How to Make Beer

Malted barley, which is mainly referred to as “malt,”  is the primary source of fermentable sugars in brewing. When yeast is added to the wort (unfermented beer - pronounced “wert”) they will convert these sugars to alcohol. In our kits we use quality malted barley extract that is 100% natural with no additives. Different beer styles will use different varieties of malted barley extract. Stouts may use traditional dark malt extract, while Hefeweizens and sours may use Bavarian Wheat malt extract. The function of malted barley extract is to provide the bulk of the fermentable sugars (potential alcohol). It doesn’t contribute much in terms of flavor, but that’s where specialty grains come in.

Specialty grains are still considered malts, but they contribute more complex malt flavor, color & character to a beer than malted barley extract. Examples include Chocolate Malt, Rye Malt, smoked malts, Caramel Malts & more. Flavors can range from biscuit, coffee, dough, bread, toffee & beyond. Different combinations of specialty grains are used in each beer in order to help with head retention in your glass, provide deep dark color or create a full body.

Similar to malts, adjuncts are beer ingredients that provide alternative or additional fermentable sugar to a beer. Adjuncts can help produce higher alcohol beers, while some commercial breweries use adjuncts like corn or rice to produce cheaper beers. The Craft a Brew x Sixpoint Brewery Resin IIPA kit includes Corn Sugar, for example, which helps achieve a 9.1% ABV. Meanwhile our New England IPA kit uses a hefty ratio of Flaked Oats to provide a full, soft mouthfeel and picture perfect haze.

Quite possibly the most popular of all beer ingredients, hops are used to balance the flavors in beer. Without hops beer would be sweet, yet the bitter acids and oils in the hops help to balance the flavor profile and add aroma. Hops are grown all around the world and come in many varieties, each having their own distinct characteristics (piney, fruity, floral, spicy, earthy). Hops also have the benefit of acting as a natural preservative; one of the most famous examples of this is seen in the India Pale Ale or IPA-style of beer. The preservative quality of hops helped this beer survive the long voyage from Britain to India and thus the popular IPA-style was born. Hops may be used in whole cone or pellet form. Our kits use hop pellets because they’re efficient, especially when used for bittering. Pellets are also more stable and less prone to oxidation than whole cones, making them a popular choice for commercial & home brewers alike. A brewer can extract different characteristics from hops depending on how and when they’re used in the beer making process. Add them at the very beginning of the boil and you’ll extract the max bitterness. Add later in the boil to extract flavor or aroma instead of intense bitter oils. Add during fermentation (Dry Hopping) to maximize the aromatic contribution of your hops.

Yeast is a living organism that is technically a fungus. It grows and multiplies by eating sugar (from malts), converting the sugar to alcohol and eventually helping carbonate your beer by releasing CO2 in sealed bottles. Different strains of yeast will add different flavors to your beer. Some yeast produce fruity flavors (like the banana & clove esters from Hefeweizen yeast), while others may create a spicy character during fermentation (like Belgian yeasts). There are 2 main types of beer yeast: ale yeast and lager yeast. Lager yeasts are used to make Pilsners, Lite Lagers & Marzens. Lager yeast requires strict & cold fermentation temperatures, unlike Ale yeasts that ferment at temperatures easily achieved on the homebrewing level. Ale yeasts make India Pale Ales, Belgian Ales, Stouts, Porters, Sours, Brown Ales & more. Different strains of yeast also have different tolerances to the alcohol levels they create. Eventually the yeast will die in the presence of alcohol and stop fermentation. This is why there aren’t any beers as strong as spirits. The strongest a beer can naturally get is just over 20% Alcohol By Volume, which is not easily achieved.

Water is considered THE most important of your beer ingredients. Any imperfections in the water will come through in the finished product. Generally, if your tap water is safe to drink and tastes fine then it will be okay for brewing. If you’re not sure about the quality of your water or just want the best possible beer, we recommend running the water through a filter (like a Brita® filter) or buying a gallon of spring water to use on brew day. DO NOT use distilled water - it’s stripped of important minerals that help fermentation. You can use water adjustment minerals and ingredients to correct deficiencies in water or improve flavor of your tap water, like Campden Tablets or Calcium Chloride.

