Awesome New Beer Technology
This is some awesome new beer technology. Thought I’d share.
If you have some awesome beer technology to share, join us at the Pub for Beer Enthusiasts, Beertaps.com Pub.
Let’s Take A Closer Look At Homebrew Kits
With all the right tools, equipment, supplies, hops, and tidbits included in homebrew kits… they are perfect for people to start brewing their own beer from the comfort of their own home. When starting out, you just want to first get to a point of brewing good tasting beer, and you can’t go wrong with a kit.
Before you go and run out to buy yourself a homebrew kit, you will need to consider your needs. So how much beer do you want to brew? How technical do you want to get? What flavored beer do you want? Etc… Then once you decide on all the important things, you will need a home beer brewing guide to teach you the essentials because quiet simply, the instructions that come with homebrew kits are useless at best. Then once you are well informed, it’s time to buy your kit, clean your equipment, brew your beer, and then drink it (in simple terms).
There is a variant if you would want to determine the color of your beer, and the style of your brew – other than the classic canned beer taste. You can opt to have a different set of ingredients. These are still all-extract kits though as they give you preformulated ingredients.
Once you learn the ropes, then you may up the ante and progress to partial mash brewing which is harder than the standard beginner kit, but gives you a lot more control over your beer’s taste. Partial mash brewing is a lot more hands on as you are boiling more ingredients for set amounts of time to get certain bitterness, and other qualities. Using an extract kit is almost easy as 1-2-3, whereas partial mash brewing gives you the brewer more creative control… you must have previous experience with the basic kits before you progress onto this technique.
When brewing, the extract, hops, yeast, and water will determine the flavor of your beer. Hops is primarily responsible for determining the bitterness of your brew, so adding the hops sooner or later will provide a different flavor making your bee unique and different to that off your neighbors.
Eventually, you’d get the hang of brewing beer from your kits. You want to experiment more, do more than your ingredients or your materials would allow or you would even want to decide to graduate your hobby to beer fanaticism or better, to a commercial brewery. But whatever extent you want to bring yourself to, start it first with the good old trusty homebrew kits.
Homebrew kits will assist you get introduced and become an expert at brewing beer at home. Luke Porter is an expert brewer who is happy to share the in’s and out’s of brewing kits available on the market today.
Save Money By Brewing Your Own Beer
There are few pleasures in life to match a nice cold beer on a hot day, and a visit to their favorite bar for a couple of glasses of their chosen brew is an ideal way for many people to round off the working week.
However, prices can be a major sticking point for many, as price increases have taken a nights drinking to the level where it is now something that has to be balanced against cost. Although there are other reasons to be restrained when it comes to having a few drinks, such as the health benefits of drinking responsibly, many of us have come to the conclusion that there is no reason to pay higher prices when it just doesn’t seem worth it.
The benefits of having a home brewery are clear to most people. However, there is a sense, as with many things, that it just isn’t the same. With well-stocked stores and bars all around them, some people simply think “Why should I bother to brew my own?”. However, as prices at the liquor store and the local bar climb ever higher, it is now more than ever an option to be considered. A home brewery allows you to have a few beers when you want at a price that suits your pocket.
Remember that home-brewed beer is not lesser than paid for beer; it is just a matter of trial and error. There are few of us who are skilled or lucky enough to have our first batch of home-brewed beer turn out to be just as good as, or better than, the frosty glasses of ale served up at our local tavern. Then, with some experimentation and a bit of persistence, you’ll be able to create a range of great beers, that are suited to your own particular tastes.
Home brewery kits are not expensive. In fact, when compared to how much you would normally spend watching a few games at a sports bar every month, they are positively cheap. Once you have the knack you will find that people are prepared to visit for a couple of drinks when the game is on they may be willing to pay and, if not, they’ll bring food to go with the drinks you serve up.
It is about more than just the end product though, a home brewery is a hobby. It is something that you occupy yourself with for a few hours a week, something that can lead to meeting lots of like-minded beer lovers through the joining of home brewing clubs, and, ultimately, something that you can enjoy.
Luke Porter is a home brewing beer enthusiast, and an expert author. You are invited to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home by reading his latest book, “Home Beer Brewing Secrets” available online today!
Brew Great Home Beer
5 Home Brewing Tips to Avoid the Dreaded Bottle Bomb
by Brad Smith in Homebrewing
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1. Use High Quality Ingredients
The quality of brewing ingredients in the 1980s was nowhere near the quality home brewers have access to today. However, you still need to be careful when purchasing ingredients – particularly those that look like they have been on the shelf for a while. First, always use fresh malts and malt extract. Older liquid and dried malt extract in particular will ferment much more slowly than comparable all-grain wort. Yeast also has a limited shelf life. Liquid yeast is generally of higher quality than dried packets, but it must be stored under refrigeration and must be used in the recommended shelf life. Liquid yeasts are typically dated – so pay attention to the date when you purchase and use the yeast. Old, expired yeast will ferment slowly or possibly incompletely contributing to exploding bottles.
2. Allow the Beer to Ferment Completely
One of the chief causes of exploding homebrew bottles is beer that has not been fully fermented before bottling. Many home brewers are anxious to drink their newest brew and rush it into the bottle too early. The beer then completes its fermentation in the bottle, producing extra CO2 pressure that can cause bottles to fail. Malt extract based beer will ferment more slowly than a comparable all grain beer, so malt extract brewers are at higher risk. Finally, many extract brewers use plastic buckets with covers that seal poorly. As a result, gas may leak out the edge of the bucket rather than through your airlock. A beginner will interpret the lack of airlock activity as an indicator that fermentation is complete, never realizing that the CO2 from active fermentation is leaking from the cover. I usually allow a minimum of two weeks for an average beer to ferment before bottling, and wait a longer period if brewing a high gravity beer.
3. Use Good Bottles, and Inspect Them
A poor quality bottle is a recipe for disaster. Even under normal carbonation, a beer bottle at room temperature can reach 30+ psi. Never use a twist off bottle – they are too thin and your caps will not properly seal. Select the thickest bottles you can find, clean them thoroughly and inspect each of them by holding them up to a light source each time you use them. Immediately toss any cracked, chipped or thin bottles. Consider purchasing high quality reusable bottles from your homebrew store – these are generally better than disposable commercial bottles. If you use them several times, the cost is quite reasonable.
4. Calculate and Weigh the Right Amount of Priming Sugar
Sugar density varies tremendously depending on who made the sugar – one cup of corn sugar from one manufacturer weigh dramatically more than another. Weigh your priming sugar – don’t just measure it by volume. You can calculate the exact weight of priming sugar needed using a spreadsheet, online calculator or BeerSmith.
5. Store your Beer in a Cool Dark Place
Light and heat are natural enemies of finished beer. Light and heat break down critical flavor compounds, promote additional fermentation and increase the CO2 pressure in the bottle. As you heat a bottle of beer, it also dramatically increases the pressure in the bottle itself. Store your beer in a cool dark place to avoid bottle bombs and preserve its natural flavor.