Home Beer Brewing Tips

Even though it takes about three weeks for the process of brewing homemade beer to be completed, it can be a very rewarding and fun experience. For many people, this waiting time, especially the final two weeks when the beer is in bottles, seems like forever. Not everyone feels comfortable waiting while their beer sits out of reach and is not yet refreshing them.  Should the bottles be opened too early, the carbonation will not have had the time needed for completion. Furthermore, the secondary fermentation, with the settling of all the sediment will have been interrupted. If the brewer can remain patient, then the home made beer that is the final result of the process will be clear, properly carbonated, and the perfect drink for any perfect for drinking under any circumstances.

Equipment Needed

There is a lot of equipment that is needed to make home made beer and it all must be kept clean and sterilized in order for the beer to come out correctly.  This equipment is not expensive, however, and will usually only run about one hundred, fifty dollars for the equipment and another forty or so for a beer kit with all the ingredients.

The brew pot is a piece of equipment that an individual may already have on hand. 

It should be able to hold about sixteen quarts of water and should be made of stainless steel or enamel coated metal.  If the pot is not made of these materials; or, if the enamel is chipped, then the beer will end up tasting like the metal and will not be as palatable.

The primary fermenter with the airlock and stopper has to be bought at a brew shop or ordered online.  This piece of equipment allows the wort - the sweet liquid that comes from mashing grains - to ferment at a certain temperature while allowing the carbon dioxide to escape without allowing the air from the outside to get into the system.  The primary fermenter will hold the homemade beer for about three to five days during this stage of the process before moving into the bottling stage and secondary fermentation.

A food-grade plastic hose and bottling bucket are needed as well as sauce pans and pot holders. Moreover, at least forty home brew beer bottles need to be on hand for the beer to go into once primary fermentation has taken place. Using glass beer bottles which are dark in color is usually best, because they will prevent light from damaging the brew. Finally, a bottle-capping machine and bottle caps will be required to complete the process.  Once bottled, the beer will need to rest in a dark place for at least two weeks before it can be enjoyed.