on from a previous article, where I described six of the more common problems that can arise when brewing your own beer, and what to do about it.

This seems to be a recurring theme, and people that know me have suggested that I do a few more. So here we go with another half dozen of the problems you might come across.

Too sweet. Of course this assumes that you were not going for a sweet beer anyway, in which case no problem. Mind you, even a stout or other “sweet beer” can be too sweet, but you definitely don’t want it in a bitter. There are two main causes of this, one is an excess of malt, where the remedy is to add half a teaspoon from your starter bottle to the fermenting vessel. The other is insufficient attenuation, that is where the specific gravity is below 1.010. Unfortunately there is no remedy for this, and if the brew is completely undrinkable (we all know someone who will) all you can do is discard it.

Too lively. A fairly common problem and relatively easy to fix. There are three main causes here. The excessive use of priming sugar, where you need to decant inro a large covered vessel, avoiding contamination. Too high a storage temperature. Just remove to the correct temperature of between 50-55F. And too high a specific gravity when bottled. Add half a teaspoon from the starter bottle, do not seal too tightly, and release the gas daily.

Yeast Bite. As the name suggests this is an excess of yeast, giving an intense acrid bitterness. An excess of yeast can be removed from the periphery of the fermentation vessel along with any waste matter by simply using a damp cloth. Any yeast still in suspension can be dealt with by adding more finings. Sometimes storing at too high a temperature will cause sediment to rise and disperse. Simply remove to the correct temperature of 50-55F.

Lack of a decent head. Four main causes for this condition. Using faulty malt. Nothing to be done here except throw it away and start again. Maturation time too short. Ah, the impatience of youth! Can be rescued by pouring into a large covered container, sparing use of the starter bottle, and moving to a slightly higher temperature. A lack of dextrins, which means the mash has not reached a temperature of a least 152F. You can try heating to that temperature. The simplest cause is using a drinking vessel that has not been washed and rinsed properly. Clean glasses are a must.

The beer tastes “off”. This can be caused by the decomposition of dead yeast cells. Remove by racking.

Cloudy beer. A contentious one this, as some drinkers don’t mind as long as the taste and flavour are OK. However the majority of beer drinkers like to see a nice clear product. Causes are storing at too high a temperature. Just move to somewhere cooler. Insufficient sievings of hops and grain malt. Adding finings will usually solve that. Excessive use of finings. Nothing to be done, either drink as is or discard. Too few finings. Add more, carefully. Filtering too soon or ineffectively. Filter again.

OK, there we have it. If you are thinking that there is just so much to go wrong it just isn’t worth it. Don’t be put off. You will usually produce a perfectly drinkable beer. It’s just useful to know a few of the things that can go wrong, and how to fix them if possible. Of course, the likelyhood of things going wrong are drastically reduced if you find a good beer recipe, and stick to it. When you have become a reasonably competent brewer, then you can go and experiment.

For extensive links and additional information visit: SimpleHomeBrewing.com

Making beer at home couldn’t be easier than with the Mr. Beer kits . It takes 21 days total to finish a batch. That only entails about 20 minutes of actual work though.

If you can boil water, you can make beer, guaranteed. It tastes great too! If you don’t believe me, watch the video linked below. I ordered my own kit to try it out for myself. Let nobody say I don’t practice what I preach

Starting your Batch:

1) Sanitize everything with the easy to use 1 step no-rinse sanitizer

2) Fill the keg with a measured amount of water to the line.

3) Pour out a few cups of the water and boil it, adding the Booster package to the boil. Take the pot off the boil

4) Stir in the can of concentrated extract and add the boiled batch back into the keg.

5) Add the yeast and close the lit. Wait 14 days and then go to the bottling step.

Easy Bottling:

6) Add a small measured amount of sugar to each bottle that came in your kit and fill with beer from the keg.

7) Wait 7 more days for the beer to carbonate. Store in the fridge and enjoy your new brew at your leisure. Be sure to save at least 1 bottle to show off to your friends!

Why should you make your own beer

SAVE MONEY! Make your own WINE / BEER FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR! ($1/bottle of wine 25 cents/bottle of beer) CUSTOMIZE YOUR WINE / BEER to your taste. You take FULL CONTROL OF THE TASTE! IT’S EASY! - Anyone can do this stuff. Just watch the videos below to see for yourself how simple it really is. FRIENDS AND FAMILY LOVE IT. I gave my mom a couple of bottles bottles of spiced elderberry wine for xmas 2 years in a row and she was genuinely disappointed when she didn’t get any the next year. I thought I was being cheap, but she loved it! I even made custom labels and made it look professional and bought very nice velvet wine gift bags for $1/each at the dollar store!



