In part one of 'How To Make Homebrew' we discussed the equipment and ingredients needed to make your own beer. Now we will begin with the process itself.

How To Make Homebrew: The Critical Element

The most important step in the entire process of making beer at home is Sanitization. This means killing all bacteria that are on the surfaces of any of the equipment that will be used in the beer making process. This is critical because if bacteria are able to survive in the final mixture, they will destroy the yeast and eat the sugars themselves, spoiling the beer. Every piece of equipment must be cleaned with a sanitizing solution every time you use it. Each time the lid of the fermentor is opened, you risk infecting the beer, so take care that your hands, the stirring paddle, the thermometer or anything else that will come in contact with the beer is sanitized. When bottling, each bottle must also be sanitized, or you will risk the same result.

You can buy a commercial sanitizing solution at any wine and beer making supplier. You can also make an easy home sanitizing solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water. Especially when using bleach be careful not to make the sanitizing solution too strong or you risk destroying the yeast.

When done sanitizing it is also very important that everything is rinsed properly to get rid of residual sanitizing solution, otherwise it will kill the yeast.

How To Make Homebrew: Creating The Wort

Wort is a German word (pronounced Wert) which is the mixture of water and malt extract. Begin by boiling the water, usually about 2.5 gallons. After the water has boiled, it should be removed from the stove before adding the malt or it will boil over. When using malt syrup, it is good practice to run hot water over the can for a few minutes to make the syrup easier to pour and not waste any sticking to the sides of the can. Use a spatula to get all the residual syrup out of the can.

Add the malt extract and stir it really well. The mixture will dissolve in the water. Get the mixture to a rolling boil, but make sure that it doesn't boil over or burn the sugars in the malt. Keep stirring. Hops are generally added during this time, either at the beginning of the boil, or in the last fifteen minutes. The wort should be boiled for about an hour.

Next, the wort needs to be cooled. Usually, the remainder of the needed water is added, to bring the whole batch up to 5 gallons. Some homebrewers put the bucket into a tub of cold water, to speed the cooling process. Whether you choose this or some other method, patience is needed. If the wort is too hot when you add the yeast, it will die.

How To Make Homebrew: Adding The Yeast

While waiting for the wort to cool now is the time to activate the yeast. Wet yeast is considered superior to dry, but is more complicated to use. Most homebrew kits come with a pack of dry yeast. The dry yeast must be rehydrated before adding to the wort. This is done by adding the yeast to a sanitized and rinsed glass of about one cup of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. The water should be about 80F. Add the yeast, and one teaspoon of sugar, and cover with Saran wrap or something similar. Allow to sit about 30 minutes, and the yeast should be foaming up by then. It is now ready to be added to the wort.

The wort should be allowed to cool until it is between 75F and 70F. It should be kept at this temperature for the duration of the process. Now the yeast mixture that you created can be added to the wort. Pour it in and give it a little stir with the sanitized paddle. The yeast can now get to work. Put the lid onto the bucket with the airlock, and put the whole thing in a safe place where it can sit at 70F for the next few weeks. Be aware that the fermentation gives off an odor, and that will attract bugs and animals. Also, sometimes the fermentation will overflow, so it is a good idea to have newspaper or plastic under the buckets.

That is an overview of the process of making the wort and adding the yeast. In part three of 'How To Make Homebrew', we will discuss the rest of the fermentation process, and the final step: Bottling.

About the Author

Create your own Liquid-Gold Homebrew for only $5.27 per gallon! Get started right away with this How To Make Homebrew package that teaches you everything you need to know about making great Beer At Home!

Brent Craig is an author and a journalist with a dedicated interest in how to make homebrew. For more information, please visit: http://www.HomeBrewPerfection.com