Brewing craft beer at home is an enjoyable pastime shared by over a million Americans. Homebrewing not only serves as a fun hobby to enjoy on the side, but it provides you with a tasty beverage to enjoy when the process is over. Even the White House joined in on the homebrewing movement in 2012!
Whether you have just started making a beer brew at home and are on the search for some more helpful tips to take your brew to the next level, or you are wanting to start brewing your first batch, we’re going to provide you with a few homebrewing tips today. Brewing delicious beer at home comes with practice and we want to help you as you start your homebrewing journey. Read along to learn a few important tips that will take your homebrewing skills to the next level.
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Invest In Fresh Ingredients, Especially Malt
You want to make good beer, right? Then you’re going to want to invest in the best ingredients possible. Brewing beer requires only a few ingredients, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t choose quality ones.
Malt
Malt, which is grain that is used to make beer, is an especially important ingredient to pay close attention to. Make it a point to find the freshest possible malt extract you can. You don’t want malt that has passed its prime. Avoid brown hop pellets and yeast.
Hops
These small, green buds is what provides your beer with those sweet and malty flavors. Selecting fresh hops is going to make a big difference in the taste and aromas of your beer, so make sure you purchase quality hops. Plus, you can store hops in your freezer for about six months for reuse.
Water
Without water, you can’t make beer. This ingredient isn’t as important as the others. However, if you are wanting to fine-tune the taste of your brew, you might consider using bottled water instead of tap water. Tap water contains chlorine, which can affect the taste of the beer in the long-run. Ensure a clean taste to your beer by using purified bottled water.
Yeast
Yeast is the magic ingredient in the wort that turns into the beer you’ve been dreaming of. There are different kinds of yeast available, depending on which beer you are homebrewing, like ales or lagers. Be mindful of this as your collect your beer brewing ingredients. With fresh ingredients, your beer is going to taste that much better.
Chill The Wort
Pouring hot wort into cold water in a fermenter is often the brewing practice of choice to chill the wort down. However, there is a better method for chilling wort that will not compromise the flavor of the final product. Instead of mixing the hot wort with the cold water, place the hot wort in a pile of ice to cool it down. Once the temperature decreases to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can transfer it to the cool water in the fermenter. This way of chilling the wort decreases the chance of oxidation, which will produce a tastier beer in the long-run.
Stay Clean And Sanitized
While this may seem like a no-brainer, sanitizing your homebrew systems and beer equipment, especially during the wort cooling process, is an important tip for creating a clean tasting, delicious beer. The last thing you want is to contaminate your brews, so be sure to soak the equipment in a no-rinse sanitizer.
Hopefully these three simple tips will assist you in your homebrewing endeavors. Focusing on fresh ingredients and sanitizing your equipment, as well as properly chilling the wort, will ensure that your final product is a delectable beer that you and your friends and family will enjoy. Check out our homebrewing systems at Brew Perfect today.