The short cool days of winter are a perfect time to brew beer in the kitchen! Akin to making soup or baking bread, the warmth and aroma fills your home with cozy, comforting scents. You can brew enough beer in one day to fill 48 bottles! Yippee for not having to go out in the rain or snow for a beer run!
Please refer to the Brewing day preparation article, for preparation steps prior to brewing.
Mashing in, let the alchemy begin...
Creating wort: Fill a large stainless steel stock pot with 2 gallons of water & heat to 165º F. Place the brew-bag full of milled grains into the water. The grains will bring the temperature of the water down a bit. Maintain a temperature between 150º-155º F, while steeping the grains for 30 minutes. Move the brew-bag back & forth while steeping, to avoid melting the grain bag. Remove the brew-bag and drip the liquid into the pot. Do not wring out the bag, as it will force the bitterness from the grain husks and give the beer an astringent taste. Bring the pot almost to a boil & add the extract. Once a nice rolling boil is reached, it's time to add the hops.
Adding hops: Fresh hops will enrapture your olfactory sense with their nectarous scent. Add the 'bittering' hops and boil for 60 minutes. They say a watched pot never boils, but in this case, it sure does! You'll want to keep your eye on this frothing cauldron of goodness or it might end up bubbling right onto the floor. To entertain yourself during this hour long process, feel free to recite lines from Macbeth, as you stir the charmed pot. If the pot does start to boil over, spraying water from a spray bottle can help to knock it down. Depending on the recipe, you'll be adding hops at different times of the boil. With our recipe, add 'aroma' hops for the last minute of the boil.
Cool it: Quickly chill the wort. The faster the better, as this keeps the wort from being exposed to infection and improves the separation of proteins. Fill your sink with ice and place the covered pot of wort into it. Rotating the pot in the ice can help to evenly chill the pot. When your wort is cool enough (below 95º F), dry off the pot, to ensure no contaminated ice water drips into the fermenter. Add a couple of gallons of cold water to your carboy fermenter. An easy way to do this, is to use a 5 gallon bottle of chilled water. We use Primo brand water, as it's refillable at many grocery stores, as well as hardware stores such as Home Depot. Be sure to chill the water bottle overnight, so that your wort will cool to pitching temperature faster when added. Pour the pot of wort into the fermenter, using a large plastic funnel. Pouring quickly helps to maintain good oxygen levels for the yeast that will be soon added to the wort. Next, add enough chilled water to the fermenter to make 5 gallons. As soon as the wort is in the 75º to 80º F range, you'll be ready to 'pitch the yeast.'
Hydrometer Reading: Before pitching the yeast, take a hydrometer reading to measure the OG (original gravity). By taking a reading now and after your beer has fermented, you'll be able to calculate the alcohol percentage, as well as gauge the fermentation process. Either pour or use a wine thief to almost fill a hydrometer jar. Float the hydrometer in the jar to measure the specific gravity.
Pitching Yeast: Place your unopened swollen yeast smack pack (as discussed in the Brewing day preparation article) into the sanitizing solution. Aerate the fermenter by shaking it vigorously, to ensure good oxygenation. Remove the yeast packet from the sanitizing solution & pour into the carboy fermenter. Place a sanitized airlock stopper onto the top of the carboy fermenter and move to a dark location between 65º-70º F and ferment for 2 weeks.
Next, we move onto the science of fermentation. Let the bubbles begin!
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