Which Kit to buy?

There are a range of kits available starting at about $49. That’s not bad at all considering it makes 2 gallons of beer and the kits are completely reusable. Refill kits are considerably cheaper because you’re re-using the same bottles and keg over and over. Considering a refill pack for the kit costs $9.95 and makes 2 GALLONS of beer, you’re making beer for pennies on the dollar after your first batch.

There are a variety of beer flavor/styles available. If you can imagine it they probably have a kit pretty close to what you’re looking for. For more info on Mr Beer or to check out their available kits visit the Mr Beer website.

 

You might also enjoy this youtube video on how to use the Mr. Beer Kits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZBZ86ZS1uI

The Equipment:

Primary Fermentation Container: The best container to use for primary fermentation (discussed later) is a food grade bucket with lid or barrel. The key to selecting an appropriate primary fermentation container is the container having a large surface area exposed to the wine (no small openings) and having it at least a gallon larger than the batch you want to produce. If you want to brew a five gallon batch you probably want to select a six gallon container and leave a few inches of air space at the top for the foaming that may occur during fermentation.

Secondary Fermentation Container (Carboy): A secondary container should have a very slender opening and should be able to be easily filled almost to the top. As little surface area of the wine as possible should be exposed to the air. You should also be able to attach an air lock and rubber bung to the secondary fermenter making it air tight except for the air lock. The most widely used secondary fermenter is a glass carboy or plastic ozarka bottle.

Siphoning / Racking Equipment: At the very least you will need some type of rubber or vinyl hose to move wine from one container to another. Many home hobbists also use a “racking cane” which is essentially a J-shaped hard plastic or glass tube with or without a small cap to keep the cane above the sediment in the containers. When working with five gallon batches of wine at least 5 feet of hose is required.

Hydrometer: A hydrometer measures the specific gravity (density) of the wine. This allows you to judge the sugar content of the wine. A minimum starting sugar content of wine is usually 1.74 to 1.90. When the hydrometer registers 0 all sugar in the wine has been converted to alcohol. Hydrometers are also effected by temperature variations in the wine. Refer to the documentation that comes with your hydrometer for exact specifications and conversion tables.

Levered or Floor Corker: If you are planning on bottling and corking your wine it’s well worth the $20-30 for a levered or floor corker. Some models of corkers do not use levers and require you to apply a large amount of direct force to the cork to force it into the bottle. These types of corkers can be extremely difficult to use. If you are planning on corking your wine then you’ll want to invest in a relatively inexpensive corker that will allow you to quickly and easily seal bottles. Remember, a five gallon batch of wine can make as many as 25 standard sized (750ml) bottles of wine so you probably won’t be corking just one or two bottles at a time. If possible, try out the corker before buying it to make sure it’s comfortable for you to use.

Other useful tools: A plethora of other tools can be very useful when making wine but are not necessarily “specialist equipment”. They are not absolutely essential but they can make the process MUCH easier. These include bottle brushes, rinsers, drainers, fillers, long handled stirring spoons, thermometers, funnels, hose clamps, pulp bags, etc.

 

Other Sources:

http://www.SimpleHomeBrewing.com

http://www.squidoo.com/easybeermaking

http://www.squidoo.com/honeymead

When you want to start making your own beer, the absolute easiest way to start is with the use of a kit.

Home made beer tastes better and costs much less, but there are a lot of other reasons why you should start to brew your own beer. The first reason is that its is so much fun to make and drink your own home brew, second, if you are used to drinking beer in a wide variety of different flavors this is also an excellent way to try out some of the different beer kits. There are many different types of beer like:

- Lager

- Draught

- Real Ale

- Stout

- Bitter

- Dark Ale

- Australian Pale Ale

- European Lager

- Canadian Blonde

And within these types there are different flavors you can choose from.

But if you already have a favorite brand of beer there is a very good chance that you will find the recipe of that beer in one of the specially written books with recipes for well known beer brands. This way you can drink the beer you are used to and like to drink but you can still be proud and say you have made it yourself with a home beer brewing kit.

