According to this article, a nice beer or ale is the best drink to go with your meal, not wine. Yorkshire's Ilkley brewery has come up with a guide to help you find the ideal pint to go with your dish. The article also goes on to mention how real ale drinkers have increased by 11 per cent in the past five years. With real ale making a comeback, now is the ideal time to take up brewing as a hobby!
Read the full article here...
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Thursday, 8 September 2011
4 common home brewing mistakes to avoid
Although home brewing is relatively easy there are some common mistakes that most beginners make and, if you avoid them, you will be well on your way to a great home brew beer.
1 Improper sanitisation
This is probably the most important aspect of home brewing. If you do not thoroughly sanitise all your equipment you are asking for trouble. Use a sanitisation kit to ensure there is no bacteria present to infect your brew, resulting in an awful taste or, worse still, food poisoning.
2 Wrong fermentation temperature
In order for the beer to ferment properly, it is important the brew is kept at a steady temperature between about 60 and 70 fahrenheit. If the temperature is not kept constant and deviates widely from the recommended fermentation temperature of the yeast your brew will be ruined.
3 Dead brewing yeast
If your yeast is out of date (no more than a year old for dry yeast and only a 2 months or so for liquid ) then the yeast won't ferment properly. As with anything, the fresher the ingredients the better.
4 Bottling your brew too soon
No doubt you will be desperate to get your first home brew bottled and ready to drink but you must not let your impatience get the better of you. Under no circumstances should you bottle your brew too early. The result will be messy due to the continual build-up of gas in the bottle and the dreaded bottle bomb!
If you avoid the 4 common home brewing mistakes above, you won't go far wrong with your brew.
1 Improper sanitisation
This is probably the most important aspect of home brewing. If you do not thoroughly sanitise all your equipment you are asking for trouble. Use a sanitisation kit to ensure there is no bacteria present to infect your brew, resulting in an awful taste or, worse still, food poisoning.
2 Wrong fermentation temperature
In order for the beer to ferment properly, it is important the brew is kept at a steady temperature between about 60 and 70 fahrenheit. If the temperature is not kept constant and deviates widely from the recommended fermentation temperature of the yeast your brew will be ruined.
3 Dead brewing yeast
If your yeast is out of date (no more than a year old for dry yeast and only a 2 months or so for liquid ) then the yeast won't ferment properly. As with anything, the fresher the ingredients the better.
4 Bottling your brew too soon
No doubt you will be desperate to get your first home brew bottled and ready to drink but you must not let your impatience get the better of you. Under no circumstances should you bottle your brew too early. The result will be messy due to the continual build-up of gas in the bottle and the dreaded bottle bomb!
If you avoid the 4 common home brewing mistakes above, you won't go far wrong with your brew.
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Is distilled water better for brewing?
A lot of people are under the impression that it might be better to use distilled water for home brewing. This couldn't be further from the truth. Distilled water does not contain the minerals required for brewing so you end up having to add them all back into the water anyway.
Tap water is perfectly acceptable for your brew provided you use campden tablets to remove the chlorine and chloramine from your water. It is a good idea to find out your water type from your local authority (i.e. hard or soft water) that way you can treat your tap water accordingly thus ensuring a good home brew.
Tap water is perfectly acceptable for your brew provided you use campden tablets to remove the chlorine and chloramine from your water. It is a good idea to find out your water type from your local authority (i.e. hard or soft water) that way you can treat your tap water accordingly thus ensuring a good home brew.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
4 Home brewing myths dispelled
There are a lot of myths surrounding home brewing and many reasons people choose not to take up this fantastic hobby. Let’s get started and dispel some of these myths.
1. Brewing your own beer is expensive:
Not at all, in fact it usually works out cheaper than buying beer from a supermarket or in a pub. There is no need to spend a fortune on expensive beer brewing equipment. You can get started with a home brewing kit that will contain all you need and won't break the bank.
2. Home brew beer doesn't taste nice:
Wrong again! If you don't clean your brewing equipment thoroughly it can taste funny but if you follow all the instructions your brew should be far superior to any shop bought beers. Home brewed beer is very natural and fresh and this is reflected in the taste.
3. Home Brewing is too difficult:
If you can follow a simple recipe then you can brew your own beer. You can create some complicated brews if you want but to begin with you can just purchase a simple kit and add boiling water. Just remember to sanitise all your equipment.
4. Home brewing is dangerous:
Brewing beer is not dangerous provided you follow the instructions carefully and don't start being silly. I suppose you could say it’s as dangerous as brewing a pot of tea! Also, the alcohol in beer is a natural preservative so you won't get food poisoning from your home brew.
Hopefully that has cleared some things up for all you potential home brewers. What are you waiting for? Get your first brew on!
1. Brewing your own beer is expensive:
Not at all, in fact it usually works out cheaper than buying beer from a supermarket or in a pub. There is no need to spend a fortune on expensive beer brewing equipment. You can get started with a home brewing kit that will contain all you need and won't break the bank.
2. Home brew beer doesn't taste nice:
Wrong again! If you don't clean your brewing equipment thoroughly it can taste funny but if you follow all the instructions your brew should be far superior to any shop bought beers. Home brewed beer is very natural and fresh and this is reflected in the taste.
3. Home Brewing is too difficult:
If you can follow a simple recipe then you can brew your own beer. You can create some complicated brews if you want but to begin with you can just purchase a simple kit and add boiling water. Just remember to sanitise all your equipment.
