How To Brew Your Own Beer

How To Brew Your Own Beer


This step-by-step guide outlines the general method you should follow to produce a 5-gallon (40-pint) batch of homebrew. All beer kits will provide specific instructions to brewing their product variation, so make sure to also review their recommendations before starting. Here’s all the tips and tricks you need to get you started.

Estimated times for each step are given below, however if this is your first time brewing, give yourself approximately double the time to make sure you are confident in the process.

Sanitise, Sanitise and... Sanitise

Sterilising Equipment

Estimated Time: 15 minutes + 1-2 hours wait

This is arguably the most important step in the brewing process. Any impurity in the mixture can disturb the fermentation process and alter the taste of your beer. Therefore, ensure that every piece of equipment you use is clean and has been sterilised according to the instructions on your chosen sanitiser. Note, this process can vary from 30 minutes to 24 hours depending on your chosen sanitiser.

Brew

Brewing Beer

Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes

  1. Soften the beer kit by placing the tin in boiling water for 2-3 minutes for easier extraction.
  2. Add the contents of the beer kit and the malt extract into the fermentation bucket.
  3. Add around 4 pints of boiling water and intensely stir the solution for 5 minutes. This is to fully dissolve the ingredients and to add oxygen to the mixture to encourage fermentation.
  4. Fill the remaining volume by alternating between hot and cold water to bring the temperature of your brew to between 18-26°C. It’s recommended to aim for the higher end of the range, as its easier to cool the brew afterwards if needed.
  5. Test the initial specific gravity of the sample (original gravity) with the hydrometer. Float the hydrometer in a small sample and record the original gravity reading of your brew. This should be around 1.040 for most kits, however this varies with the sugar content in the solution.
  6. Add the yeast to your brew and stir in well.
  7. Seal the fermentation bucket by securing the lid and the air lock. Check your beer kit instructions to find out how to secure your specific air lock.

Ferment

Fermenting Beer

Estimated Time: 1-4 weeks

  1. Store the fermentation bucket in a dark room at room temperature, between 18-26°C. Leave your beer to ferment for the manufacturer’s recommended time, which usually takes at least 5 days. Once the gravity reading is the same for two consecutive days the beer is ready for bottling.
  2. Record the final gravity after fermentation, and calculate the strength of your beer by comparing the original and final gravities. Use the formula below for an approximation of the ABV or the online calculator *here*.

Tips

Alcoholic Strength %ABV = (OG – FG) x 131

The required fermentation time is very much dependent on the specific kit you buy and the type of beer you are brewing (lager, ale, stout, etc.). It’s recommended to leave your beer to ferment for 1.5-2 times the manufacturer’s suggested time for a cleaner and more full bodied taste, especially if you store it in a cooler room. The less time you leave for fermentation, generally the sweeter your beer will taste, as less sugars have been converted to alcohol. However, if you leave it to ferment for too long (roughly over 1 month), it will become increasingly bitter as the yeast begins to heavily infuse into the taste.

Bottle

Rack of Beer Bottles

Estimated Time: 1-1.5 hours

  1. Ensure all bottles and caps are fully sanitised before you begin the bottling process. See tips below.
  2. Place the required number of carbonation drops into each bottle to prime the beer for carbonation. Ensure that you use the correct dosage of carbonation drops or priming sugar specified on the product packaging. Using excess sugar can result in the bottles exploding during carbonation.
  3. Before transferring your beer to bottles, practice transferring water between two containers to ensure you are comfortable with the process. Watch this video on how to use a siphon if it is your first time.
  4. Begin to transfer your beer from the fermenting bucket into each of your beer bottles
  5. Secure the crown caps to each bottle using the bottle capper.

Tips

To sterilise the bottles, fill the bottle with a small amount of sanitisation solution and shake thoroughly. Pour this into the next bottle and repeat for all bottles. Rinse the each bottle with water after sanitising. Alternatively, use a bottle washer and bottle drying tree to easily rinse and drain your bottles.

Carbonate

Carbonated Beer

Estimated Time: 2 weeks

Store the fermentation bucket in a dark room at room temperature, between 18-26°C. After around 2 weeks your beer will be fully carbonated and ready to drink.

Enjoy

People Enjoying Beer

Well done! You’ve made your own beer and it’s now ready to drink! Chill a couple of bottles in the fridge for around 2 days and enjoy your first crisp beer of the batch!

Brew, Sleep, Taste, Repeat

Selection of Homebrew Beers

There are endless beer varieties and flavour profiles that you can make with homebrew. Why not try experimenting with different recipes or infusing your batch with fruit, grains or spices to give it that extra edge.

Most brewers take a few attempts before getting a beer that they like, so dont be discouraged if your first batch is less than ideal. Try to pinpoint where you think you went wrong and adjust your method to suit. If you're up for the challenge, you'll be making great tasting beer in no time!