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Culture September 30, 2016
Nothing beats pouring your favorite beer into a frosty cold glass after a long day of work – unless, of course, you brewed that beer yourself. Every smooth, hoppy sip tastes like success. How do you reach this pinnacle of self-satisfaction in life? A little preparation, an obsessive amount of sanitation and good ole’ delayed gratification: all key ingredients in the home brew process.
Craft beer is trending these days, so why not make it at home? If you’re seeking a challenge, get brewin’. While it takes research and experience to become familiar with home brewing equipment, the process itself involves little more than boiling water and waiting. Of course, the complexity rises as you experiment with new recipes and perfect your brewing methods to create your own character brew. It’s also true that a successful batch of home brew requires patience and careful observation. However, it’s fairly straightforward to get started with a simple ale and grow from there. Here’s how #WomenThatDo brew.
Home brewing does not need to be an expensive hobby. In fact, you can find all the equipment you need for about $60-80 online or at your local home brew supply shop. Many suppliers offer home brew starter kits bundled at affordable prices; here’s a collection we recommend.
A five gallon batch will yield about 50 bottles of beer, and the equipment can be reused for subsequent batches. If you typically spend around $10 for a six pack of craft beer, you can save a substantial amount of money over time by home brewing. Alternatively, you can upgrade your equipment and purchase premium ingredients to indulge in a more elegant, deluxe version of the hobby.
That being said, here is the basic equipment necessary to brew your first batch:
Large Stock Pot: This pot will be used to boil water, malt and hops to create your “wort” (the mixture that will become beer after fermentation). You may already have a large stainless steel cooking pot at home; feel free to use it. The key here is size: the bigger, the better. We recommend a pot with a capacity of at least three or four gallons to prevent your brew from boiling over and creating a sticky mess on your stove top. A pot with a lid is ideal.
Fermentation Bucket: A fermentation bucket is a large (6.5 gallon) food-grade plastic bucket with a tightly securing lid. This is where you will store your brew during the fermentation process. Be sure to select a size larger than the batch you plan to make; as the yeast ferments the beer, pressure and foam will rise in the bucket. You need an extra gallon of empty space to minimize spills and explosions.
Airlock: You will soon learn that bacteria is the enemy of good beer. The airlock allows gas to escape from the fermentation bucket while preventing airborne contaminants from getting in.
Thermometer: Keep a careful eye on temperature while you brew. During the boiling process, home brew aficionado Jeremy Vohwinkle explains, “If the water isn’t hot enough, you won’t extract enough of the flavor and sugars. If it’s too hot, you risk extracting tannins from the husk of the grains which will make your beer astringent and bitter.”
You will also need to cool your boiling wort in an ice bath to about 70 F before pouring it in the fermentation bucket – rush through this step and you risk killing your yeast. You don’t need a special brewing thermometer for this; you can use a meat thermometer if you already own one. Many starter kits also come with an adhesive or built-in thermometer to measure the temperature of your fermentation bucket. To produce high quality ale, you will need to store your brew at 60 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit while it’s fermenting.
Bottling Bucket: When transferring your beer to a new bucket after fermentation, you reduce the amount of sediment and residue that can make its way to your final product. A bottling bucket with a spigot will make it easier to fill bottles.
Siphon and hose: Clear tubing to transfer beer from the fermentation bucket to a bottling bucket or directly into glass bottles. Opt for an auto-siphon (included in many starter kit bundles) for the easiest transfer. Without an auto-siphon, many people are tempted to use their mouths to start suction on the tube. Never do this; your mouth contains Lactobacillus bacteria which you can inadvertently introduce to your beer, ruining it.
Hydrometer: While not totally necessary for a first time brewer, a hydrometer is worth the small investment of $10. This device will help you gauge the alcoholic content of your beer and check that the fermentation process is complete.
There are a few items you might already have in your kitchen (unless you’re addicted to Uber Eats and haven’t touched the stove in months). For example, you will need a large mixing spoon to stir the boiling mixture; a stainless steel utensil works well because it’s easy to sanitize.
