What you will need:
– One 10-gallon “food grade” plastic pail with lid
– Siphon hose. You’ll need a 74″ length of 5/16 “food grade” vinyl tubing.
– Hose clamp for siphon
– Twelve 2- litre plastic pop bottles, with lids.
– Hydrometer
– Large Pot
Ingredients:
- Malt Extract. One 40oz. can of any flavor you like ( light, dark, stout), or a 1.5kg “tall” can of same. The 1.5kg can contains more malt extract so you can make a larger batch or use the same method here to make a richer beer. You can also buy ‘pre-hopped’ extract which will impart more of a hop flavor to your beer.
- Yeast: 1 tsp brewers’ yeast. Note: some malt comes with little packets of yeast included.
- Sugar: 6-7 cups of regular white sugar, or 8-9 cups of corn sugar.
How to brew:
Sterilize: It has been said that 75% of brewing is good sanitation. First, clean all equipment with warm, lightly soapy water. Rinse well to remove soap residue. Then sanitize using household bleach at a quantity of 1 tbsp/gallon of water. Or you can purchase a no-rinse acid sanitizer such as StarSan, which is effective and leaves no aftertaste.
Sanitize:
It has been said that 75% of brewing is good sanitation. First, clean all equipment with warm, lightly soapy water. Rinse well to remove soap residue. Then sanitize using household bleach at a quantity of 1 tbsp/gallon of water. Or you can purchase a no-rinse acid sanitizer such as StarSan, which is effective and leaves no aftertaste.
Brew:
1. Pour 10 liters of fresh, cold water into the 10 gallon plastic pail (carboy). If the pail is new, wash it out first with a mixture of water and baking soda to remove the plastic smell.
2. In your largest pot, bring 7 liters of water to a boil.
3. Add one can of malt extract. Stir and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
5. As soon as the sugar is dissolved, pour contents into the carboy. Pour, or ‘splash’, the contents quickly, which adds air to the mixture. The more air the yeast get initially, the better. It allows them to rapidly grow and get things going.
6. Top up with bottled drinking water or tapwater until temperature is neutral. (If using tapwater, it is recommended to boil first to kill bacteria.) Test using a clean, sanitized thermometer. The carboy will now be a little more than half full.
7. Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir well. Cover with lid. (Set lid on loosely; if capped too tightly, a carboy can explode from the carbon dioxide gas that is produced.)
Keep covered and avoid unnecessary opening. The beer will be ready to bottle in 6- 10 days, depending on ambient temperature of the room and amount of sugar used in the brewing. Room temperature should be 20-24 Celsius at the highest; 16-20 Celsius is better but it will take the beer a day or two longer to ferment.
Test for readiness with a hydrometer. Set hydrometer into the beer and spin it once to release bubbles which cling to it and give a false reading. The “ready to bottle” reading should be about 1.008 for dark beers and 1.010-1.015 for light beers. If you don’t have a hydrometer, you can judge readiness by tasting a sample – it should not be sweet tasting. There should be little or no bubbling action in the beer.
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Bottle:
Set the carboy on a sturdy table and the 12 2-liter bottles on the floor, with newspaper underneath to catch drips or overflows. Using a funnel, put 2 level teaspoons of sugar in each bottle.
Siphon the beer into the bottles, trying not to disturb the sediment on the bottom of the carboy. (One method is to tape a plastic straw alongside the bottom end of the siphon hose with 1″ projecting beyond the end. The tip of the straw can touch the bottom of the carboy without the siphon drawing up sediment.) Tip the carboy as you near the bottom.
It is important to not splash or agitate the beer too much when bottling as any oxygen introduced can lead to oxidation and a “cardboard” taste.
As you fill the bottles, keep the end of the siphon tube near the bottom of the bottle to avoid frothing. It is essential that the bottles ar not completely filled – leave an airspace. Screw the caps on tightly. Invert each bottle and shake to dissolve sugar on the bottom. Set bottles in a warm area for the first few days, then store in a dark, cool spot. You can drink the beer within a few days of bottling, but it will improve with age.
Enjoy:
Pour your beer carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment. Re-capped partially full bottles will retain their “fizz” for up to two weeks, so don’t feel you have to empty the bottle (unless you’re looking for an excuse!). After two weeks, unfinished bottles should be emptied.
You may find that batches of homemade beer can vary in quality. Darker beers will work best with this recipe for the most consistent results. If your beer is a little short on “fizz” or falls a little short of your expectations, try mixing it 50/50 with commercial beer.
If the empty bottles are rinsed out immediately, washing them later will be easy. Simply rinse with warm, lightly soapy water. Rinse well to remove soap residue. A mild bleach solution can also be used to clean the bottles.
Remember, your beer will continue to improve for months. It’s a good idea to start a second batch right away so you can get well enough ahead to enjoy fully matured beer.
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