How To Brew Your First Homemade Beer

malted barley

💰Cheaper: malted corn

Malted corn is often cheaper and provides a lighter flavor.

hops

💰Cheaper: hops pellets

Hops pellets are more affordable and easier to store.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

Honey can add complexity to the flavor.

bottles

💰Cheaper: kegs

Kegs can be a more cost-effective option for larger batches.

Prepare sanitizer liquid for sanitizing equipment.

Gather equipment: 6.5-gallon carboy, airlock, stopper, large pot, muslin grain sack, racking cane.

Fill the grain sack with 1.5 pounds of Belgian Pilsen, 12 ounces of German wheat, 12 ounces of aromatic wheat, 8 ounces of special roast, and 4 ounces of kara munich malt.

Tie off the grain sack and drop it into 3 gallons of water heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure to dunk it in and out to hydrate.

Let the grains steep for 1 hour, checking the temperature every 10 minutes.

After steeping, lift the grain sack out of the water without squeezing it.

Strain 4 cups of hot water through the grain sack and discard the grains.

Bring the liquid to a boil and add 5 pounds of Pilsen light liquid malt extract, creating the wort.

Once boiling, set a timer for 1 hour and add 1/2 ounce of Sorachi hops.

At the 20-minute mark, add a spice bag containing 3 grams of grains of paradise, 10 grams of coriander, and 65 grams of peeled sliced fresh galangal.

At the 10-minute mark, add 1 ounce of Styrian Goldings hops.

After 1 hour of boiling, cool the wort down to 80 degrees Fahrenheit using an ice bath.

Funnel the cooled wort into a sanitized carboy and top off with filtered water to reach the 5-gallon mark.

Check the specific gravity with a hydrometer, aiming for around 1.050.

Prepare the yeast by letting it sit at room temperature until it puffs up, then sanitize the bag and scissors before cutting it open.

Pitch the yeast into the beer and add the airlock and stopper to the carboy.

Let the beer ferment at room temperature in a dark area for 14 days, ensuring no sunlight reaches it.

After fermentation, sanitize bottles and caps, and prepare to prime with sugar.

Use conditioning tablets, about 4-5 per bottle, for carbonation.

Attach a racking cane to an auto siphon and a bottle filler, then siphon the beer into bottles without touching the bottom yeast cake.

Cap the bottles using a bottle capper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens