Introduction
- Are you feeling bad about not going to the pub and hanging out with your mates over a beer?
- Is it difficult trying to buy beer and other alcoholic beverages because of the lockdown?
- Are the supermarket and departmental store aisles running empty of your favourite beer brand?
Oh, how we could use a nice tall pitcher of our favourite craft beer to calm down everything that is going around us. The Coronavirus lockdown has affected almost all aspects of our lives. It has brought our daily routines and our leisure activities to a grinding halt.
In this article, we look at how you can not only pick up a new skill, but also satisfy your cravings for beer. Yes, you guessed it right. One of the country’s top brewing houses, Melvin Brewing, helps us with some essential tips and tricks to brew our own beer.
What ingredients do you need to brew beer at home?
Even though most of us have some idea about the nature of ingredients needed, we will still list them for the convenience of all our readers.
- Pre-hopped Malt Extract
- Malted barley
- Yeast
- Hops
- Sugar
- Water
- Flavours which you would want to add- orange, apple, etc.
If you have the above stated ingredients, you are good to go. You can get almost all of them at your local convenience store. It should be pointed out that brewing can be done in two main approaches- grain or extract.
The aim of the first approach is to extract the sugar from the grains by a lengthy process. In the second one, you can get the extract directly from the shelves, thereby skipping a lot of time and effort involved in carrying out the first process.
What are the brewing equipment requirements?
If you are done with the ingredients, you will need to turn your attention towards the equipment. Many of us have our own home brewing equipment, which we had purchased on a whim. However, if you do not have a home brewing equipment set up, you can run down to the supermarket and check out one.
Alternatively, in these times, you can also innovate and use your imagination to compensate for the equipment. In other words, you can innovate with various utensils lying around. For essentials, you will require-
- A large wooden spoon to stir
- An auto siphoning lock
- A Funnel
- A big fermenter, which should have an air lock
- A large kettle for the boiling process
- Some basic sanitizing
Please note that sanitizing all the equipment is essential, as even the minutest element can lead to changes in taste during the boiling process.
Brewing, Fermentation and Bottling your Home Beer
After you have all the ingredients and the utensils, you need to follow the three steps-
1. Brewing-
This involves heating grains on a large boiler and bringing them to a boil. This will extract the sugar from the grains, which need to be removed very carefully using a muslin strainer. You also need to add the malt extracts and bring your liquid to a boil. The next step is cooling down the liquid as soon as possible.
2. Fermentation-
Once the brewing is complete, you need to turn your attention to the fermentation part. This means adding the liquid into the fermenter and aerating it. You now need to add the yeast and let it breathe. Aerating the liquid brew helps the yeast to breathe easily. Once you have added the yeast, put in the air lock and seal the same. Store it in a cool, dark place.
3. Bottling-
It is important to bring the fermented brew to a boil, before starting the bottling process. Clean all the bottles with a sanitizer. You do not want any elements to seep into the taste process. Transfer your beer, and put the cap on. Let it sit for at least a week. This will help in the carbonation process.
Conclusion
Even though making your home beer is a labour intensive time consuming process, it is very rewarding and satisfying. You can also pick up a new skill or master it if you have done this before.
