Natural Selections - Brew It Yourself

Radio Personality Ken Dashow
by Bernie Langs

Brew It Yourself

By Jason W. Crockett

August 2008

The magic of fermentation.

Photo provided by Jason W. Crockett

A lot of big American brewers are selling out. Within the past few years, foreign companies have bought Miller and Coors; now Anheuser Busch, the patriotic king of beers, recently agreed to a buyout by Belgium-based InBev, creating the world’s largest brewer. But, as with many things in life, quantity comes at the expense of quality. In the quest to make every beer taste exactly the same, many of these breweries have only succeeded in making every beer tasteless. The four time-honored ingredients of beer—water, barley malt, hops, and yeast—are often perverted by the use of additives such as rice and corn, resulting in a lighter body and weaker flavor. Of course, there are alternatives to these beers. Craft brewers such as Sierra Nevada Brewing and the Boston Beer Company produce quality products. Still, going to the store can be tedious. So why not brew it yourself?

Homebrewing seems like a mysterious hobby, performed by members of a secret society who sport goatees and wear long robes. At first thought, it poses a lot of questions. Where do you find the ingredients? Is it legal? How do you get the caps on the bottles? When I first considered homebrewing several years ago, I had similar reservations. Yes, making my own beer sounded cool, but was it feasible? As it turns out, it is not only feasible but also extremely satisfying. But there are challenges. Because New York lacks a convenient homebrewing store, getting hold of the necessary equipment and ingredients turns out to be the most difficult part of the process. Thankfully, there are several homebrewing suppliers with excellent Web sites who ship throughout the country. An equipment kit for beginners usually costs about $100; you can buy the bottles separately or collect them yourself, often an enjoyable exercise in its own right. Ingredient kits cost less than $30 each and will produce five gallons of delicious beer, which makes homebrewing an excellent choice during a recession.

One of the best things about homebrewing is discovering the underlying science involved in making beer. There are myriad things to ponder and debate, such as the pH level of the water, the bitterness rating of the hops, and the flocculation [flocculent aggregation] qualities of the chosen yeast. In the beginning, however, it is probably sufficient to understand the difference between the two main types of beer, ales and lagers. It’s all in the yeast: ales rely on top-fermenting yeasts that act quickly and require relatively warm temperatures, while lagers use bottom-fermenting yeasts that take longer and enjoy cold storage. New York apartments really only allow the home brewer to make ales, which is not a bad thing as they encompass IPAs, porters, and hefeweizens. Ales boast diverse flavors like hoppy bitterness, malty sweetness, and yeasty fruitiness. As a first beer, it is wise to pick a style with which you are familiar so that you can compare it with your own product. If you brew a dry Irish stout, for example, it should taste similar to a Guinness.

After assembling the necessary equipment and ingredients, you can get down to business. Fun, educational, and delicious, homebrewing takes time and is best enjoyed in the company of friends. A typical brewing session lasts about four hours from start to finish. There are many moving parts, from the all-important practice of extreme sanitation (dirt, grime, and bacteria can easily corrupt your hard work) to the equally important aspect of temperature control (if it’s too hot, the yeast will die; if it’s too cold, the yeast will remain dormant and at the end of the day, you will find yourself with a heavy fermenter filled with beer that is not yet beer). Now the real waiting begins, as fermentation should commence within 48 hours and can last for about five days. The beer must then sit for another week before it’s time to fill the bottles. At this point, you will add a little more sugar to the beer, which will give the yeast just enough stimulation to start fermenting within the bottles, trapping the CO₂ that is released to naturally carbonate the beer.

Is it a lot of work? Sure, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. The beer needs to condition in the bottles for two weeks until it is ready to try. Finally, after all that waiting, the real payoff comes when you open the first bottle of your own handcrafted beer. There will be the familiar sound of gas escaping as you pop off the top, followed by the gentle fragrance of the freshest beer that you have yet to try. In an age of instant gratification, there is a certain old-fashioned satisfaction in tilting a glass and pouring out the fruits of your labor. Take time to appreciate your homebrewed masterpiece. Let the beer settle, and hold it up to the light to examine the color. Sniff the beer to enjoy the malt, hop, and yeast aromas. Savor the first sip, as it is likely to invoke feelings of pride and accomplishment that will last long after the bottle is empty. But be sure to share your beer with some old friends. And if you brew your own, you’ll probably make a few new ones.

Homebrew suppliers

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

http://www.northernbrewer.com/

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