A carboy, jug, demijohn or fermenter is where fermentation happens. Clear glass allows you to get a front row seat to the fermentation process to watch the beer’s color and clarity change over time. It’s important to keep oxygen out of the fermenter, so a rubber stopper is used to seal off the opening of this jug.  during this process using a rubber stopper. A carboy & rubber stopper are included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

An airlock creates a barrier between your beer and oxygen. When filled with water, an airlock allows CO2 to escape the fermenter while keeping oxygen, dust and other contaminants in the air from getting in. An airlock is included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

A funnel helps you transfer your wort (unfermented beer) from the brew pot & into the carboy without spilling or making a mess. After this transfer, you should not use a funnel to make any other transfers. Instead, you’ll use a racking cane. A funnel is included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

A racking cane is a rigid plastic tube that is submerged into your beer to help start a siphon transfer. Whenever transferring beer after brew day, you should never pour it into bottles or other vessels. This can introduce air bubbles and oxidize the beer, creating stale off flavors and darkening the color. A racking cane & siphon technique helps lift beer up off of sediment and reduce oxidation risks. A racking cane is included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

Transfer tubing connects to your racking cane (or mini auto siphon) to help transfer mead from your fermenter into bottles. A tube clamp allows you to start and stop the flow of liquid. Transfer tubing & a tube clamp are included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

Temperatures on brew day are crucial and must be properly monitored and maintained to ensure the best tasting brew. Used to maintain a steady grain steeping temperature on brew day and to ensure that wort is chilled to safe temperatures before adding yeast. A glass lab thermometer is included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit.

None of your equipment isn’t ready for beer making until it’s been properly sanitized. Sanitizing solutions, like the powdered sanitizer included in every Craft a Brew beer making kit, help rid equipment of contaminants to prevent spoilage.

You’ll need a large stock pot that can fit a gallon of liquid without boiling over. A 2 gallon stock pot is perfect. Using too large a pot can result in excessive evaporation and volume loss. A lid won’t be used during the boil, but is needed when you chill the beer to prevent contamination.

Just like with most things you make on the stove, you’ll need a large spoon to stir your beer. You can use a dedicated brew paddle or a regular wooden spoon.

After fermentation, you’ll need to transfer your beer into bottles. A gallon of beer will fill roughly ten 12oz bottles or roughly eight 16oz bottles. This is not only where the beer becomes carbonated, but where the beer undergoes what’s called “conditioning.” This process helps refine the final flavor and aroma of your homebrew. You can use pry-off beer bottles and caps or flip-fop Grolsch style bottles that don’t require caps. You can purchase bottles new, like in our Deluxe Bottling Kit, or you can re-use empty Grolsch beer bottles or pry-off bottles from 6-packs you enjoy at home with our Capping Kit.

Proper sanitation is the most important step of the beer  making process. Yeast is the only organism you want coming in contact with your beer. Any other bacteria can quickly spread, making the beer undrinkable. The sanitizer packet included in our beer making kit contains enough solution for brew day and bottling day. You’ll use only HALF of the packet each time you sanitize equipment, mixing the powder with 1 gallon of tap water. Equipment does not need to be rinsed after soaking in this sanitizing solution. Simply let components dry on fresh paper towels.

