Homebrewing 101

Jen and I attended a free homebrewing class last night at the local supply store. They continue to be a really fun and knowledgeable bunch. Jen and I have technically brewed before, but that was at a Brew-on-Premises establishment where you used their their snazzy equipment. The equipment is different, but aside from the opportunity to make a big horrible mess in our own kitchen instead, the process of actually brewing is very similar to the BOP experience. Brew grain like tea...boil with hops...strain into fermenting container...add yeast...bottle...drink!

The easiest way to handle carbonation at home is to do bottle conditioning, where you add a small amount of sugar to the final product right before bottling. The little yeasties wake up and produce a little more alcohol and carbon dioxide in the closed bottle over a few weeks. I do fret a little that this might mean a higher chance of more exploding bottles in my future.

Thanks go out to whichever laymakers made brewing beer at home legal in 1977!