4. Home brewing is dangerous:
Brewing beer is not dangerous provided you follow the instructions carefully and don't start being silly. I suppose you could say it’s as dangerous as brewing a pot of tea! Also, the alcohol in beer is a natural preservative so you won't get food poisoning from your home brew.
Hopefully that has cleared some things up for all you potential home brewers. What are you waiting for? Get your first brew on!
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Home brew beer shelf life - How long can I keep my home brewed beer?
There is no definitive answer to this question however, as a rule of thumb, the stronger the beer, the longer it will last. To be on the safe side you are probably better consuming your brew within about 6 months and don't store it for longer than a year. Having said that, some stronger beers will last several years if stored correctly.
The key thing to remember is that the storage conditions can greatly effect the shelf life of your home brewed beer. You need to ensure the beer is kept somewhere cool and dark. The bottles must be air tight too, in order to stop the brew going flat. Glass beer bottles will probably give a longer shelf life than plastic (PET) bottles. Make sure you remember to label your brew so you know how long it has been in storage.
If in any doubt, just drink your brew as soon as it is ready and set another one going to replace the last one.
Home brew storage
The key thing to remember is that the storage conditions can greatly effect the shelf life of your home brewed beer. You need to ensure the beer is kept somewhere cool and dark. The bottles must be air tight too, in order to stop the brew going flat. Glass beer bottles will probably give a longer shelf life than plastic (PET) bottles. Make sure you remember to label your brew so you know how long it has been in storage.
If in any doubt, just drink your brew as soon as it is ready and set another one going to replace the last one.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
5 Reasons to start home brewing today
1. It can save you money
A pint of beer will cost you a fraction of the pub price. Once you get going you will find it gets cheaper and cheaper to produce a great home brew beer.
2. It tastes better
if you get it right that is! Once you get the hang of it however, your home brew ale will be perfect on the palette.
3. No nasty chemicals
Just like growing your own food, brewing your own beer enables you to control the ingredients so you know exactly what it contains.
4. It's a social hobby
You can involve your friends and family and also join a brewing club, after all... everyone likes beer and home brew is even better!
5. Anyone can do it
Getting started home brewing beer is relatively straightforward and there are lots of useful brewing websites on the internet to help you. Home brew starter kits are a great way to begin.
A pint of beer will cost you a fraction of the pub price. Once you get going you will find it gets cheaper and cheaper to produce a great home brew beer.
2. It tastes better
if you get it right that is! Once you get the hang of it however, your home brew ale will be perfect on the palette.
3. No nasty chemicals
Just like growing your own food, brewing your own beer enables you to control the ingredients so you know exactly what it contains.
4. It's a social hobby
You can involve your friends and family and also join a brewing club, after all... everyone likes beer and home brew is even better!
5. Anyone can do it
Getting started home brewing beer is relatively straightforward and there are lots of useful brewing websites on the internet to help you. Home brew starter kits are a great way to begin.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
What home brewing equipment do I need?
If you are wondering where to start with home brewing and what equipment is needed, the list below should give you a good starting point.
A fermenter - is where it all happens! The fermenter should be either made out of glass or plastic and come with a lid. It will hold about 6.5 gallons of liquid.
A Hydrometer - used for checking the gravitiy of your brew in order to work out the alcohol content
A Thermometer - enables you to keep a close eye on the temperature of your home brew during the fermentation period which is very important if you want a decent tasting beer.
Airlock - that fits into the fermenter to stop the build up of carbon dioxide and potential explosions!
Bottling tube - to syphon your home brew into bottles or any other containers.
Brewing pot or kettle - for brewing up your ingredeints before transfer to the fermenter.
Strainer/sediment reducer - for removing sediment when transferring your beer.
Plastic spoon - for stirring your brew
Bottles and bottle caps - where your brew will be stored prior to drinking for secondary fermentation
Sanitising and cleaning chemicals - we all know how important cleanliness is in the process of home brewing!
And the final part of your home brewing kit is the beer or lager you intend to brew consisting of a beer/lager kit, brewers yeast, brewing sugar etc.
Most of the above should come if you purchase a home beer kit which is one of the easiest ways to get started home brewing beer.
A fermenter - is where it all happens! The fermenter should be either made out of glass or plastic and come with a lid. It will hold about 6.5 gallons of liquid.
A Hydrometer - used for checking the gravitiy of your brew in order to work out the alcohol content
A Thermometer - enables you to keep a close eye on the temperature of your home brew during the fermentation period which is very important if you want a decent tasting beer.
Airlock - that fits into the fermenter to stop the build up of carbon dioxide and potential explosions!
Bottling tube - to syphon your home brew into bottles or any other containers.
Brewing pot or kettle - for brewing up your ingredeints before transfer to the fermenter.
Strainer/sediment reducer - for removing sediment when transferring your beer.
Plastic spoon - for stirring your brew
Bottles and bottle caps - where your brew will be stored prior to drinking for secondary fermentation
Sanitising and cleaning chemicals - we all know how important cleanliness is in the process of home brewing!
And the final part of your home brewing kit is the beer or lager you intend to brew consisting of a beer/lager kit, brewers yeast, brewing sugar etc.
Most of the above should come if you purchase a home beer kit which is one of the easiest ways to get started home brewing beer.
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