1. Pour as close to a gallon (3.8 L) of water in your stock pot as you can, but leave at least a few inches (centimeters) of room to prevent boil overs. If you can’t boil a full gallon in your pot, you can always add water to top off at step 9. Place your pot on the burner and turn up to high. 
2. Place your specialty grains in the grain steeping cheesecloth bag and tie off the top in a knot. Wait until your pot of water reaches 155°F (68°C) and then steep the grains in the water for 20 minutes while closely maintaining the temperature. 
3. Remove and discard the grains making sure NOT to squeeze the excess water from the grains - this will release unwanted tannins. Next, bring your wort (unfermented beer) up to a boil. Once you see the first boiling bubble take your brew pot off the burner. 
4. Next, take out your dry malt extract and slowly stir it into the pot, making sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom. Once all of the malt extract is completely dissolved return the pot to the burner and turn the heat up to medium-high to achieve a gentle rolling boil.
5. At this point you should be monitoring your brew pot at all times because the wort can easily boil over and this can be a very messy mistake! If you do start to have a boil over, turn off the heat and blow on the foam. Once a slow rolling boil has begun, add in your “Bittering” hops and start a timer for a 60 minute boil. If your kit includes “Flavor” hops add them at 15 minutes left in the boil. Any “Aroma” hops should be added at 2 minutes left in the boil.                  
6. During the 60 minute boil you’ll have plenty of time to sanitize your fermentation equipment (carboy, funnel, stopper, tubing, thermometer) with HALF the sanitizer packet. See “Sanitation” section on page 5.

After the 60 minute boil, turn off the burner and remove the pot from heat. Next, create an ice bath in your sink using a few pounds (kilograms) of ice and cold water. Place your brew pot in the ice bath & place a lid on the pot to prevent contamination. The ice bath chills wort to prepare it for the yeast, which must be added below 75°F (23°C). The quicker you cool wort down the lower the risk of contamination, so use a lot of ice if possible & occasionally stir the water and ice in the sink.

1. Verify that the wort is below 75°F (23°C) with the sanitized thermometer. Using the sanitized funnel, transfer the wort into the sanitized carboy and do your best to leave any thick sludge in the pot. If you have a fine mesh strainer you can pour wort through it in order to filter out the sediment. 
2. At this point you may notice that you’ve lost some volume to evaporation. If you don’t have a full gallon after brewing you’ll need to add cool water to reach the “one gallon” fill line (just above the letters printed on the jug). Once topped off, cut open the yeast packet and add the entire contents into the carboy. This is called “pitching” the yeast. 
3. Take your sanitized rubber stopper and plug the top of the carboy. The stopper will naturally stick out a bit. To make sure the yeast has oxygen to multiply you will need to aerate the wort. Take your clean thumb and place it over the top of the rubber stopper hole. Securely hold the carboy and shake vigorously for over a minute.
4. After aerating, dry the stopper and inside lip of the carboy with a paper towel to help it stay in place. Insert one end of the flexible tubing about a 1/2 inch (12 mm) into the rubber stopper hole and the other end into a half-full glass of water. This is called a blow off assembly, which keeps foam from overflowing. Fermentation should begin within 24-48 hours and you’ll start to see foaming and CO2 bubbles.

1. Let your beer ferment for 2 weeks between 60-75°F (68°F is ideal) & in a dark location. A stable temperature is best for yeast performance. Cold temps can stall fermentation, while hot temps can stress the yeast and create off flavors. Expect to see a lot of fermentation activity within 72 hours of pitching the yeast. Activity will slow down and taper off, but the yeast is still working.  
2. After a few days, once foam & bubbling have calmed, you can replace the tubing with the airlock. When you do so, we recommend rinsing the tubing right away to remove any sediment since you’ll use it again on bottling day. Remove the airlock cap, add water to reach the “fill line,” place the cap back on and gently insert the airlock into the stopper.