Talking about brewing kits can mean two different things. It can be about a home beer brewing kit which is actually a microbrewery set, this is the equipment you need to brew beer at your own house or about home beer kits, these are the ingredients each kit contains malt, hops and yeast to produce 6 gallons of really great beer. There are also beer kit packages available this is the beer kit of your choice plus the advised fermentable and carbonation drops for bottling.

What is the basic content of home beer brewing kits and what is it meant for?

In a good kit, which are also known as a microbrewery kit, you can find the following components:

1) Instruction book / DVD

2) a plastic fermenter with lid for 6 gallons of beer

3) a sediment reducer

4) Hydrometer

5) thermometer

6) big plastic spoon

7) bottler tube

airlock

9) tap

10) bottles and caps

11) beer kit package (beer kit, brewing sugar, brewing yeast and carbonation drops

A plastic fermenter is a specially designed bucket (keg) with an airtight seal, this is were the beer is left to ferment, there also is a sediment reducer and a tab with the fermenter, this is to make sure the yeast sediment stays in the fermenter when filling the bottles.

It is important to keep a check on the temperature of the brew, that is why a thermometer is attached to the fermenter.

The airlock allows CO2 to escape, that is produced during fermentation. and it prevents contamination from coming in the brew.

And the most important piece of equipment is a Hydrometer, this is used for fermentation ad it tells you when your beer is ready for bottling. Just start with your new hobby and create your own unique flavor or try and create the same flavor you have been drinking for years.

u’ve decided (very wisely I might say) to brew your own beer. What basic equipment do you need? As in many processes the equipment can be varied, and indeed complicated. But to start with you do not really need much in the way of equipment.

The first thing to aquire is a large container (mashing vessel). This can be as small as a large soup pot, or as large as you can comfortably handle. A large preserve or stew pan is good. Try a second hand catering supplier, you’ll get a good deal. At the same time, although by no means essential at this stage, see if they have a free standing gas ring which you can use with bottled gas. This means you can brew out in the yard or in the garage.

Trust me, your partner will be much more forgiving if you are not underfoot in the kitchen, and the smell (although I love it) can be a bit of an aquired taste. The other advantage of using gas is the instant controllability of temperature. Electricity can be a bit hit and miss as it’s not instant. Unless of course you have a halogen hob. But you don’t really want to be in the kitchen unless you have no other choice.

You are also going to need a thermometer, temperature is fairly critical in the brewing process. Again, go to a brewing supplies store and you will find quite a variation, but I would go for one at least 12 inches in length, or even larger if you can. Especially if you have bought a large mashing vessel. They are easier to read anyway. By the way, a spare thermometer is always useful. They can be dropped and broken!

You will need a fermenting vessel for the brew after the yeast has been added. It should have a decent fitting lid and handles for lifting. When I started I used a plastic dustbin (garbage bin) from my local hardware store. It was bright yellow and I thought it was cool. Only later did I discover that the yellow colour was due to the use of the heavy metal cadmium, pretty toxic to humans. This cadmium would leach out into the brew due to the effect of the process. Well I got away with that one (I think). But the lesson here is to only use containers guaranteed to be brewing friendly. I would favour a five gallon plastic container sold by a reputable brewing supplies store.

A length of plastic tubing around quarter inch diameter and about a yard or so long will be wanted to siphon off the brew when ready into whatever containers yopu have decided to use. Probably a plastic cask or bottles. Ideally the tube should have a glass siphon tube fitted (with a trap like a sink u- bend) so as not to draw up sediment when siphoning. These are pretty cheap from the brewing supplies place.

All bottles used should be in good condition, and free from any flaws. If you can get ***** top bottles all the better. It goes without saying that they should be scrupulously clean.

O.K. That’s it. That’s really all the basic equipment you need. Of course there are other items that I would call optional, that may make the job a little easier, and I’ll cover those in another article. But if you’re working on a budget you can start with just these items. Just go for it, and good luck.

When you are producing less than one million hectoliters of beer each year then you are considered a micro brewery in the United States, when you reside in Canada however you should not be making more than 300.000 hectoliters per year. It still is more than you are allowed for private use, having a micro brewery can be a wonderful way of living. Specially when you enjoy brewing beer and you wouldn’t mind being a bit more commercial then it’s perfect for you.

Always sanitize

When you want to get started with your micro home brewing you should first start by sanitizing all the equipment that you are going to use in the brewing process. After the sanitizing you should give everything a good rinse to be sure that no sanitizer is left in the system. If there is any sanitizer left then this could kill the yeast and this on it’s turn will result in a poor tasting and flat beer.

