Using Extract Beer Kits
An Introduction to Extract Beer Kits
Have you ever considered brewing beer at home? For those who have given it thought and are ready to begin, a simple way to start is with a beer kit; and of those, the "home-brew" kits using hopped malt extract (HME) are perhaps the simplest. You can think of HME as a ... concentrated base that is thinned out and expanded upon during the actual brewing process; and the slightly-more-to-actually-still-very-easy process that follows is explained below.
Getting Started
First things first: round up your gear and all the ingredients that came with your extract beer kits. You're going to need the hopped malt extract and the yeast, included in the kit, as well as the detailed recipe instructions that are like a secret weapon for a new homebrewer. This unique mix of stuff inside the beer kit is what's going to produce 5 gallons / 23 liters of the delicious brew that your kit promised...
Cleanliness
As for how to use extract beer kits, the vital first move before dropping straight into brewing beer, if you want to establish a good routine - and you should -especially if you're just starting out or even moving into intermediate territory, is to ensure you've sanitized your equipment.
It may sound boring, but one of the most important rules of home brewing is to keep things clean. Use a combination of hot water VWP or Star San sanitizer to keep equipment as close to sanitary as possible. Cleanliness is just the key to preventing bacteria and other microorganisms from getting in and out of your beer. Once you've mixed the malt extract with water and have it at the correct temperature in your fermenter, introduce the yeast. From this point on, try to minimize the beer's exposure to the air. At this stage, oxidation is detrimental to the beer's flavor. Close up your fermenter, add an airlock, and keep the fermenter in a cool, dark space. After something in the neighborhood of a week to ten days, your beer will be ready to be "bottled".
Bottling Your Beer (Or Syphoning It Into a Keg)
At the point in the beer making operation when you are getting ready to transfer your brewed and fermented concoction into actual containers (usually bottles), we strongly recommend you give those containers a super-good sanitizing treatment.
Homebrewing isn't just a pastime; it is an enriching experience that culminates in a luscious drinkable payoff. You can always improve at it. Controlling fermentation temperatures better will improve the clarity and add nuances to the taste
Don’t get anxious if things go a bit wrong at first; any problem you have in making beer from a kit can definitely be solved by reviewing your process. In addition, when brewing with a beer kit, there is no need for a novice brewer to buy specialized equipment like a really good thermometer or a big steel pot. This is another benefit of working with concentrated malt when making beer for the first time. It is also more economical than buying all the gear needed for a more complex homebrewing setup. All that is needed is the beer kit, a fermenter, and bottles.
Once the basic setup has been done right, it is an excellent foundation to move toward advanced homebrewing methods, such as partial mash, for brewing a beer with more complexity. Endless opportunities let you design a craft beer that you can truly call your own.
Try brewing a seasonal beer. Like a delicious fresh, citrusy wheat beer in the middle of the summer. Just be sure to adjust your fermenting and bottling times based on any additional ingredients. Take a look at our massive range of kits here: Beer Kits
The amount of information that websites, forums, tutorial videos, and other communities can provide is mind-blowing. Those forms of content are like a treasure for people who are new to a topic; in those communities, you'll find first-hand tips and experiences from people who have done things before.
Disclaimer
This content was created from a variety of sources. We try to check it is accurate, but we can not verify it so it's a good idea to do some research of your own.