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Brewing Ingredients
Barley is the principle source of
fermentable sugar in making beer. Other
sugars derived from corn, rice and wheat are used but they are considered
to be adjuncts or additives to the barley base. The barley plant
comes in two types; two row and six row. These terms refer to the
number of individual grains on each barley stalk. Two row barley
tends to have plumper grains and less husk per weight of starch.
Six row barley, because of the lower starch to husk ratio will yield less
sweet extract per pound of grain, but is preferred for some beer styles
for technical reasons.
Malted barley
is a naturally processed form of barley. The grain is steeped in
water and allowed to begin sprouting. This germination creates enzymes
which are required to convert starch to fermentable sugar later in the
brewing process. The extent of germination is referred to as modifying.
The longer the germination the higher the modification. Germination
is stopped by drying the grain. There are a variety of malting and
drying methods used. Each lends it’s own characteristics to the final
malted barley. They range from complete to light air dried to roasted.
The combining of different malt varieties into formulas or recipes is where
brewing begins. These formulas are called grain bills. The
grain bill will determine three important factors, for the finished beer
among others. Color, potential alcohol and sweetness.
Mashing is the first step in brewing.
The malted grains are crushed in a mill which is designed to crack the
hard starch center of the grain while keeping the husk as whole as possible.
The crushed grain is called grist. The grain must be crushed in order
to aid the conversion of starch to sugar. The idea is to provide
as much surface area as possible for the enzymes, which were developed
by malting, to attack the starch. Mashing is a highly controlled
process of heat, time and moisture. The crushed grain is combined
with hot water and held at specific temperatures for set amounts of time.
There are three main types of mashing. Single infusion, step infusion
and decoction. Each method has its place in brewing different beer
styles. More details on mashing are presented in more advanced classes.
Sparging is the next step in brewing. The results
of the mashing process are rinsed to wash the converted sugar away from
the husk and into the brew kettle. Sparging is a process which allows
fresh, temperature controlled water called sparge water to slowly trickle
through the mash grain bed. This is done in a brewing vessel called
a lauter tun. The lauter tun is a container which is fitted with
a false bottom. The false bottom prevents the grain from plugging
the outlet while allowing the sweet liquor to flow freely. The sweet
liquor draining from the lauter tun is called runnings or run off.
The first runnings tend to be cloudy with husk material and are re-circulated
back through the grain bed. The husks act as a filter and help clarify
the run off. The collected runnings are now called malt extract.
Malt in concentrated form makes
the homebrewer’s life a lot easier. All of the processing described
so far is performed for us. Plain malt extract is simply the results
of the mashing and sparging process with most of the water removed. Extract
syrups in cans contain about 15% water and remain fresh for 18 to 24
months. Dry malt extract,
sometimes called DME, contain less than 3% moisture and can be properly
stored for up to 4 years. Plain Extracts are available in four basic
colors. Extra light, light, amber and dark. As we have learned,
the color of the extract comes from the grain bill. When selecting
a malt extract there are some basic rules. They are origin, color
and fermentability. My guidelines for new beer formulation are; Origin:
Select a malt extract which was produced to match the beer you are making.
German malt extract for German beer. English malt extract for English
ales. Color: The homebrewing process will tend to darken the
color of the finished beer slightly due to caramelization of sugars in
the brew pot. Fermentability: Dry malt extract from the US
and England tend to be more fermentable than those from continental Europe.
English DME will provide less body and a dryer finish in the beer while
European DME will give the beer more body and malt character.
These guidelines are only a starting point in formulation.
It can take a few batches to fine tune the finished beer and it is not
uncommon to wind up with a recipe that defies all three rules.
Hops
are a flower which was introduced to brewing about 1000 years ago but have
only been in common use for 200 years. The fact that hops are flowers
tells us everything we need to know about handling them. Hops are
delicate and impart the necessary bitterness required to balance the sweetness
of the malt. They provide the spice flavor in beer and the aroma
which prepares the taste buds via the nose. While color is the most
obvious beer style characteristic; bitterness, flavor and aroma, provide
the primary distinction between beer styles. There is a large selection
of hop varieties to choose from. Most are available in whole, pellet
and leaf forms. Pellets are preferred by most brewers because they
are most predictable. The bitterness, flavor and aroma of hops are
released into the wort through boiling. The timing of additions of
hops to the wort is called a hopping schedule. The amount of bitterness
imparted to the wort in called utilization. There are four basic
classifications of hop use. Bittering, flavoring, finishing and dry
hopping. These terms refer to how the selected hop variety is used.
