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Homebrewing is the art of brewing your own kind of beer, ale or malt in your own kitchen. It has become an ever-popular art form as more and more people choose this method of proudly making their own alcoholic beverages at home. Some people claim that the taste cannot be beat by commercial brewing methods.
The homebrewing method basically consists of five steps. THese steps are boiling the water, malt, extract and hops, allowing the mixture to cool, adding yeast, adding sugar, and finally bottling your concoction.
You will need a good recipe for whatever type of alcoholic beverage you choose to bew. Then, of course, you will need to purchase all of the equipment that you will need.
You will probably need a very large part, a smaller pan, a carboy or glass jug, a funnel, a filter, plastic wrap, rubber stopper, a hyrdometer, a thermometer,a plastic spoon, plastic tubing, a filter bag, racking cane, a small bucket or two, a pressure keg, a bottle brush, brown glass bottles, bottle caps, and a capper.
A typical homebrewing recipe for beer will direct you to follow some necessary steps. You will need to sterilize everything that will come in contact with the beer. You will need to thoroughly sterilize your work area too. With that done for the first time--you will need to sterilize several times--you can then begin making the recipe.
Thereare some terms in homebrewing that you will need to know what they mean. One is fermentation. Fermentation is the process in which the malt, hops, etc., breaks down. This process is what makes beer, ale, wine, etc., alcoholic in nature. Another term is clarifying. Clarifying id the process of clearing the finished product of all impurities, making it clean and clear and ready for consumption.
While the term gravity is normally considered to be the force that holds us to the earth, in homebrewing, it has an entirely different meaning. The gravity of the beer refers to its amount of alcoholic content. This is tested by using the hydrometer. If a beer does not contain enough gravity, then additional sugar or honey must be added to the mix.
For simplicity's sake, you might choose to purchase a homebrewing kit in order to start your new hobby. Be prepared to spend many hours from start to finish in the brewing process.
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