| Basic Overview of Home Beer Brewing | | | | “maltsters” quickly dry the grains in order to |
| Home brewing beer as complex as it may seem, is | | | | freeze the process in its tracks. Now, left |
| not as complicated as you may think. The process of | | | | “frozen” in the grain, are the enzymes and |
| home brewing your own beer is basically broken | | | | starches. These will not become active again until |
| down in a minimal amount of steps in contrast to the | | | | you, the home brewer, begin the “sugar |
| seemingly intimidating steps that many advanced | | | | rest” or steeping of the grains part of the beer |
| home brewers prefer to take. | | | | home brewing process. |
| The basic process of beer home brewing can be | | | | After the grains are steeped, they are rinsed of all |
| broken down into to steps starting with getting your | | | | the sweet fermentable sugars. The remaining sweet |
| ingredients, which consist of water, grains, yeast and | | | | liquid is called “wort”. Soon this home brew |
| hops. Then after the grains are crushed, the steeping | | | | wort will be transferred to the brewing kettle and |
| of them begins. The steeping process is basically like | | | | brought to a boil. The home brewing process will be |
| making tea, the only difference is that the starches in | | | | under way. The boiling process of homebrewing has |
| the grains need to be converted into sugars that can | | | | a lot to do with releasing oils from the hops in order |
| be used, or fermented by yeast. So, basically, the | | | | to provide proper bitterness, flavor and aroma to |
| entire home brewing process is converting sugars | | | | your home brewed beer. In addition, the boiling |
| from barley or other grain malt then fermenting | | | | process will help sanitize the wort. |
| those sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide through | | | | Once the boiling of the home brew wort is |
| the beer fermentation process. That’s it. | | | | completed, the wort is cooled to around 70 degrees |
| Now, back to the whole “steeping” process. | | | | or so then transferred to a homebrew fermenter |
| There are a few specifics wanted to point out in | | | | and the yeast is added. It takes about 5 days for |
| regards to the conversion process of the sugars. | | | | the yeast to complete the task of “primary |
| These sugars actually start out as starches in the | | | | fermentation”, producing the alcohol and carbon |
| grains. It all happens at a temperature of around 165 | | | | dioxide. |
| degrees Fahrenheit. What is really going on is there | | | | That’s just about it. Following primary |
| are actual enzymes inside the grain which, when | | | | fermentation when homebrewing would be a stage |
| activated at the right temperature, will go after the | | | | called secondary fermentation where the |
| starches and convert them into sugars. This process | | | | homebrewed beer is separated from the yeast on |
| is all made possible through the “malting” | | | | the bottom of the fermenter and transferred into |
| process of grains for home brewing beer where the | | | | another glass fermenter in order to allow for clearing |
| grains are soaked until they are about to sprout or | | | | of the homebrewed beer. |
| germinate. This is the moment the | | | | |