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You'll need something to store your beer in when complete.
© Rocketroom, LLC
As a recent newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, I am not only continually stunned by the breathtaking natural beauty of the area, but of the unending selection of microbrews. A simple trip to the local Red Apple marketplace leaves my head spinning with choices. The graphic and often satirical labels draw me in, leaving me to shake my head like a magic eight ball for the decision.
Maybe a chocolate stout? I shake my head and the answer comes: It is decidedly so. I am rarely disappointed. But alas, an unending desire for the perfect brew can become quite the costly endeavor. Luckily, there is an alternative that will fulfill the endless quest for the perfect brew without breaking the bank.
Homebrewing!
As lovers of epicurean goodies and all things creative, it was a natural choice for my husband and I. We stocked up on the essential tools: 5 gallon stainless steel stock pot, 5 gallon bucket, carboy, siphon hose, hydrometer, thermometer, bottle caps, capper, airlock stopper & sanitizing solution. Then came the decision whether to brew 'all grain' or 'extract'. As newbies to the alchemy of homebrewing, we went with the simplest, 'partial grain/extract' brewing. Extract is a condensed extract made from real malted grains. The whole grains are steeped in a mesh brew-bag to impart luscious flavors. We perused countless recipes and decided to start with a porter.
The art of brewing beer is broken into four stages: Brewing, Fermentation, Bottling and finally Imbibing (yahoo!).
As each stage is an art unto itself, today we'll just cover preparation for Brewing:
1. Super clean: Beer is susceptible to 'infection', so it's very important that everything be sterilized. Add sanitizer to a food grade bucket of water & soak all of your fermentation tools. We used Iodophor, an iodine solution; however, other products such as StarSan come highly recommended as well. Don't worry about sanitizing the tools you're using for your boil, as the boil will take care of any microbial menaces. Make sure everything you wash is cleaned with an unscented dish detergent, as scented detergents can affect the flavor of your beer.
2. Yeast Activation: For beginners, a Wyeast smack pack is the simplest way to go. The packs take a few hours after activation before being ready for use, so be sure to activate it right away. This takes a smack to pop the internal bag, which releases the yeast into the nutrient pack. Shake & watch it swell!
3. Hops Preparation: To keep life less hectic during the boil, measure out the hops and add them to hop-socks. The use of hop socks removes the step of having to strain the hops out of the wort later. Our recipe calls for 1 & 1/2 oz of hops at the beginning of the boil (which offsets the sweetness of the beer). An additional 1/2 oz of reserved hops is also added to the beer at the end of the boil (for incredible aroma).
Now, you're ready for the real fun!
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