Brewing Beer 101

[TTL News 308]

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There’s something about a cold brew that helps close out a hard day’s work. Beer in the United States has come a long way in the last 40 years. When I was a young man in the 1970s, I remember seeing generic beer on the shelf. At that point, it was just a commodity — a pale, fizzy beverage indistinguishable from others like it except for the labels.

These days, the beer aisle is overflowing with styles of beer from all different types of brewing traditions: British ales, German lagers, strong Belgian beers, and more. Brewers in the United States are giving their own twist to classic styles from around the world. American-style IPAs (all the rage right now) are descended from the English India pale ales, for example. This beer renaissance has been driven in part by homebrewers — and you, too, can brew beer at home that has the qualities you desire.

Assemble a Starter Kit

The most common batch size for homebrewers is 5 gallons, which makes just over 48 standard 12-ounce bottles. You can easily brew beer at this scale in your kitchen with a minimal amount of equipment. Homebrew shops sell kits that include everything you’ll need to get started, except for a large brew pot and empty beer bottles. The price of starter kits is generally between 70 dollars and 200 dollars, depending on what the kit includes. Starter kits that include kegging equipment are typically more expensive.

The main items in a brewing starter kit include a food-grade plastic bucket or glass carboy in which to ferment the beer; a second bucket to hold the beer before bottling; tubing to move the liquid from vessel to vessel; and a bottle capper.

For beginning brewers, a 5-gallon stainless steel pot will work well as a brew kettle. At a minimum, you’ll need a pot that will hold 3 gallons of boiling liquid with at least 1 gallon of extra space for foaming.

 

Read more here. 

[Chris 2,161]

I’ve been tempted to try brewing, but I’d rather leave that anti someone else in the end.

[Hal 341]

On 3/31/2024 at 8:15 AM, Chris said:

I’ve been tempted to try brewing, but I’d rather leave that anti someone else in the end.

Everything you need is right here to brew a batch … or two . Helpline is open at my phone number as well lol ! 😆 

[Chris 2,161]

34 minutes ago, Hal said:

Everything you need is right here to brew a batch … or two . Helpline is open at my phone number as well lol ! 😆 

I know, I just have to decide if I really want to bother. It's so much easier to drink the fruits of others' labor!