Bittering hops are added to the boil for their bittering
potential only. They contribute very little hop flavor and aroma.
The bitterness utilized from the hops is a function of time and the total
available bittering power in the hops.
Flavor and aroma hops are added to the wort during to
final 15 to 5 minutes of boiling time. This is done to season the
wort without boiling off all of the hop flavor and aroma. The shorter
the time the greater the aroma.
Yeast is the secret to making beer.
You cannot make beer without it. The world is full of yeast but brewer’s
yeast is special in that it is cultured specific for brewing.
The complex flavors of beer come from the type of yeast used. Brewer’s
yeast has two classifications. Ale yeast and lager yeast.
Lager yeast is characterized as bottom-fermenting.
This means that it sinks during active fermentation. Lager yeast
is most active at lower temperatures and prefers a climate of 40 degrees
to 50 degrees F. Most homebrewers find it difficult to maintain this
temperature over the course of fermentation making lager a more difficult
style to brew. The exception to this is California Steam Beer (Anchor
Steam) which uses lager yeast fermented at ale temperatures.
Ale yeast is characterized as top-fermenting. This
means that it creates a great foaming mass that floats on top of the wort
during active fermentation. Ale yeast prefers a warmer 55 degrees
to 65 degrees F climate. This warmer temperature makes ale yeast
the most popular with homebrewers.
Liquid yeast is
available in pure cultures designed for making specific beer styles.
Liquid yeast will require much more TLC from the homebrewer but will also
make better beer.
Dry yeast is a dehydrated
form of either ale or lager yeast. It is the most common and most
convenient form available to the homebrewer.
THE
BREWING PROCESS
Homebrewing is a sequence of steps
designed to get from point A to point Beer in as straight a line as possible.
Much like taking a business trip rather than a vacation. You want
there to be as few interruptions and side trips as possible. You
must be aware that there are many physical and chemical interactions required
to make beer but, you do not need to fully understand them. Just
know that they are there and never assume that an ingredient or process
step given in a recipe is optional. The rule to avoiding an unruly
brew is plan, prepare, brew.
Planning your brew day starts
with reading the recipe and instructions a few times well in advance of
brewing. If your instructions are not in the form of a check list
you should prepare step by step work sheet for yourself. Make notes
and reminders to yourself. If you don’t understand something get
help. Your own brewer’s note book will become the best text book
on brewing available because it is custom designed for your brewery.
Prepare to brew as if you were about to present a cooking show on TV.
Have everything ready and in sequence of use. Prepare the brewery
first. For most of us this means clean the kitchen. Put things
away so you have the space needed to work efficiently. Your ingredients
should be pre-measured and close at hand. Your equipment should be
washed and rinsed, then rinsed again. We will sanitize
later in the process. Set your equipment close to the stove.
Equipment used in homebrewing is not all that specialized. We will
discuss each item as we use them. You will have to add a few household
items to the basic brewing setup. You will need a brew
pot,
brew spoon, clean kitchen towels,
two heavy pot holders and a measuring teaspoon. Brew
pots are nothing more than stock pots. The best are made of stainless
steel. Aluminum will react with the acidic wort and may give your
beer an odd flavor. It will hold at least 12 quarts of water.
Brew spoons can be stainless steel or heavy plastic but should not be wood
or aluminum. The spoon will not spend much time in your beer but
it will only take a second for unwanted bacteria to replace the flavors
you want with some truly awful stuff. Your spoon must be long enough
to reach the bottom of the brew pot without your hand going below the rim.
This will also avoid burning your fingers. Kitchen towels
must be clean and are used on your hands only. All equipment should
be air dried. Pot holders are necessary because there
will come a point in the brewing process when we will need to move the
hot brew pot. Remember that safety is always first.
Water is mostly beer, or is it, beer is mostly water? As you learn more
about brewing you will find that water
chemistry is very important and has a primary influence on beer flavor.
The mineral content of water is described as hardness and softness.