Cooking and stirring

The first thing that has to be done when you are micro home brewing is to start the cooking process. Put about 2 gallons of water in the pot and bring it to a boil and when it is boiling you add the malt syrup. Now we need to start stirring this mixture can dissolve in the boiling water but be careful now and make sure that the pot does not boil over because when that happens we could lose ingredients so always keep a close eye on the pot while you stir it.

The next steps

We need to do a lot of other steps to complete the brewing process. The worth, which is the name of the mixture we created should be left alone to cool after this we need to siphon it, bottle it etc. etc. You will find out that there are many methods you can follow when you start micro home brewing. It is probably best to do a lot of testing so your beer will have a distinctive taste to it that will be your signature.

Do not fear, help is near

If you, at some point do not know how to tackle a certain problem you can always ask one of the many microbreweries that are out there, maybe give a few of them a visit to introduce yourself. If you don’t know any in your region then get online and start looking nearby breweries with an online search.

If you have always liked brewing you own beer for private use and really would like to make a small living out of it then give micro home brewing a try. It will not be a large investment and you would be doing something that, because it is your hobby, will not have a high learning curve.

Keep in mind that it should be something you enjoy doing. It will reflect in the taste of the beer and if the taste is good then half of the task is done.

For all of you coffee lovers out there, you may wonder what the purpose of having home brew pots is when you can just go out and buy a cup of coffee each morning. Well, there are several different answers of particular importance to this.

For one, if you have home brew pots then you are going to save a lot of money overall because you are just going to have to actually buy the home brew pots and then you have them forever, whereas if you have to go out each day you are going to be spending much more money overall.

As well you will save yourself time and effort with home brew pots, because rather than you having to get up and go out each morning to get your daily brew, you can just stay in and brew it yourself.

More About Home Brew Pots

As well there is the fact of how it is thought that the taste of the coffee that is brewed with home brew pots is also considered to taste much richer and fresher than any coffee company’s offering, because you know that you are making a fresh pot and that it has not instead been sitting around for hours before you got to it.

The Costs

If you are interested in getting a home brew pot for yourself but you are wondering if it is going to be expensive, then you should know that you can really rest assured because it is not going to cost you much at all.

In fact, a home brew pot is one of the cheapest brewing pieces of equipment that you can get, and not only that but they are incredibly durable and so you will not have to worry about going out and purchasing a new one anytime soon.

Coffee is one of the most popular and universal drinks in the world, and so if you are a coffee lover who is interested in saving time, money and effort, then you are definitely going to want to think about getting yourself a home brew pot as soon as you can.

You can even buy the actual coffee from the place that you usually go to when you want coffee, so that you can still have that same actual coffee flavor and taste, only from a fresh home brewed pot whenever you want it, which is absolutely more convenient, affordable, and timely.

Brewing a great cup of coffee with a basic coffee machine is possible. You don’t need a thousand dollar espresso master to be an at-home barista. However, brewing a tasty coffee takes work and preparation. To learn more about how to brew a great machine cup of coffee, keep reading.

Clean Machine

Start your brewing process by making sure your machine is clean. You should be cleaning out your coffee pot with soap and water after every use and making sure that you rinse it out well. You don’t want to leave behind any used coffee grounds or the bitter taste of previously brewed coffee on the inside the machine.

Ideally, your pot should be thoroughly clean and decalcified or descaled at least once a month. To do this, you can use a mild solution of lemon and water or a specific descaling product designed for coffee machines.

Clean Tools

Next, make sure your coffee preparation tools are also clean. This includes your reusable filter container and coffee spoon. Most coffee brewers use the same coffee spoon over and over, going as far as to store the scoop inside the coffee container. However, the metal or plastic from your scoop can react with the coffee and affect its natural flavor, so avoid doing this. Instead, store it in a clean area perhaps with or near your other silverware.

Filtered Water

Try using filtered or pure water the next time you brew a pot of coffee and note the difference when compared to tap water. By removing sediment, minerals and other taste-affecting particles, you can ensure the pure water you’ll be using won’t affect the taste of your brew.

Many coffee machines come with water filters. If yours includes a filter, remember to clean it and replace it on a regular basis to avoid build-up or calcification.

Additionally, some people also love the clean taste of distilled water, using their own countertop water distiller. Using home distilled water can significantly improve the taste of coffee.

Properly Stored Coffee

Coffee should be stored in a dark place at room or refrigerator temperature. Freezing your coffee may make it last longer, but it can also negatively affect the taste.

