Your First Batch of Beer

BASIC BREW: YOUR FIRST BATCH

INGREDIENTS:
5 - 7 lbs. hopped malt extract*
1/3 - 1/2 oz. (9 -14 g.) finishing hops*
1 pkg. water salts**
3/4 cup corn sugar*** (for priming)
7-14 g. (1-2 pkgs.) ale yeast****
1 pkg. Bru-Vigor (yeast food)
* generally 2 cans or 1 can & 1 - 3 lbs. hopped dried malt (see "Variations" below). You may substitute unhopped malt extract (dried or syrup & 1 - 2 oz. hop pellets for the hopped extract. You will need to boil a least half of the hops with the malt extract for a minimum of 30 minutes. Add half of the remaining hops during the last 10 minutes of the boil & the rest, as finishing hops, immediately after the boil.
** omit with pilsners, porters, and stouts
*** you may substitute 1 1/4 cup dried malt for the corn sugar - a little more body, but no dramatic improvement in flavor
****good quality-generally NOT the one on top of the can!

PROCEDURE (Single Stage Method):
To avoid disasters, ignore the directions on the can of malt extract!!! These are invariably poor directions, at best, and atrocious, at worst!
1. SANITIZE YOUR EQUIPMENT! This will save you the heartache of dumping out a contaminated batch of beer. Use Iodophor iodine sanitizer [1 Tbs. (2 capfuls)/5 gal. COLD water]. An alternative is unscented chlorine bleach [1 oz. (2 Tbs)/gal. COLD water] on equipment directly before use (and after), rinsing with hot tap water. Don't leave plastic in contact with bleach solutions for long periods of time or you will have bleach beer. Not very tasty.
2. Immerse the can(s) of malt in a hot water bath in your sink to soften up the contents. (You may wish to remove the label first)
3. Bring two gallons of water to boil in an enameled or stainless steel kettle. Avoid aluminum, as it leaves a bad metallic taste.
4. Turn off heat, open the can(s) of malt, and pour into the kettle. This is also the time to add dried malt extract,(Brewery grade corn syrup, or rice syrup/powder may also be added at this time in lieu of some - no more than 35%, of the hopped malt extract). Now add the water salts . Stir thoroughly, as undissolved malt has a nice habit of sinking to the bottom and burning. What a mess!
5. Bring the mixture (now known as "wort") back to a boil. It will foam up at first, so be careful and reduce the heat when it rises up. This will save you major stovetop cleaning.
6. Maintain a rolling boil for 10 - 15 minutes.
7. Turn off heat. Add finishing hops now.
8. Cool the wort by placing the kettle in your sink with 6-8 inches of cold water. Let sit about 20 - 30 minutes, if necessary change out the cooling bath after 10 to 15 minutes. If available, add a few trays of ice cubes to the cooling bath.
9. While the wort is cooling, sprinkle the dried yeast into 1/2 cup of body- temperature water (94°-100°). Cover with Saran Wrap or aluminum foil. Yeast should absorb water and foam up.
10. Pour the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to bring the volume up to 5 gallons. If your local tap water is good and not too "chlorine-y," use it. If it's nasty consider using bottled water (expensive!), vending machine water (much more reasonable), or simply pre-boiling the water and allowing it to cool (even more reasonable!). An activated charcoal filter will remove chlorine and some of the minor problems. After you have re-constituted the wort up to the five gallon level, stir well and take a hydrometer reading. Either sanitize a plastic or glass gravy baster and remove a sample of the wort. Squirt it into a test stand (the plastic tube the hydrometer is stored in will suffice). Make sure that the tube is at least 3/4 full (at least full enough to float the hydrometer in the tube). Where the liquid touches the glass, the scale can be read. The initial gravity should be about 1.035 - 1.050. To correct for temperature, add .001 for every 7° above 60°F. Write this down.
11. When the wort is cool, (under 90° F), add the yeast solution. Sprinkle Bru-Vigor onto the wort. Snap on the airtight lid. Press around the outer edge until it is completely sealed. Fill the airlock half full of water and fit into #2 rubber stopper or rubber grommet. Fit this into the hole in the lid.
12. WAIT SEVEN DAYS! Do not remove the lid during this period. Room temperature should be 60° - 80° (ideal is 65°-70°). Fermenting outside or in the garage is generally to be avoided, because the ambient temperature flucuates tremendously. Hmmm! Not good! Within a few hours, you should notice the fermentation has begun. This will be apparent, because the fermentation lock on your fermenter will be merrily bubbling away. A thick layer of foam should cover the beer and it will be releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide bubbles. The fermentation is usually noticeably active for only 2 - 4 days, and you should notice that there should now be a "scuz" line about an inch above the beer. Visible action will probably cease after 2 or 3 days, but allow to ferment and settle for the entire week!
13. After the week is up, check the final specific gravity with your hydrometer. It should be 1.013 or less (write this down). If the gravity is greater than 1.015, DO NOT BOTTLE! CALL FOR ASSISTANCE!
14. Pour the 3/4 cup of priming sugar into a small saucepan with a cup of water, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sanitize your priming vessel.
15. Syphon the beer into the vessel while slowly mixing in the sugar syrup. Stir well without excessive splashing.
16. Syphon the beer into bottles and cap immediately. Use a bottle filler for ease in filling.
17. Allow to age upright at room temperature (above 60°F) for at least 15 days. Peak flavor is reached after 4 - 8 weeks, if you can wait that long.
18. Chill (upright) and serve. Pour carefully so as not to disturb the small amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottles. Enjoy!

ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE (Double Stage Method):
Proceed as above on steps #1 through #11, Then proceed as outlined below:
12. Allow to ferment 3 - 4 days. Do not remove the lid during this period. Room temperature should be 60° - 80° (ideal is 65° - 70°). During initial fermentation a dense, rocky head will form, leaving a "scuz" line about an inch above the beer when it subsides.
13. After the 3 - 4 days, if the rocky head has subsided, the beer is ready to be racked (syphoned) into the secondary fermenter. Check the S.G. with your hydrometer. It should read less than 1.020. Attach the fermentation lock (filled halfway with water). Allow to ferment and settle until the action has (virtually) ceased and the beer has clarified (usually 1 to 2 weeks). Check the S.G. again: it should be 1.013 or less (write this down as well). If the gravity is greater than 1.016, DO NOT BOTTLE! CALL FOR ASSISTANCE!
14. Pour the 3/4 of priming sugar into a small saucepan with a cup of water, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sanitize your primary fermenter.
15. Syphon the beer into the primary while slowly mixing in the sugar syrup. Stir well without excessive splashing.
16. Syphon the beer into bottles and cap immediately. Use a bottle filler for ease in filling.
17. Allow to age upright at room temperature for at least 15 days. Peak flavor is reached after 4 - 8 weeks, if you can wait that long.
18. Chill (upright) and serve. Pour carefully so as not to disturb the small amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottles. Enjoy!

VARIATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS ON BASIC RECIPES
1. Replace hopped malt extract with plain, unhopped malt and use an ounce to two ounces of hop pellets. Boil 2/3 - 1.5 oz. for 30 minutes with wort and then add 1/3 - 1/2 oz. and turn off heat. Hops contribute tartness, dryness, and herbal fragrance to beer. If these are the characteristics you like in beer, use more or alternately use a stronger variety of hops.
2. Malt contributes body (thickness) and a sweet-ish smoothness to beer. If you wish to increase these traits in your beer, add 1/2 lb. crystal malt grain to two quarts water. Heat water (ideal temperature 150° - 160°). Steep 15 - 20 minutes.
Strain out grains and rinse with several quarts hot tap water. Bring grain tea to a boil and add malt extract, resuming basic procedure.
3. If you prefer a lighter-bodied, more domestic style beer substitute 1 - 2 lbs. of either brewery grade corn syrup or rice syrup/powder for the malt extract in the basic recipe. The resulting beverage should be a lighter tasting and paler colored beer. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND SUBSTITUTING CORN OR CANE SUGAR FOR MALT IN THE RECIPE!!! Sugar, in quantities even as small as one pound per five gallons, tends to produce winey, cidery off-flavors.