The distinctive classic beer styles of the world are the result of the
local water supply. These range from the hardness of the water at
Burton On Trent, home of Bass Ale to the softness of the water used to
make classic Pilsners like Pilsen Urqual. Local tap water is fine
as long as it is allowed to sit for at least 24 hours. This will
allow the chlorine to dissipate. Chlorine in beer tastes sour.
If your water supply is filtered all the better but beware that yeast require
minerals usually found in water. If you have any concerns about your
water supply you should use bottled spring water from the grocery store.
It is a good choice because it should not contain excessive minerals or
treatment chemicals. Remember, most of your beer is water and quality
should never be in question. The best way to sanitize water is by
boiling.
Sanitizing
your equipment is the most important part of homebrewing. The best
equipment,
recipe
and ingredients will make truly awful beer
if proper cleaning and handling are not observed. Do not take short
cuts. As a brewer, you are creating a micro ecology in which the
only living thing should be the brewer’s yeast. While absolute sterilization
is beyond the homebrew’s ability, it should always be the objective.
When mixing
sanitation chemicals
you must follow all of the specifications and safety notices provided with
the sanitation product. More is not better! Mix the chemicals exactly
as instructed. Many homebrewers use chlorine bleach to sanitize.
While chlorine is an excellent sanitizer it also requires thorough rinsing.
This rinsing actually contaminates the sterile surface. Easy
Clean sanitizer is a better choice. These are chemicals which
sanitize on contact and dissipates as the surface dries.
Safety must be observed at all times. You will be working with sanitizing
chemicals, glass containers and boiling water. Think then do, think
then move, never pick anything up before you know where you will put it
down. Know where your pot holders are at all times. Never...
never, put boiling water in a glass
container. Keep children and pets away from the brewing area.
Let’s Brew. Place
your brewing water in the brew pot to the level that suits the equipment
being used and turn the heat on high. Cover the brew pot and wait
for the water to boil. This can take some time depending on the volume
of water and your stove. Since a watched pot never boils, this is
a good time to review any information which is supplied with the beer kit.
Remember that you must follow the instructions given with the kit in order
to create the beer style you have selected. You should save the beer
kit instruction for future reference. You will want to keep track
of the kits you use in order to reproduce those recipes you like best.
Steeping malted grain is the simplest
way to improve an extract based beer. While malt extracts make homebrewing
easy, the processing necessary to produce them unavoidably causes some
character loss in the malt. By adding crushed grains to the brew
pot some of that character is restored. Steeping grain also provides
certain yeast nutrients which are important to fermentation. A disposable
steeping
bag is the easiest way to add grain to the brew pot without creating
a mess. Place the grain into the bag and tie off the open end.
Place the grain into the brew pot when you turn on the heat. Give
it a few pokes with your spoon to help wet the grain. Occasionally
push the grain around gently as the pot heats up. It is very important
that you do not allow the water to boil with the grain in it. Watch
the pot, and just before boiling breaks out remove the grain bag with a
strainer and allow it to drain back into the pot. Do not squeeze
the bag. All we want is the free flowing water.
Malt
extract syrup is very thick and can be difficult to pour from the tin.
While you are waiting for the brew pot to boil you can help the extract
along. Locate a pan that fits the tin of extract well. Remove
the label from the tin of malt extract. Place the tin into the pan
and add water until there is about 1.5 inches of space left at the top.
Remove the tin and place the pan on the stove. Heat the water until
it is almost boiling then turn off the heat. Open the tin with a
very clean can opener. Remove the lid and discard. You don’t
want it falling into the brew. Place the can into the hot water bath
and let it sit until the brew pot is ready. Now that
your brew water is at a rolling boil, turn it off. That’s right,
turn it off. This is very important. The malt extracts we are
about to add to the brew pot are very, very thick and will sink right to
the bottom of the pot. If the heat is left on while you are dissolving
the extract into the water the extract will begin to caramelize.
This will darken the color of your beer and add caramel flavors which may
not be appropriate to the style of beer you are making. Use a pot
holder to remove the tin of extract syrup from the hot water bath.
Set the tin on the counter and carefully wipe off the hot water.
