How I Brew [Part 3]

Now that I told you about the equipment I use and the ingredients needed, it's time to learn about the actual brewing process.

I should note that I don't currently know hot to do all-grain brewing, so this will be an explanation of how extract brewing works.

The night before brewing day I take my Wyeast Pack and pop the inner bag that has yeast food in it, then I let the yeast start getting busy over night. Then I go to sleep, dreaming of beer.

Here is the way brewing day goes.

First I take my brewing kettle and put like 3 gallons of water in it. I start heating it up. Meanwhile I crush my specialty grains a bit to make sure the oils are free. I put the grains in a mesh bag and steep them in the water like I am making tea. I do this for about 30 minutes, keeping the water hot but not boiling. Once I am sure that most of the oils and sugars and other goodies have been imparted to the water I remove the bag. I then take the malt extract and add it all to the water. Now I bring the water to a boil. When the water hits a boil I add the first batch of hops. I keep the water at a rolling boil and stir it a bit to keep the malt from sticking to the bottom and burning. I keep an eye on the time, and add the rest of the hops at the time the recipe calls for. Total cooking time is usually an hour.

When the hour hits I fill my sink with ice and cold water. I take the kettle off the heat, keep it sealed tight, and place it in the ice. The goal is to bring the temperature down to a cool temperature the yeast can survive, as quickly as possible. Eventually I am gonna get equipment to to this faster and more efficiently.

While the wort is cooling I take the carboy I am going to use for fermentation and make sure its sanitary. I do this by cleaning it free of dust and gunk and make sure it's super clean, then I fill it with warm water mixed with sanitation solution. I also sanitize the airlock and hydrometer, and anything else that will touch the wort.

Once the wort is cooled I add it to the carboy and I add enough cold filtered water to fill the carboy to about 5 gallons. I take some of the wort and take a reading of its original gravity to check it against what the recipe thinks the O.G. should be. Then I add the yeast, seal it with a bung and an airlock, and put it in a cool, dry, dark place.

All done! Brewing day should take about 2-3 hours including setup and cleanup.

Questions?