So, instead of buying your coffee in bulk and freezing it, buy freshly roasted coffee and use it within the week. Find a local roaster in your area and go directly to the source for that truly fresh taste.

Freshly Ground

Ideally, you should be buying whole ground coffee and grinding your coffee beans immediately before you start brewing. This will lock in freshness and keep your coffee from going stale.

When grinding, remember that how fine you grind the coffee will affect the taste. If coffee is too finely ground, it will taste bitter, but if it’s not ground enough, it will taste flat.

Good Measurements

A good measurement ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. Using much more than that will give the coffee a taste that is too strong for most.

group of individuals who were out and out ‘foodies’. Constantly experimenting and coming up with innovative and great tasting dishes. They initially offered news related to food, a place for members to hangout and relax and share their home recipes and an endless list of American recipes to take hone and try out.

The American Home Cooking Club was created by a chef and this club has grown to become on of the top cooking clubs in the land. In the recipes section of the club one can find recipes to create the greatest of meals, appetizer, drinks, desserts, sandwiches and almost any dish under the sun. The Great American Cooking Club is known to feature a ‘recipe of the week’ There will even be a qualified chef standing by to give members a taste of the recipe of the week and also explain how to make the dish at home.

The club has created their own great home cooking links to different clubs and online portals and is a great medium to study the different ways food is prepared and served. The club is fast gaining popularity throughout the land and a lot of people are signing up just to hone their skills at cooking great meals for their families and friends.

The members or even visitors can search through the columns of the Great American Cooking Club to find their favorite recipe and how to go about preparing it. Others can subscribe to a chef’s news letter out of which the Fish Wrap and Food News letters are sent out once a week to every one who cares to subscribe. These news letters contain information about local American as well as international food and recipes.

The I chef as the club is called is a system where individuals can create their own site within the site and upload their own recipes, cooking stories and articles about anything that pertains to food and diet. It is possible for just about any member to create a recipe club and invite people to join and share their ideas and recipes. There are individual clubs such as cake baking, bread making, Beverages and brewing you name it – I Chef has it!

So log on and set yourself with an account and enjoy learning newer recipes and brews and also do not forget to share some of your home recipe secrets as well.

Home brewing is a hobby that is still growing in popularity, creating your own wine, beer and other beverages like your own root beer is fulfilling and rewarding to do. It is a hobby where you need little investment and money to start with, you just need some good home brew supplies, some ingredients and your good to go. These home brew supplies are for some very easy to find because they have a local home brew shop where they can buy anything they need but for those who do not have that luxury there is a better option then traveling a long time to buy what you need. You can buy your home brew supplies online and you will be surprised at the convenience of these kind of stores. Most of the time there is a bigger variety of home brew supplies and when you have made your choice it can be delivered at your door step.

Most home brew supplies stores online and offline can also provide you with recipes and brewing information, in a local store it may seems easier because you can directly speak with the shop owner. But in fact on online forums there are also shop owners and a lot of their costumers and other brew enthusiast that can lead you trough the whole brewing process.

Brewing is historically always been a home activity, for thousands of years people brew there own beer and wine, that changed when people found it more convenient to buy beer instead of brewing it themselves. But during the prohibition people took up this old craft and it grew in popularity and today it is undergoing a resurgence in popularity. The online home brew supplies stores are still increasing each year, most of these companies did not even exist 20 years a go, and there are still new shops opened who make a good living selling home brew supplies and giving advise to starting home brewers.

What kind of home brew supplies you need depends on what you are going to brew because you need different equipment for brewing beer or for making wine. If you are just starting out and you want to create your first brew, the best thing you can do is to buy a home brewing kit, these kits contain everything you need to make your first batch of wine, beer or soft drink. If you are more experienced you can become more adventurous and buy some other home brew supplies and try out some new recipes. When your try out other ingredients and recipes you can make different kind of beers and wines, there are even people who make it in to a sport to recreate the taste of a brand beer they otherwise would buy.

Home Brewing is dangerous

With the increasing popularity there are also a growing amount of tales that home brewing is dangerous that you can blow up your house or at least about exploding kegs and other horror stories. These stories contain just a tiny bit of thought and a lot of nonsense. Yes, because you are working with a fermentation process and are turning sugar into alcohol there is a certain amount of potential disaster, but brewing is a controlled process and if you follow instructions and use the right home brew supplies there is very little risk of blowing up anything a specially a house.