If you don’t the water will soak through your pot holder and you will drop
the tin into the brew. Carefully pick up the tin and gently stir
the brew pot as you pour in the extract syrup. It will pour slowly
because it is so thick. Use your spoon to help it along. You
can add hot water to the extract can with your spoon and stir it up a little.
You want to get most of the extract but don’t worry about getting every
drop.
Dry malt extracts
will react with moisture as soon as it is exposed to the air. The
steam from your brew pot will cause the extract to clump up and stick to
the packaging it came in. On the other side of things, dry extract
is a very fine powder and will turn into a great dust cloud if given the
opportunity. Hold the bag of extract by two corners and shack it
down so you can cut the entire top off of the bag. Use both hands
to pour the malt into the brew pot as quickly as possible.
Mixing in the malt is very important. Stir the brew pot until the
extract is completely dissolved then turn the heat back on. Leave
the pot partially covered, about half way. This will help it to return
to a rolling boil. Stir occasionally until the wort returns to a
boil. As the wort returns to a boil your brew pot is going to take
on an aggressive personality. The wort will try it’s best to get
out of the pot. This will only happen if you are not looking at it.
Be prepared to adjust the heat and knock down the foam until the wort settles
into a rolling boil.
Hopping the beer is the next step.
While you wait for the wort to boil, prepare the hops for addition.
A disposable hopping bag is the easiest way to control hops. This
is a muslin sack which can be tied off at both ends with the hops inside.
Be sure that there is enough room inside the bag for the hops to expand.
We want to expose the hops to as much of the wort as possible. Most
recipes will call for two or more hopping steps. The amount of time
the wort is exposed to the hops determines the extent of bittering, flavor
and aroma imparted to the beer. The first hopping step is for bittering.
Bittering hops need to be boiled for longest period of time. On average,
a one hour boil will extract all of the available bittering power of most
hop varieties. Simply place the bittering hop sack into the brew
pot once the wort has begun to boil. Once again your brew pot is
going to turn on you. The hops will cause the wort to foam so be
prepared to control the situation until the wort settles down. It
is a good idea to set a timer to remind you when the wort is ready for
the next addition of ingredients. As the wort boils there
are chemical reactions taking place which help define the finished product.
One of these reactions is called hot break. Hot break is the coagulation
and precipitation of proteins out of the wort. Removing these proteins
improves the clarity and flavor of the beer. We are also making sure
that the wort is sterilized. The boiling time of an average extract
recipe is 60 minutes. This provides ample time to sanitize your equipment
for fermentation.
Irish Moss is a dried sea weed
used by brewers worldwide to remove the positive charged proteins in the
wort. These proteins cause finished beer to become hazy when it is
chilled. Brewer’s call this condition chill haze. The Irish
moss has a negative charge and attracts the proteins helping them settle
to the bottom of the brew pot. This brew pot sediment is called trub
by brewers. It is good practice to add one teaspoon of Irish Moss
to the brew pot at least 15 minutes before the end of the boil.
Finishing Hops are used to add
hop flavor and aroma to the beer. Simple drop the finishing hops
into the wort and prepare to avoid a boil over. Putting the proper
finish on a brew requires some experimentation and fine tuning to your
taste. The longer finishing hops are boiled the more flavor and less
aroma they will contribute. If they are allowed to boil for longer
than 20 minutes the flavor will dissipate and only bitterness will remain.
Ending the boil. Once the boiling
process is complete we must begin to guard the wort against unwanted bacteria.
Always remember, everything on the plant likes beer as much as we do.
Turn off the heat and remove the hop bags allowing them to briefly drain
back into the wort. Cover the brew pot tightly with aluminum foil.
The pot will be hot enough the sterilize the foil. Place the lid
on top of the foil to help hold it in place.
Chilling the wort to a temperature
that is compatible with the yeast is next. The faster you cool the
wort the better your beer will be. Quickly chilling the wort reduces
the time it will need to spend outside of the closed fermenter and exposed
to potential contamination. Chilling also causes cold break.
As the wort cools, more of the undesirable proteins coagulate and settle
to the bottom as trub. The easiest way for the homebrewer to chill
wort is to place the well covered brew pot into a bath of cold water.
