Homebrewing is not hard, always fun, and surprisingly rewarding. The enjoyment of a beer that you made yourself has to be experienced to be understood. However, like all skills, there are right ways and wrong ways to do it, and there are a few tips that we can share with you to hopefully make your homebrewing taste better.
The following is a simple list of the key elements of the brewing process that make the difference between an average homebrew and one that you will thoroughly be happy with:
- Chilling your wort immediately after the Boil.
- Oxygenating the wort after it has been cooled. (Just shake the hell out of your fermentation vessel).
- Pitching an adequate amount of yeast. One smack pack from Wyeast just isn't enough, culture it up by:
- Boiling a little dry malt extract (2 Tbl.'s in 2 cups of water should work fine).
- Place in a small container (mason jar works well).
- Let the wort cool.
- Pitch your smack pack in the wort.
- Fermenting with no direct light on the carboy, and the temperature between 50-65.
By all means if you brew frequently enough, don't throw away that yeast in the bottom of your primary fermentor. Repitch it in your next batch. The yeast in the bottom of your primary is much better than the yeast you started with in the smack pack.
All the rest are thirsty too,
Except for him who hath Home Brew
