Follow along with AHA Director Gary Glass as he walks you through an entire extract brew day, from boil to bottling. This is a great starting point for new homebrewers or folks looking for a quick and easy brew day.
For more in depth information on making beer at home, grab a copy of How To Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time (Fourth Edition) by John Palmer.
Part 1: Here’s a quick introduction on the history of homebrewing and what to expect when giving all-extract homebrewing a try. Also, Gary describes a few of his favorite resources for new homebrewers including Zymurgy magazine and books written by accomplished homebrewers.
Part 2: Gary provides descriptions of each of the four main ingredients used in brewing beer at home: water, malt, hops and yeast. He discusses the difference between brewing with malt versus malt extract as well as the different forms of hops and yeast available at your local homebrew supply shop.
Part 3: Gary takes you on a quick tour of the equipment needed for your maiden voyage into all-extract homebrewing. Many of the supplies you are probably already in your kitchen. This is great to watch before visiting your local homebrew supply shop, as it will help you recognize a lot of the items on your list.
Part 4: Learn the difference between cleaning and sanitizing and what types of products are recommended for use on your homebrew equipment. Proper cleaning and sanitation saves your beer from many issues including off-flavors and smells.
Part 5: Gary walks you through creating the wort for an German-style Hefeweizen brewed with extract. This is a great beginner beer recipe to try. Step-by-step directions are also provided in in our free magazine Zymurgy: An Introduction to Homebrewing.
Part 6: The brewing process continues as Gary moves the beer from the kettle to the fermenter using a racking cane. Watch part 7 for an overview of fermentation management.
Part 7: Now that the beer in safely in the fermenter, Gary shows you how to add (pitch) the yeast and use a hydrometer to take a starting gravity reading—fancy talk for measuring the density of the beer. Finally, learn about how to best store your fermenting beer.
Part 8: After that your beer has fermented for 1-2 weeks, it’s time to take your final gravity reading and prime your beer to carbonate naturally while aging in the bottles.
Part 9: Using a bottle filler, Gary shows you how to transfer your beer from the fermenter into individual bottles and uses a bottle capper to finish the process of bottling this batch of homebrew.
Share Post