You will need to change the water a few times as it extracts the heat from
the brew pot. The cooler your wort, the more susceptible it is to
infection from bacteria and wild yeast. It will take about 1 hour
to chill two gallons using this method. Never add cold water to boiling
hot wort. This is the primary cause of ‘homebrew aftertaste’ in the
finished beer. Make up water is the term used for the
water we need to bring the total volume of wort up to five gallons.
It is a good idea to place this water in the refrigerator the night before
brewing. The cold water will help bring the wort down to pitching
temperature. I know, I just said don’t add cold water to hot wort.
Once your boiled wort drops to below 180oF the risk of homebrew flavor
diminishes. This is also the temperature where infection becomes
a possibility. Aeration of the wort
is critical to good fermentation. This is the one and only time at
oxygen should be mixed into the wort. The yeast requires oxygen to
start the fermentation process. Remember, this is the only time in
the life of your beer when oxygen is a good thing. Place the sanitized
fermentation bucket on the floor with the lid off. Open your make
up water and pour it into the fermenter. Allow it to splash around
and pick up oxygen. If you carefully peek into the chilled
brew pot you may notice the sediment on the bottom. This is the cold
break and we want to keep this out of the fermenter. Pick up the
brew pot with pot holders and carefully pour the wort into the fermenter.
Allow the wort to splash and foam. Stop pouring when the sediment
reaches the rim of the brew pot. If a little sediment finds its way
into the fermenter, don’t be concerned. It will not hurt anything
and the yeast likes a little any way. Top off the fermenter with
additional water. You should now have about 5.5 gallons of wort.
This will provide for any losses later in the brewing process. Cold
tap water is fine for topping off. Place the cover over the fermenter
but do not seal it yet. Carefully pick up the fermenter and place
it on the counter. Use a paper towel to wipe off any water or spilled
wort from the outside. Allow the temperature to register on the stick-on
thermometer. Do not proceed until the wort is less than 80 degrees
F.
Specific gravity is a way to measure
the amount of sugar in the wort and is measured with a hydrometer.
The hydrometer will float in the wort and original gravity of the wort
is the number at the water line. These reading are noted on the hydrometer
as 20, 30, 40... and represent 1.020, 1.030, 1.040... one being
the specific gravity of water at 60 degrees F. Sanitize the hydrometer
before putting it into the wort. Hold it by the thin end and slowly
sink it into the fermenter. Let it go when the fat end is completely
submerged. Once it settles, note the number that marks the water
line. We will use this number later on to calculate the alcohol content
of the finished beer. Remove the hydrometer and place the lid back
on the fermenter.
FERMENTATION
Pitching
the yeast is the next critical step. When the temperature of your
fermenter is less than 75oF it is time. Wash your hands. Dip
a pair of scissors in sanitizing solution then thoroughly rinse and dry
them. Pick up the packet of yeast from the opposite side of the end
you will open. Cut the top off the yeast packet. Open the fermenter
with one hand. Do not set the lid down on the counter because it
may become contaminated. Carefully but quickly, sprinkle the yeast
on top of the wort. There is no need to mix the yeast into the wort.
Replace the fermenter lid and snap it into place. Make sure it snaps
down tight. Fit the air lock into place. Do not touch
the pointed end of the air lock. It is going into the fermenter.
Gently push the airlock into the fermenter until about one half inch of
the stem is inside. Fill the air lock half way with cold water.
Place the sealed fermenter is a cool dark place. Fermentation at
60 to 70 degrees F is fine for most home brews. The best fermentation
temperature is determined by the type of yeast used. Ale yeast likes
it warmer and lager yeast prefers cooler temperatures. Don’t worry
about it. As long as you can keep the temperature around 65 degrees
F you will be happy with the results.
Your
brew day is over so open a bottle of homebrew and toast the new fermentation.
The yeast is going to go through its life cycle and it will take time.
There are three stages of fermentation. Respiration, when the yeast
takes up energy. Fermentation, the feeding frenzy of converting the
sugar in the wort to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Sedimentation, at
the end of fermentation with the food source exhausted the yeast becomes
dormant and settles to the bottom of the fermenter. If you
don’t see the signs of fermentation right away don’t be concerned.
You will know when fermentation is underway. The air lock will begin
to bubble as the carbon dioxide is allowed to except. The entire
primary fermentation can take anywhere from 48 hours to 5 days. You
will want to check the fermentation daily. It is time to move to
the next step when the bubble rate of the air lock is less than one time
every two minutes. This will be in about 7 days.
