Making beer is not a hobby to get into if you want instant results. The rewards are great, but the time, effort and knowledge to get from that first malting of the barley to the cold pint of home made beer requires a deep dedication to this fun home hobby.
Before you jump in feet first and invest money, you should obtain as much information as you possible can. This can be done through the many books and publications you can find at any books store. The Internet is another vast warehouse of information. You can visit beer sites, beer making forums and discussion boards and even purchase videos. Many web sites have great recipes, tips tools and ideas on creating a better beer. Expert home beer brewers love to help out. They might not give you all their secrets, but they are willing to provide assistance with any questions you may have to get started. Join a beer making forum – you will learn as much information on this home hobby to get started and even become a local expert.
The ingredients to making beer are malted barley. Malt barley is used in as the first process in beer making that takes several days and becomes known as malt. The second ingredient is hops, a flower that adds to the flavor, bitterness and aroma of the finished beer product. Yeast is the third ingredient. The yeast also helps in producing the right flavors making it the number one ingredient in creating a good beer. As many of you already know, beer is made up mostly of water. Good tasting water is essential in the beer making process.
The home hobby of beer making has become very popular. Unfortunately many people jump into this with out realizing the dedication and skill that is required to produce quality beer. As a result, many also quit before they know it.
To avoid this pitfall, do your homework. One great way to learn the art of home beer brewing is to get into it with a friend. This will allow you to speak the “Beer Making” language while motivating each other to read, study and brew beer to perfection. But first – research the process, ask questions, read books and only when you think you are ready…Go for it. Start your home brewing adventure.
Author: John Crisano
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you, or someone you know, is looking for something to do in your spare time, consider brewing your own beer at home. Home beer brewing is a fun, easy and affordable hobby. It is something that you can do by yourself or with others. Because of all of this, its popularity has been on the rise in recent years.
Home brew kits and supplies are easy to find on the internet. There are so many different kits available. Simply search the web and you’ll have your pick of kits. Because there are so many home brew kits available, you should have no problem finding one that fits your taste and budget.
The kits can run anywhere from as little as forty dollars to well over one hundred dollars or more. Some make the process very simple, like my kit, and some kits are much more involved. My kit cost $39.95 and each and came with everything I needed to start my home brewing “experiment.” With my kit, I make batch after batch of great tasting beer right from my kitchen – no muss, no fuss (clean and easy for those whom might not understand my vernacular). In as little as two weeks, I have two gallons fresh, home made beer. It is so easy and fun that I started giving kits away to friends as family as gifts.
Beer making is more fun than you might think. One of the more enjoyable aspects of home beer making is the ability to try different styles of beer. There are many different styles and tastes of beer that a person can make with their home brew kit, such as light beer, dark beer, bitter beer, sweet beer, etc. Most beer kit companies offer a variety of recipes. The kit I use has over 170 different recipes. This variety makes it easy to experiment with all the different kinds and tastes of beer that are out there. My brother, father-in-law, and I have each tried different recipes. We then got together to sample each others batch (any reason to get together to drink beer). It’s been so much fun, in fact, that we are now getting friends involved as well and they’re getting their own kits.
If you have been thinking about making your own beer at home, I highly encourage you to get your own home brew kit. My experience has been great. Let me say it again, home beer brewing is easy, fun, and affordable. Give it a try.
Author: Jeff Gilbert
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Aging your newly brewed beer is an important step in the beer-making process. This can prove to be the most difficult step because you are surely very anxious to try your new brew. However, if you try it too soon you are likely to be disappointed in the taste. Newly bottled beer will need to age for a period of at least 2 to 6 weeks for conditioning.
During the aging process the yeast will ferment the remaining sugar that was used when bottling the beer. This creates carbon dioxide, which naturally adds carbonation to your brew to make it perfectly bubbly. Also during this time unwanted sediments from the yeast and proteins will drop out and help to make a better, smoother tasting end product. In some cases this process can take up to 6 months, however, it is most often accomplished within a month.
The amount of time the beer needs to age will often depend on the recipe. Follow the time frame that the recipe recommends. In general, most home brews are drinkable in a month; however, they reach their peak flavor after a longer time, usually 8 to 15 weeks.
To ensure enhanced flavor, color and texture, store the bottled beer in a cool, dark place. The optimal temperature range is 66 degrees to 72 degrees. Do not store your newly brewed beer in the refrigerator. Keeping it at cool room temperature allows the yeast to complete its work, allowing for optimal carbonation. After the first two weeks you may store the beer in the refrigerator. This will help it complete its aging process more quickly. Avoid any temperature changes while storing your beer. Use brown or amber bottles to help avoid harmful light damage.
