The basic equipment that you will need for home brewing your beer includes a basic home brewing kit, a stainless steel enameled pot large enough to hold up to three gallons of liquid and a long stirring spoon. The brewing process actually is made up of a couple of steps.



The first step is mashing, which involves crushing and soaking the malt in warm water to create an extract of the malt, after which the whole thing is left at constant temperature for the enzymes to convert the starches into fermentable sugar. For more details www.dishadvice.com Sparging, the next method, involves getting the darker heavy liquid called the wort. The wort is then boiled to remove excess water and microorganisms and hops are added. Fermentation follows, which may be done once or twice depending on the method you use. Finally, when fermentation is done, the beer may either be bottled directly or added more carbon dioxide through force carbonation.

You can opt to make your beer according to three ways: the single stage method, the two stage method, and the blow by blow method. All these techniques have their advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to discover which style you can work with the best.

In the single stage method the beer stays in one bucket during the entire fermentation process at a temperature range of 65-75F, and should be bottled immediately after fermentation is over. The whole process takes about 5 to 7 days. The beer tends to carry with it the unsavory flavors of the sediment if not bottled immediately, and although this is harmless, it is up to you if you want the smell of yeast, hop pellets and other by products of boiling in your beer.

The Two stage method uses a primary fermenter; the initial fermentation is very active and takes 3 days, after which the beer is siphoned off to another fermenter made of glass; the second stage is usually done at a lower temperature. The advantage of this method is that the beer can stay in the fermenter until you are ready to bottle it.

The blow by blow method uses a glass fermenter (called a carboy) along with a three or four foot long hose about one inch in diameter. For more details www.camping-outdoors-recipes.com The beer is poured into the carboy and the hose fitted to it. To form a tight air-seal the other end of the hose goes into a small bucket of water. The active fermentation goes through the hose and into the bucket. When fermentation is done, the hose is removed, a stopper and air-lock is attached and the beer is bottled.