BOTTLING BEER
Bottling
your beer is the one area where practice is absolutely necessary.
Bottling is not hard but it will take time to do the job right. Don’t
rush. You have invested a lot of time in effort to bring your brew
to this point. Don’t spoil it now by taking untested short cuts.
As you bottle the beer, exposing it to oxygen cannot be avoided without
the use of very specialized equipment. The first time brewer should
practice with plain water and the equipment in order to get the feel of
how the bottling process will go.
Priming
sugar (corn sugar) is used at bottling time to feed the yeast and carbonate
the beer. On average, 3/4 cup of pure corn sugar will prime five
gallons of beer. One cup of plain (unhopped) dry malt extract or
honey can be used instead of corn sugar but table sugar should never be
used. The priming sugar must be prepared prior to use. Start
with a clean pan. Add about two cups of water and the priming sugar.
This mixture should be boiled for at least 10 minutes. At the end
of the boil, cover the pan with foil the same way as the brew pot and let
it cool while we prepare the bottling equipment.
Racking
is the term used in brewing to describe the transfer of beer or wort from
one vessel to another with a minimal amount of agitation to the liquid.
Racking is very important to making good beer. As the yeast becomes
dormant and settles out of the wort it begins to give off flavors to the
beer. Racking will siphon the beer off of the dormant yeast.
Gravity is the best power source for the homebrewer so we will use a siphon
to transfer our beer from the primary fermenter to the bottling bucket.
If you have never used a siphon it is a good idea to practice first.
There are a few general rules which are very important. First is
sanitation. The racking cane and discharge tube will be placed directly
into your beer and your beer will fill the inside of the whole racking
assembly. Second is agitation. The transfer must be made with
as little aeration of the beer as possible. Get your beer out of
storage and place it on the counter or table in a position where you can
siphon from it quickly and easily. Be very careful not to disturb
the sediment on the bottom of the fermenter. If a little sediment
is stirred up during moving it will settle back down while you prepare
the rest of the bottling equipment.
The racking cane is a rigid tube open at one end and fitted with a bottom
stand at the other end. The stand allows the racking cane to inserted
to the bottom of the fermenter without kicking up the dormant yeast.
As beer is siphoned out of the fermenter it is drawn into the tube at the
top of the stand. Another handy siphon gadget is the bucket clip.
It spans onto the racking cane and clips onto the bucket. This prevents
the cane from slipping around in the fermenter and mixing up the dormant
yeast. The bottling bucket is a five gallon pail which
has been fitted with a flow valve. It is possible to bottle beer
using a siphon but if the siphon is lost, the results can be a disaster.
The bottling spigot allows beer to flow freely from the pail and into the
bottle. The bottling bucket also serves as a mixing tank for the
priming sugar.
Bottling wands
are rigid tubes, open at one end and fitted with a on-off valve at the
other end. The bottling wand allows a bottle to be filled with a
minimum of air being introduced to the beer. The wand also acts as
a fill meter to make sure each bottle as the correct head room. The
amount of head space in the bottle will influence carbonation.
Beer bottles should be cleaned right after each use and stored upside down
in the case. This will prevent insects from setting up housekeeping
in them. Inspect bottles for signs of cracks or flaws. The
yeast in the beer is going to continue to ferment and in the closed bottle
the carbon dioxide will have no way to escape. This is how your beer
will become carbonated. If a faulty or unsound bottle is used you
will run the risk of an exploding bottle. This can be very harmful
as you can imagine. Cases of exploding bottles are rare because all
homebrewers and commercial bottlers take bottling very seriously.
If you think a bottle is in question, throw it away.
Bottle
caps cannot be reused. Start with unused caps very time.
Count out about 55 caps for a five gallon batch of beer, using 12 oz.
bottles, and rinse them with hot water. Place the caps in a solution
of sanitizer and let them sit while you bottle the beer.
Sanitation is
now critical. As the beer is divided up into 12 ounce bottles, the
amount of surface area that the beer is exposed to increases greatly.