Once the beer is refrigerated it will stop the yeast process and may begin to deteriorate. Test your various recipes to see when the best taste is achieved. Keep good records of your brewing recipes including temperatures and techniques. This will help you re-create the perfect batch of beer every time. Be sure to record when you tasted your beer and how it was. Start with one bottle and wait a week or so to try another. This will give you a comparison to go on. Once you are happy with the taste of your beer make sure that the entire batch is kept under refrigeration to keep the taste at its peak.
Author: Graham Williams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A starter beer making kit is a package of ingredients & basic instructions. Some of the more expensive starter beer kits come with basic equipment needed to brew the ingredients. You usually get all the things that you are going to need in a beer making kit. If you are new to brewing or it’s something you just wanted to try, whether to save money or simply for the fun, you’ll find that you can create your own great tasting beer with a little knowledge and a great beer making kit.
Please be aware that some instruction sets that come with starter beer kits are very basic and hard to follow, you’ll stand a far better chance of great tasting beer when using your beer kit first time round by following the instructions from a resource designed to help beginners, where you’ll get all the facts to get you ready to brew. These books will also guide you through the process and provide you with information on ingredients for all the different kinds of recipes that you can try.
There are many different beer kits for sale today and you’ll find running a search online for beer kit returns thousands of results. Beer making kits are also sold by local brewing shops, you may also find them in gift stores especially around fathers day and Christmas.
When you browse for your beer making kit you’ll come across deluxe beers making kits. These kits include everything you need to get going. They contain all the ingredients and the major equipment to get started. Commonly the deluxe beer making kit contains a sanitizer and some of the malts needed to make your first batch of beer. With some of the beer kits, the only thing that you will need is a stainless steel pot to do all the brewing in.
Other brewing kits come with a microbrewery which allows the brewer to make good tasting beer with ease, it also cuts down on the cost of buying other equipment which in its self can be quite confusing for the beginner. Microbreweries also give a more professional look when sharing your beer with your friends as quite often the beer can be extracted directly from the brewing vessel.
Most beginners start off with a starter beer making kit of some sort just to try their hand and see what sort of results they get. Most people enjoy trying these kits as they allow the brewer to experience the brewing process which helps them decide whether or not they wish to take up home brewing as a hobby. Many people I have spoken to, try beer kits and end up investing in home microbreweries to save bottling their beer, some will even fit nicely into your fridge for on tap beer when you want it.
The last type of beer kit you may come across are ingredient only beer kits or refills, these are ideal suited to someone who has tried a beer making kit before or already has the required equipment and wants to make more after their beer supply has ran out. These types of beer kit are available for all types of beer including but not limited to:
Bitter, Lager, Real Ale, Stout, Strong Beers, Summer Ale, Wheat & Cider, Beers Of The World, Black Rock, Brupaks, Burton Bridge Brewery, Coopers, Geordie, Hambleton Bard, iBrew, Magnum, Milestone, Morgans, Muntons, St. Peters, Tooheys and Woodfordes.
Most of these types of kit include enough ingredients to make approximately 40 pints.
Author: Benjamin Perry
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Just like any other activity, brewing beer has its own set of terms and descriptions that are not easily understood when you first hear them. When I began home beer making I had a very hard time understanding the various terms used I was reading. To make it easier, I put this little glossary together for my own use and it helped quite a bit. I hope you will find it helpful as well.
ABV – “Alcohol By Volume”. The percentage of alcohol in a beer. Usually 5%, some beers have as much as 30% abv.
