extractbrewing

Extract Brewing

Here is a rundown for brewing with extracts. Many hombrewers use extracts merely because of simplicity. That is what it is simple. I brewed with extracts for the majority of my brewing career. The best way to explain brewing with extracts is that a majority of the work has already been done for you.

Beer, as you probably know is made from four ingredients:

1. Water

2. Grain

3. Hops

4. Yeast

When using extracts (be it liquid or dry malt extract) the process known as mashing grains has already been done for you. Mashing is simply the process of converting the starches in grain into simple sugars which the yeast eat. This is a big time saver when brewing and also requires much less equipment so many brewers tend to brew with extracts. There is a downside though, you can expect spend more money with every brew and if you want to make a complex brew it may be quite difficult to reproduce a taste that you are looking for.

I would always recommend that your first brews be done using extracts simply to get the process down and to let your equipment grow with your brewing needs.

So let's get started!

First

Let’s look at what we are going to brew today.

We are making an American style stout. The recipe is as follows

1. 7 Lbs Dark Liquid Malt extract

2. Steeping grains

1. 8 oz Crystal 90

2. 4 oz chocolate malt

3. 1 lb roasted barley

4. 4 oz black patent

5. 8 oz carapils

3. 2oz Willamette at 60 min (bittering hop)

4. 1oz Willamette at 30 (flavor hop)

5. 1 package of American ale yeast (safale us-56)

Note: I am using leaf hops but most kits come with pellet hops. They both work well, but they do look a bit different (pellets kind of like rabbit food.) Yes, ounce for ounce they are about the same so you don't have to make any adjustment to your recipe

Next

Put all of your grains in you large grain bag and put 3 gal (12qt) of water in you brew pot.

Note: Your grains should be crushed. If you order online make sure they crush the grain; if you go to the store make sure you crush the grain

Then, put the pot on the stove on high heat and drop the grains in the water.

I always loop the open end of bag to the handle to try and keep it off the bottom of the pot

Next

At this point I am going to sit the liquid malt extract in some hot tap water to help soften it. This stuff is like molasses so sitting it in some hot water will aid you in getting it out of the container.

Next

When the water reaches about 180-190 deg Fahrenheit, you are going to want to remove the grains from the water

You can see here I am just about to take the grain out and what I will be left with is sort of a grain tea.

Removing the grains: I usually dip the sock 4-5 times to kind of sparge the grains.

Do NOT squeeze the bag to try and get more liquid out. You run the risk of getting grain husks and other stuff in your brew that you don't want.

Next

You MUST remove the pot from the heat so as not to scorch the extract on the bottom of the pot!!

Then, take your extract and pour it into the pot while stirring.

I rinse the inside of the container to get all of the extract out to ensure you are getting all of the fermentable sugars in the pot.

Then, grab a beer.

Next

You want to place the wort (the stuff on the stove or unfermented beer) back on high heat to achieve a boil

You will notice a layer of foam to form on the top of the wort. This is normal, but it can cause your brew to boil over, so keep a watchful eye on it from this point forward.

When you achieve a boil,

you want to start your timer and set it for 60 minutes.

Then, add your first hop addition. This is your bittering hop. Since these hops are in the boil the longest, they will not add much as far as aroma or flavor goes, but will give you the bite on the tongue that you taste in beer.

Remember that adding anything to the boiling wort can cause it to boil over, so pay close attention to it and stir when necessary .

Next

After boiling for 1/2 hour it is time to add our second hop addition

Watch out for boil overs!

Next

After boiling another 15 minutes, you want to add a finning agent. This will aid in producing clearer beer. I use whirlfloc tablets; others use irish moss.

With about 5-15 minutes left in the boi, you want to add your aroma hop addition. In our recipe (or most stouts for that matter,) we don't add an aroma hop; that is why I didn't.

Next

Now I start to sanitize my fermenter and other equipment.

I use Starsan which is an acid-based sanitizer. In my opinion, it is the easiest to use and the most powerful. Since using it I have had no infected batches. (me knocking on wood)

Anything and I mean ANYTHING that is going to come into contact with the wort after it has been cooled MUST be sanitized so do it religiously!!!!!!!

Next

When th boil is done, you want to cool it as fast as possible. The easiest way to do this is in an ice bath.

You want to carry your beer over to your CLEAN sink,

and surround it with ice. I always plug the drain so you don't lose the water. I have found this cools the wort much more quickly.

Also stirring will aid in cooling the wort much more quickly.

When the temp goes below 80 degrees you are ready for your next step.

Next

Grab a beer!!

Next

You are now ready to add the wort to the fermenter. I have found it best to strain the hops and cold break from the fermenter. I found it really helpful when racking (or transferring it from the fermenter into secondary or bottling bucket). I use a funnel with a fine mesh screen.

I simply pour the wort through the funnel.

It does tend to clog pretty easily so a little moving around with a spoon helps a lot!

Keep on pouring till it's all in the fermenter.

Next

Now top off the fermenter to the 5 gal mark on your fermenter. I like to use the little spray thingy to help aerate the wort. Oxygen will really help the yeast reproduce and ferment the wort the best, which is why I am going to shake the hell out of it before I add the yeast (and to help mix up the wort and water well.)

At this point you should take a specific gravity reading (if you have a hydrometer). I forgot to take a picture but my starting gravity was measured at 1.048. This will aid in determining when your beer is done fermenting, and what the alcohol content of your beer is once it is done.

Pictured here is a hydrometer and a test jar.

Next

Now you want to pitch the yeast. Pitching is the term used for adding yeast to the wort.

In our recipe we are using dry yeast. Some will argue that it is necessary to re-hydrate the yeast before pitching, but I have found no difference, so I am just going to sprinkle the whole package right on top.

Now just cover and you are done!

Congrats! You have made your first beer. In about seven days you should have a flat alcoholic beverage in a food grade bucket.

You should store the bucket in a cool dark place. Best temperature to store the Ale is about 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Most closets here in Florida are fine as long as you have central air, but if you only have a window shaker keep it in that room. In cooler climates you probably don't have to worry that much but those temperature ranges are the BEST.

After one week you will want to rack your beer into a secondary fermenter. You can find that information here.

Two weeks after that you will be able to bottle your beer.

Lagers require a bit more care and attention so I recommend starting off brewing ales until you can read up on lagers a bit more.

I will be adding more links and directions in racking, bottling and kegging soon so keep coming back!

Cheers

Yellowdog Brewery

Homebrew at its finest