Even a slight interest in brewing your own beer has the potential to grow into something of a passion. Beer enthusiasts start brewing beer to make their own drinks, save money, and take part in a practice that has an extremely long history. The enthusiasm and excitement associated with UK home brewing can result in newcomers getting a bit ahead of themselves. So, here are a few tips to set you on the straight and narrow and ensure that you’re keeping in some pretty basic fundamentals of brewing your own beer.
Buy a Decent Kit
You’ll find far better extract kits available than when they used to sit on the dusty shelves at the back of a store. They offer you an affordable and simple way to sample your new hobby with some nice results. You can buy a decent kit from an established brewery in stores or online.
Demijohn or Bucket
It doesn’t matter whether you’re brand new to brewing or you’ve done it 100 times before, you’ll need something suitable to ferment it in. The majority of times, you’ll be choosing between a carboy and a bucket. Demijohns or carboys look nicer, especially the glass ones. They can be annoying to clean, however. Food-trade plastic buckets aren’t very glamorous, but they’re at least practical. Be sure to buy one with a close-fitting lid that’s appropriate for an airlock. As with almost everything else, there are more expensive alternatives available. And while it can be sometimes worth looking into some of these options, it isn’t always necessary to go down that route. You can find cost-effective demijohns and buckets if you’re on a budget.
Clean Everything
If you’re brewing beer, you should be rigorous when it comes to cleaning during the brewing process. VWP is a non-nonsense steriliser and cleaner for preparing everything in advance of the brew. You’ll also want a no-rinse sanitiser for during the process. With this combination, you shouldn’t have a problem with infected and spoiled beer. You can purchase cleaning products online.
Take Care of Your Ingredients
Buy multiple plastic airtight containers. If you keep malt cool and dry, it should be fine to use for six months. Make sure to throw it away after that, however, as with stale malt, you’ll only get stale flavours. The same applies to dried yeast. It will keep it chilled and sealed, although it will lose reliability and potency. Hops don’t get better with age. No matter the price, doubt any hops from before the previous year’s harvest.
Trust the Internet
It’s never a bad thing to have a book on hand as a valuable resource. However, there will be times when you’re completely flummoxed by something you’ve come across. You’re unlikely to be the first, and so the odds are that it’s already been discussed. From the countless number of blogs and forums dedicated to brewing beer, you’re almost bound to find some help online. Let’s face it: you can find pretty much anything on the Internet.
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