Expert: Dave Nyce - 11/3/2004

Question
I'm highly interested in brewing my own beer and have read on it but it seems very confusing. I'm looking for a quick and simple explanation on how to brew. I've also wondered whats the overall difference between malt and lager, and whats the easiest/cheapest beer to make. Thanks

Answer
The two main types of beer are ale and lager. Ale is fermented at cellar temperature (or up to about 75F is ok). Lager is fermented while refrigerated to about 40F. There are some other differences in the process, but due to the need to refrigerate lager, most people start out with making ale.

Malted barley is the grain called barley, after it has been allowed to sprout, and then it is dried and powdered or made into a syrup. This is the main ingredient for making beer, and is the source of sugar for the yeast to consume as it produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.

To make an ale, buy some liquid malt at a brewing supply store (light, amber, or dark, depending on how much flavor you want in the beer). Also buy a can of hopped malt (malt that has had some hopps added) for the style of beer you want. Buy some additional hopps in pelletized form, and some yeast in powder form. Sometimes the can of hopped malt may come with yeast and/or additional hopps.

Boil 10 quarts of water in a 20 quart stainless steel pot. Add the hopped malt and malt. Bring back up to the edge of boiling for 10 minutes (this is called brewing). Then add half the additional hopps and brew 5 more minutes.

Pour the brew into cold water contained in a 7 1/2 gallon high density polyethylene container (the fermenter). There should be enough cold water so the total amount ends up at 5 gallons. This liquid is then called the wort.

Mix the yeast with one cup of the wort and keep warm, about 90F. When it starts bubbling (one to three hours) add it to the 5 gallons of wort (the wort should be no warmer than 90F by this time). Adding the yeast to the wort is called "pitching the yeast".

Seal the lid of the fermenter and add a fermentation trap with a small amount of sterilizing water in the trap. In about 5 to 15 hours, it will start bubbling and CO2 will bubble past the fermentation trap.

When the bubbling stops (about 1 to 3 weeks), add 3/4 cup of corn sugar to the wort and siphon the sugared wort into long neck bottles. Then add the caps. (You'll need to buy a capper and caps, and sterilize the bottles.) The remaining yeast consumes the corn sugar and builds up CO2 pressure to carbonate the beer.

Wait at least three weeks. Then drink it!

As you learn more, you may want to add some additional steps. The people at the brewing supply store will have a lot of additional information.

Hope this helps!

Dave