ALE – A type of beer defined by the temperature and the strain of yeast used in the fermentation process
CARBOY – A glass, or food grade plastic container used for fermentation of home brewed beer, also known as a “demijohn”
CLARIFYING AGENT – A substance added to beer to produce a clear final brew. Common ones are some types of seaweed and gelatin
COPPER – Name for the kettle used to boil the sweet wort. So named because most were originally made from copper
CORNY KEG – A U.S. keg containing 5 gallons when full
DRAUGHT – Pronounced “draft”. This is a method of serving beer from a pressurized container or “keg”
FERMENTATION – The process where the yeast converts the sugars in the wort to alcohol and carbon dioxide
FULL KEG – A U.S. keg containing 15.5 gallons when full
GRAIN BILL – Collectively, the grain materials used in brewing. Its not uncommon for a recipe to use 10 or more different grains
GRIST – Crushed malted barley
HEAD – he foamy substance on the surface of beer produced by bubbles of carbon dioxide
HOPBACK – A small vat filled with hops used by some breweries to add additional flavor and filtering to the wort
HOPS – A critical ingredient used in the brewing process. Hops are clusters of female flowers from the Hop plant
HYDROMETER – A tool used to determine the alcohol content of a home brewed beer (abv)
KEG – A container used to store and transport beer, usually made from steel, aluminum, or wood
LAGER – The most popular type of beer in the world, it is produced by using bottom-fermenting yeast and a lower fermentation temperature
LAMBIC – A type of Belgian beer fermented using wild instead of cultured yeasts
LAUTER TUN – The traditional container used for the separation of the extracted wort
LAUTERING – Separating the liquid wort and residual grain
LEES – The dead yeast and other particles on the bottom of the container after fermentation and aging, also referred to as “trub”
LIQUOR – Brewer’s term for the hot water used in the mashing process
MALT – Grains, usually barley, used in brewing beer.
MALT EXTRACT – Also known as “DME”, this is a high density substance derived from base malt and used used exclusively in home brewing
MALT/MALTING – A process used on cereal grains where the grains are made to germinate by soaking in water and then dried
MASH TUN – A dedicated vessel made specifically for the mashing process
MASH/MASHING – The mixing of the source of starch (most often malted barley) with hot water
PONY KEG – A U.S. keg containing 7.75 gallons when full
RACKING – Transferring the beer from one container to another
SPARGING – Washing the grain after the mashing process is complete
STOUT – A type of beer produced by using roasted malts and barley and brewed with top-fermenting yeasts
TORPEDO KEG – A U.S. keg containing 5.23 gallons when full
WORT – A sugary liquid resulting from the mashing process
WORT SEPARATION – Separating the used grain form the wort and sparge water
YEAST – A live fungus that, when added to the brewing process, allows the process of fermentation
There are other, less often used phrases out there that you will stumble over every now and again. But, if you become familiar with the terms listed here you will be able to understand well over 90% of what you read.
Author: Jesse L Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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As beer lovers, we are pretty certain that we know the beer brewing methods used by the mega-breweries pale in comparison to the love and attention we lavish on our own home brew recipes whether they be from the commercial brew brewing kits or our very own recipes.
But we owe a great debt to the commercial breweries and their history of improving the brewing process to the point where we can enjoy home beer brewing as the satisfying hobby that it is.
Way back in Mesopotamia some 50 centuries ago beer and bread were staples of the daily diet and both were produced in individual homes by the women of the time. While the process of fermentation was understood very early on, the various technologies required to centralize the brewing process into one location in greater quantities did not begin to come into use until the tenth century when European monasteries began to expand their beer brewing methods to include additional product which could be used as payment for the monasteries bills. The monks are also credited with much improving beer brewing recipes by coming up with adding hops to the process. The addition of hops was first mentioned in the eighth century and again in the tenth. This transition from primarily home brewed beer to also marked the exclusion of women from brewing responsibilities.
These early breweries were almost always built in multi story buildings and arranged so that the earliest stages of the brewing process took place on the highest floors so the brewers could depend on simple gravity to help move the product from one brewing stage to the next. The state of the brewery, with relatively few improvements such as the use of copper vats instead of wood, remained pretty much the same for several hundred years. It wasn’t until the 1700s that the brewery started to take on the appearance we would be familiar with today.
The development of the steam engine in 1765 brought the ability to mechanize aspects of the brewing process including the mixing and stirring of the batch. Pumps operated by steam power were also developed which gave the brewers the ability to mix more reliably while heating which reduced the possibility of the mash scorching. Overall, steam power gave the brewery the ability to produce larger quantities of beer since they no longer had to rely on just human powered mechanisms.
The next great improvement in brewery technology was in the late 1800s when the capability to refrigerate the beer was introduced. Before refrigeration, because yeast is extremely temperature sensitive, most beer was brewed in the cooler winter months in great enough quantities to last through the warm summers. With the ability to maintain the desired cool temperatures yeast requires, beer could now be reliably brewed all year round.
The work of Louis Pasteur was to also greatly influence beer brewing methods. The discovery that yeast is a living microorganism that fermented the wort lead to the development of pure yeast cultures chosen for their fermentation ability and flavors they produce.