You can also recycle old beer bottles for use with your home brew. Just scrub them out with a bottle brush and run them through the dishwasher to sanitize them. Since one batch of beer can take over a month to brew, you have plenty of time to start collecting bottles from your family and friends. Brown glass bottles are preferable to green or clear bottles, as they will more effectively protect your beer’s flavor from the harmful effects of light.
Read the Recipe (Twice): Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment before you embark on the lengthy brewing process. Measure everything out before the water comes to a boil so you’re ready for each step. For example, many recipes will indicate a specific time in the boiling process when hops should be added for bitterness or aroma. Don’t let the moment pass you by, in life and by the stove.
Sanitize Everything: No seriously, everything. Even if you haven’t deep-cleaned your apartment in a month, it’s crucial that you become a neat freak, at least while you’re brewing beer. Each piece of equipment that comes in contact with your beer, including the stirring spoon and thermometer, must be thoroughly sanitized to avoid introducing bacteria. Even small traces of bacteria, leftover yeast or mold can cause the beer to go foul during fermentation. In addition to standard cleaning supplies, home brew supply stores sell no-rinse sanitation sprays that are safe to use in contact with your brewing equipment.
Take Notes: If you want to learn from your mistakes and be able to repeat your most successful batches, take notes during each step of the process, from choosing the ingredients to bottling your beer. You can even purchase an elegant, leather bound beer diary to track your home brew journey.
Now that you’ve procured all the equipment and selected a recipe (here’s an American Pale Ale for beginners), it’s time to get brewing. Remember to start by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing all your equipment to prevent bacterial contamination.
Boil water in a large brew pot and add ingredients according to your recipe. For women (or men) with less experience, we recommend using a malt extract rather than attempting to make your own grain mash, which is messier and more time-consuming. You can experiment with an all-grain recipe later after you get the hang of these brewing basics.
If your recipe indicates a time next to an ingredient, i.e. hops for bittering or aroma, that number refers to how many minutes should be left in the total boiling time when you add that ingredient. Remember to stir frequently to prevent malt extract from settling on the bottom of the pot where it could burn.
When your mixture (now called “wort”) finishes boiling, cover the pot and immediately transfer it to an ice bath to start the cooling process. Your beer is especially susceptible to bacteria and other threats as it transitions from hot to cool, so you need to act quickly to lower the temperature. Using the lid will help keep airborne contaminates out. Do not move onto the next step until your wort cools completely to the temperature indicated in the recipe (usually about 70 F).
Transfer the chilled wort to your fermenting bucket. Pitch in the yeast, seal the lid and close the airlock. At this point, foodie and homebrew hobbyist Heather Barnett recommends making like Taylor Swift and “shake, shake, shake.” Gently swirl your fermenting bucket for about 90 seconds to stir up oxygen for the yeast to use during fermentation. Make sure you get all the shaking out of your system now because introducing more oxygen after fermentation begins can create “off-flavors,” according to brew expert, John J. Palmer.
Two weeks later (or however long your recipe indicates), it will be safe to remove the “Do Not Disturb” sign and bottle your beer. Resist the urge to bottle any sooner than that – i.e. after three or four days. You could end up with uneven carbonation and exploding bottles (#nobueno).
Pour your priming solution (boiled sugar water) into the bottom of your bottling bucket and use the siphon to transfer your beer into the same bucket. Take care to avoid splashing, which will aerate the beer. Use the spigot to fill your sanitized bottles. Once the bottles are capped and sealed the truly hard part begins: waiting. Set the beer aside for another week (or month). The beer will carbonate during this time with the help of your priming syrup. The longer you leave them, the better the beer will taste. Remember what we said about delayed gratification? Homemade beer won’t only taste good, but it can also lead to personal growth when it comes to patience.
If you’re impatient and can’t wait more than a week to taste the spoils of your hard work, Palmer recommends saving one or two bottles and allowing them to condition longer. That way, you can experience the difference in quality after a month.
The only step remaining: Invite the women in your life over for a beer tasting. (Careful, you may find you have a lot more friends now that you’ve got a batch of beer to share.) Cheers!