Prepare your work space with enough room to insure that bottles can pass
from one stage to the next. Mix about a gallon of sanitizing solution
in a clean waste bucket first. Remove the spigot from the bottling
bucket and disassemble it (remove the nut and washer). Place the
spigot in the sanitizing solution. Wash the bottling bucket with
hot water and soap if necessary. Rinse it. Make sure all the
soap is gone. Insert the spigot through the hole in the bucket and
make sure that the washer is on the out side. Work the spigot all
the way into the whole making sure the washer is flush against the side
of the pail. Thread the nut into place and hand tighten. Now
pour the sanitizing solution from the waste pail into the bucket and check
the spigot for leaks. Make adjustments as needed. Open the
spigot and allow some solution to run through it. Close the spigot
and add enough sanitizer to the bucket to make four more gallons of solution.
Fill the bucket to the rim with water and allow the bucket to soak for
the time recommenced. Assemble the siphon set by attaching
the hose to the open end of the racking cane. Place the hose clamp
on the hose far enough from the other end of the hose to allow that end
to reach the bottom on the bottling bucket. Make sure the hose clamp
in open and fill the hose with water all the way to the end of the racking
cane. Close the hose clamp to prevent the water from running out
and insert the racking cane into the bottling bucket. Place the other
end of the hose into a clean wash tub and open the clamp. The sanitizing
solution will run through the hose and prepare the inside. The tub
will be used to sanitize the bottles. Place your cleaned
and inspected bottles into the tub of sanitizing solution. Let them
soak for the recommended time. While they soak, remove the dividers
from the cases the bottles came it and cover the bottom of the box with
clean paper towels. Replace the bottle dividers. Take the bottles
from the sanitizing solution and rinse (if recommended by the sanitizer
supplier) then place the bottles upside down in the beer bottle case.
This will allow them to drain and dry.
You will now
take the final gravity reading of the finished beer. Sanitize your
hydrometer and open the primary fermenter. Insert the hydrometer
and note the specific gravity reading. After you complete the bottling
process you can calculate the alcohol content of your beer using this formula.
Original Gravity minus Ending Gravity times 105 times 1.26 equals % Alcohol
By Volume Gently pour the priming sugar solution into
the bottom of the prepared bottling bucket. Make sure the spigot
is closed! Rinse the siphon setup with hot water and then fill the tube
in the same way as you did when sanitizing it. Set the bottling bucket
on the floor along with a waste bucket. Place the racking cane into
the fermenter full of beer and be careful not to allow it to disturb the
sediment at the bottom. Place the other end into the waste bucket
and open the hose clip. Allow the water inside the hose to run into
the waste pail. As soon as beer starts coming out, close the hose
clip and place the hose end into the very bottom of the bottling bucket.
Open the clip and let the beer flow. Do not allow the beer to splash
around. As the beer flows, keep moving the end of the racking cane
down into the fermenter until it touches the bottom. Avoid transferring
any sediment to the bottling bucket. When all the beer is racked,
it is time to start bottling. There is no need to rush
to get your beer into the bottles. Pace yourself and the work will
go smoothly. Start by setting the bottling bucket up high enough
so that you can easily reach the spigot at about eye level. A kitchen
counter top will work well if you are sitting in a kitchen chair.
Attach a 2 inch length of siphon hose to your bottle filling wand and the
spigot. This setup will let you work with both hands free.
Open the spigot slowly and make sure that the valve on the end of the filling
ward is closed. Lift a bottle over the wand and press on the valve
with the bottom of the bottle. the beer will flow into the bottle
quickly and without picking up much oxygen. Fill each bottle to the
bottom of the cap head. Slipping the bottle off of the wand will
turn off the flow and the wand will have displaced the space in the bottle
with the exact amount of head room needed. Set the bottle aside and
continue filling until all of the beer is bottled.
Capping the
bottles should be done now. Rinse the bottle caps but be careful
not to touch the insides. Place the bottle to be capped on a damp
towel to prevent it from slipping. Place the cap on the magnet on
the bottle capper. Center the cap on the bottle and press down on
the levels with slow even pressure. The capping tool will do the
work. Do not force it.
Aging your beer
will be the hardest thing to do. Almost all first time homebrewers
drink their beer too soon. Your freshly bottled beer should be stored
at room temperature in a dark place for at least two weeks. Then
move the beer to a cool dark place for at least one more week. Chill
the beer for at least 24 hours prior to drinking it. |
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