Simple homebrewing instructions for a Pale Ale.
1. Bring a 16 or 20 pint pot about 1/3 full of clean water to a boil.
2. After you start to heat the water, warm 6-8 lbs of light liquid malt extract by setting in hot water(in the plastic or metal container can you bought it in) for 15 mins to make it easier to pour.
3. When the water begins to boil, turn off the heat and pour the extract into the water and stir with a large, clean spoon to prevent the extract from burning on the bottom of the pot. Add a little more hot water the the container and rinse out the left over extract in with the rest in the pot and turn the heat back on.
4. Now we need to watch for the "hot break". This is where a large foamy head will rise from the water/extract mix until a certain point is reached where the foam drops and you can then continue with the hour long boil without the risk of the "boil over" that can happen if you don't watch for the "hot break". When you see the foam rising you can blow on it, stir it up and lower the heat a little to get past the "hot break" point and the foam will then calm down. After you have seen this a couple times you will know exactly what I mean. I find that just by lifting the pot by one of it's handles a bit off the burner will calm the head down nicely. Just place back down and repeat until past the "hotbreak".
5. After the "hot break" you can then add bittering hops. I add .75 onces of Cluster or Northern Brewer hops. This will lead to a light to medium hopped beer. Add the hops and stir in. Stir every 5 minutes or so until 55-58 minutes have past and add 1 ounce of Cascade, Fuggle or Saaz finishing hops. You can also add finishing hops when the boil ends, stir in and let it steep(sit) for 15 minutes or so with the lid on top. This will sterlize the lid too. This will give a nice hop Aroma and some hop flavor. Some call this an "optional" step but adding finishing hops will result in a beer that has flavor and aroma qualities you'll likely really enjoy. Most recipes call for finishing hops and are mandatory for me.
7. Time to cool your "wort' or unfermented beer. I just put some cold water in my kitchen sink, put in the pot(with the lid covering the wort) and pack ice around the pot from my freezer. Add water to bring the water level up near the top of the sink. As the original ice melts I add more or add some froozen bottles of water around the pot. About 60-90 mins later you should have room temp wort which is then ready to have yeast added to it thereby starting the fermentation process!:) When you first get the pot in ice it would be a good time to rehydrate your yeast. I use Cooper's or Nottingham Ale dried yeast.
8. To rehydrate your yeast, take a 12 once glass that's been sterilized and add about 8 onces or luke warm or room temp. water. Mix in about 5 grams of Ale yeast and stir it in with a sterilized metal spoon until it has a dark, milky and even quality to it and cover with clean aluminum foil. Don't use a wood spoon. You risk infection.
9. When the wort has cooled take your sterilized fermentor(7 1/2 gallon plastic bucket or glass carboy) and add about 2 gallons of cool water to it. Add your glass of hydrated yeast(some add or "pitch" the yeast after adding the wort to the water). Then take the pot of cooled wort and pour the wort in to the fermentor quickly so it aerates the wort/yeast/water mix. This will aid in starting the yeast fermenting. It's the only time you want air and beer to mix. Then top off the fermentor to the 5 gallon mark and seal with the lid made for the fermentor. The lid should also have been sterilized. Insert your air lock and store the fermentor in a room temp area out of any sunlight without disturbing it for 2 weeks. Within 24 hours you will see the air lock start bubbling. This is the yeast eating the sugars in the malt and producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. This will continue for 4-5 days and then calm down to a slower pace but the yeast will still be at work. Leave it alone. After 5-7 days some folks move the beer to a secondary fermentor but for an Ale it's really not needed. Lagers are a different story since they take much longer to ferment. We're making an Ale here so just leave it in the primary fermentor for 2 full weeks or more but no more than 1 month. 2-3 weeks is best.
10. Time to bottle!!!!
More to come on this page:).