold water, then bring volume up to 5 ¼ gallons with more cold water.
6. When the temperature of the wort is between 70-80 F, rehydrate the yeast by adding the yeast packets to ½ cup luke warm water. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then add to the wort and stir vigorously.
7. Take hydrometer reading by immersing it into a small amount of wort. The hydrometer holder will act as a beaker. Fill beaker ¾ full, to be sure hydrometer will float. Read level of wort from the Specific Gravity scale. Starting gravity should be 1.035-1.040.
8. Attach fermentation lock, and fill halfway with water. Fermentation should begin within 24 hours. Try to keep room temperature between 65-70 F. Keep out of direct sun or bright light.
9. Single Stage brewing: Let ferment for 7-10 days. Check hydrometer reading after 7 days. If finished gravity has been reached, prepare to bottle. If it is not finished, replace lid (but not sample), and let sit a day or two longer. Take another reading. Bottle as soon as finished gravity is reached. Two Stage brewing: The plastic bucket is your primary fermenter. Start your beer in this. After 3-4 days, check the hydrometer reading. If it has fallen to half the original reading, sanitize your glass carboy with B-Brite, and siphon the beer into it. DO NOT SPLASH!! Leave the sediment behind in the plastic bucket. In 7-10 days, check the reading again. When the finished gravity is reached, prepare to bottle.
Bottling
Needed:
Plastic bucket with racking set up or bottling kit
2 cases of either 12 oz bottles (24 per case) or 22 oz bottles (12 per case)
Bottle capper and caps
B-Brite
Finished beer and priming sugar
1. Clean and rinse well all equipment and bottles (not caps) with B-Brite.
2. Boil caps in water for 5 minutes.
3. Dissolve priming sugar by heating it in 8 oz water or finished beer.
4. Place finished beer on a counter top or table. Place bottling bucket below on floor. Siphon beer into bottling bucket. Don’t splash. Avoid the sediment on the bottom.
5. Add dissolved priming sugar and stir gently with a sanitized spoon or racking tube. Place primed beer on counter or table.
6. Using bottle filler, siphon into bottles. Seal with caps.
7. Store upright at room temperature for about 2 weeks to allow carbonation to develop. After beer is fully carbonated, it can be stored in a cool place. Beer will continue to improve in flavor for about 3 months, and will remain fresh until it is about 6 months old.