Today’s modern brewery, whether huge or a local micro brewing operation, are almost all constructed from stainless steel which has distinct advantages over the materials used in years past. It does not flavor the beer itself in the way wood casks did, and it is very easy to clean since it doesn’t react with many chemicals.
Heating is now done with pressurized steam but some smaller breweries do use direct fire methods. Cooling is achieved by installing cooling jackets on the tanks. This arrangement helps control the temperature of each tank individually and very accurately.
Perhaps the best improvement in today’s breweries is the amount of testing that takes place for quality control. Not only is the batch sampled many times during the process for any impurities or unwanted variations, so also are the incoming shipments of the raw ingredients tested for compliance to quality standards.
Author: Jesse L Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Brewing your own beer can be a fun and interesting hobby. It can also save you money. There are many reasons you may want to brew your own beer.
Save Money
You can save a substantial amount of money if you brew your own beer. You may not save a lot on your first couple of batches. But, as you progress in learning more about making beer you will find that you can save money. Once you have made the initial purchase by investing in the equipment needed, you will save money with each batch you make going forward.
Hobby
Beer making is a good hobby. It is something that can be done at home and does not take a substantial amount of money to get started. There are also various local and online organizations that you can get involved with. Here you will find many others with the same hobby who are willing to share information and stories about beer making. Because there are many types of beer that you can make, the hobby can progress and not become boring.
Make Beer That You Like
There are literally thousands of ways to brew beer. Different ingredients used in varying amounts will produce different types of beer. You can experiment with the ingredients and brewing methods until you find the recipe that you like the best. You will also find that fresh beer is better tasting than beer that has been sitting on a shelf for a long time and will therefore want to make your own beer.
Fun
Beer making can be a fun pastime. There is enough to it to make it interesting yet it is easy to learn how to do. Most people start brewing beer by using a beer making kit, which allows them to try the hobby without too great of an investment. From there, if you like it, you can reuse the equipment you already have and get additional ingredients as needed. Since there are many types of beer you can make there is a lot of information you can find. Trying to make new types of beer can be fun.
Gifts
Home brewed beer makes a good gift for friends and family members. It is especially fun to give a gift you have made yourself, particularly when it is something you are proud of. Once you get good at beer making you will enjoy trying new and different beers and giving them to friends. You may even want to pursue beer making for profit.
Author: Graham Williams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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If you pay close enough attention sooner or later you are going to hear someone use the phrase “beer garden”. Beer gardens have been around for quite a long time and, almost certainly, you have been in one at least once in your drinking life, even if you have been home beer brewing for a long time.
The term started in 19th century Germany. A king of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, Ludwig I, was something of a micro manager and often immersed himself in the most mundane details. One of these details was that he decreed that the dark lager beer Bavaria was famous for could only be brewed during the cold winter months because the fermentation for brewing this beer worked best at temperatures between 39 and 46 degrees.
Of course if the brewing beer in winter means it will probably be drunk in summer when the temperatures are much higher. To solve this problem in an age before refrigeration the beer breweries of the time dug beer cellars into the banks of the Isar River. With the rivers source high in the Alps, its water is very cold and it kept the beer at the desired temperature. To help, the breweries also added layers of gravel and planted trees to provide additional insulation from the warm summer temperatures.
But no refrigeration meant that the beer really couldn’t be moved very far before becoming warmer than the optimum drinking temperature so, again, the brewers had an idea; if you can’t take the beer to the customers, then bring the customers to the beer. They set up tables and chairs under the newly planted trees and the “beer garden” was born. Very quickly the term was applied to any open air location where beer was served and many taverns and bars would have an attached garden.
The earliest beer garden in the United States seems to have been Castle Gardens which opened in 1824 on the site of a fort originally built to defend Manhattan from the British in the war of 1812.
New York City also hosts the oldest continually operating beer garden on 24th in the Astoria section of Queens. Known as Bohemian Hall, and operated by the Bohemian Citizens Benevolent Society, it is a catering hall with a bar and beer garden attached. This establishment has been proudly serving since 1919.
Today, the beer garden is under stress in the United Sates as land prices make it ever more expensive to set aside a plot dedicated to savoring the beer brewing arts in the great outdoors. But in areas with less population density, or more available land area, the beer garden continues to be very much enjoyed. Also, the many different beer festivals held around the country each year will almost always have a beer garden set aside within the festival boundaries.
Another country with severe land restrictions is Japan. But the beer garden is thriving there as many are located on the roofs of office buildings and apartment houses. There is something to be said about such efficient use of space!
The next time you find yourself enjoying a cold one in a park like setting, spare a thought for King Ludwig the first who started it all!
Author: Jesse L Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In the mid 1800s, America had many worries, not only were the southern states threatening secession but there were very severe strains between more recently arrived German and Irish immigrants an those whose parents and grandparents immigrated from Europe earlier. Those who most feared that the country was being taken over by so many immigrants gravitated towards to a group that called itself the “American Party”. In time they became known by the name “Know-nothings” because of the semi secret organization of the party. If a member was asked about their activities by an outsider they were supposed to reply with the phrase “I know nothing”.
By 1855 Chicago had become a hotbed of tension between the immigrant groups and the party. That year Levi Boone was elected Mayor running on an anti-immigrant platform. Mayor Boone was a moralist, if not technically a “know-nothing” and he was outraged by the pleasure that the Irish and Germans found in drinking beer and chose that drink to bring pressure on the immigrant communities. After Boone was elected, he first barred immigrants from any city job. Next, he increased the cost of a city issued liquor license by 2,400%, from $50 annually to $300 quarterly. Then he ordered that an old law be brought back, prohibiting sale of alcohol and beer on Sundays.
On the first Sunday that the newly reenacted law was in effect, the immigrants on Chicago’s north side went about their business as usual, gathering in their neighborhood taverns for the traditional Sunday afternoon beer. Suddenly, and without any warning, the Chicago police showed up, ordered all the taverns to be shut down and arrested more than two hundred people for drinking on Sunday. The magistrate on duty at the courthouse released those who had been arrested and set a hearing date for April 21, 1855.
When that day arrived, an unruly crowd of some 300 barkeepers marched towards Courthouse Square, shouting threats against the judge and being led by a traditional Yankee fife and drum. Chicago police stopped the crowd and moved them back to the north side and a clash was averted. But not for long! About three that afternoon the crowd returned. And again the police were prepared for their arrival. Their tactic this time was to allow about half the crowd to cross the Chicago River and then open the swing bridges which effectively cut the crowd in half as well as trapping some on the bridges themselves. This tactic, while effective, infuriated the protesters and very soon both sides were shooting at each other.
Immediately rumors began that some of the protesters had been killed but there is no historical evidence for this claim. The fact that the Mayor had ordered the cannon in the courthouse square be loaded in anticipation probably helped fuel the rumors. As night came on, tempers cooled off and the demonstration broke up, their point made. The next year, Levi Boone lost his bid for re-election and the prohibition against selling beer on Sundays was repealed.
And so ended the great “Lager Beer Riot”; the only time in U.S. history that drinkers have rioted in support of their favorite beverage.
Author: Jesse L Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Beer is brewed in almost every country in the world. Each country produces its own special types of beer. The type of beer produced by a country is based on the type of ingredients it produces. All beers use similar recipes, using hops, barley, water, yeast and sugar. Malt is a process that is done to barley grain. Malted barley is often used to make beer because of its high enzyme content.
Different countries have developed different ways to make beer, which they have carried down through the years.
England
In England the most popular beer is ale. Ale is a dark, hoppy beer traditionally served in pint glasses. English pubs also sell stout and porter. These are dark beers that are traditionally have a strong flavor. Many of the pubs are tied to specific breweries. Guinness is the most famous of the English beers and is available worldwide.
United States
In the USA, lager beer is the most common type of beer. Lager beer is a clear, light, golden, amber-colored brew with a light taste. There are many breweries. In recent years, many microbreweries have sprung up, with many types of beer now available. The USA also imports beer from every country, making it available at bars and liquor stores.
Germany and Austria
In Germany beer is an important part of culture. There are more than 2,000 different beers available. Traditionally, German beer is made using only hops, barley-malt, water and yeast. A law, called the Reinheitsgebot, says that these are the only ingredients that can be used in making beer. German beer is typically a dark, rich beer.
Czech Republic and Slovakia
Beers brewed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are similar to German beers. They are rich beers. Like German beer, no sugar is used in the brewing process. Instead, malted grains are used, which develop enzymes that modify the grains starches into sugars. Czech beer has been brewed for centuries and is a national staple. The Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption, per capita, in the world.
Belgium
Belgian beers allow that sugar can be added before fermentation. This permits them to produce a different type of beer. About 75% of the beers produced in Belgium are pilsners. Belgian beers are quite varied. Belgium is known for their unique ales, called table beers. Other types of unique beers are white, abbey, trapist and lambic, all with their own unique brewing method and flavor.
Author: Graham Williams
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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