1. Rinse bottles with warm water to wash away any sediment or dust. 
2. Sanitize your bottling equipment (bottles, caps, racking cane, filter tip, transfer tubing & a spoon) with the remaining half of the sanitizer packet for 60 seconds to sanitize. See “Sanitation” section on page 5. 
3. In a large stock pot, which can hold at least a gallon of liquid, add 1.5 cups (355 mL) water and exactly 2 tablespoons (15 mL) of white table sugar. This is called priming sugar. It gives the remaining yeast fuel to carbonate beer in bottles. Heat the water on medium-high heat and stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Boil for 5 minutes. Cover & let completely cool.
4. Once the pot and sugar water are completely cool it is now time to siphon the beer from your carboy into the pot of priming sugar. This technique allows you to transfer beer off of the sediment without mixing it back into the solution. It also helps prevent unnecessary oxidation (which is caused by splashing and air bubbles). 
5. To start a siphon, fill a large bowl with fresh, clean water. Attach the tube clamp to one end of the sanitized tubing then submerge the tubing in the water to completely fill with liquid. Next, close the clamp and attach the unclamped end of tubing to the racking cane. Now you have a siphon starter. 
6. Place the carboy high up on a table or counter. Place the pot of priming sugar down low on a chair or on the ground - gravity and distance are important. Attach the black filter tip to the end of the racking cane. Insert the cane into the carboy, making sure the end is far enough away from sediment so as not to suck it up. Hold the clamped end of the tube low to the ground over a glass or bowl and unclamp to drain the water & start the siphon. Clamp down as soon as beer begins to flow out of the end. Your tubing should now be full of beer. 
7. Now, hold the clamped end over your pot of priming sugar and unclamp to transfer the beer without splashing. Tilt the carboy as it drains to keep the cane submerged & to maintain the suction. Once beer is completely transferred to the pot, mix gently with a sanitized spoon to evenly distribute the priming sugar. 8. Place the pot of beer & sugar up high and your bottles as low as you can. Repeat steps 5-7 to siphon beer from the pot into bottles, using the clamp to start and stop the flow. Fill each bottle to where the neck starts, cap & repeat. 
8. Let bottles carbonate for 2 weeks in a dark place between 68-75°F (20-23°C). After 2 weeks, refrigerate a bottle and let chill for a few hours or overnight. Open to test the carbonation level. If it’s just right, move the rest of the bottles into the fridge to  lock in the carbonation. If the carbonation is falling flat, let the rest of the bottles age at room temperature for another 3-5 days before testing again.
9. Leaving bottles at room temp for too long beyond the recommended 2 week carbonation timeline poses risks of over-carbonation or “bottle bombs.” Enjoy bottles within 6 months for optimal flavors.

Sanitizing your equipment properly and thoroughly is quite possibly the most important step of the process. Skimping or cutting it short can leave your beer prone to infection or contamination. Our beer making kit includes sanitizer to prepare your fermenter and your bottles for contact with beer.

Brewers make wort, but yeast make beer. You need to keep yeast within a proper fermentation temperature range to promote healthy fermentation and to prevent unwanted off flavors.. If your beer ferments at too warm a temperature, this can stress the yeast and cause the cells to release unpleasant off flavors. If your beer ferments at too cold a temperature, this can slow or completely stall the fermentation activity. Ferment between 68-75°F for the best possible beer.

We know that siphoning beer can be a little intimidating, but the technique is very important. Do not just pour your beer into bottles on bottling day! A siphon helps lift beer up and off of its sediment, leaving it behind in the fermenter and transferring clean beer into bottles. This process also limits oxygen exposure and splashing, which can oxidize a beer to create unpleasant off flavors and dull color.

Keeping detailed notes about your brew day, your recipe, your timeline and your tasting notes will help you become a better brewer. We recommend jotting down your recipe & ingredients, the date & time you pitch your yeast, bottling day, gravity readings, type of bottles you used, aging time & tasting notes! This lets you return to recipes to make them again and again, or allows you to tweak and make changes one variable at a time until you perfect a beer. Use our printable brew logs & beer tasting sheets!

Handy accessories can help you brew better beer. Whether it’s an adhesive thermometer for your carboy that helps you check fermentation temperature at a glance, or a mini auto-siphon that helps you quickly start and maintain a siphon. Time saved on a brew means more time freed up to brew something new.

Water makes up most of your beer’s volume, so make sure you’re using good quality water on brew day! We recommend buying a gallon of spring water from the store - it contains the proper minerals needed for healthy fermentation. If your tap water tastes good enough to drink, you can use it or even filter it through a Brita filter. If your tap water tastes like chlorine, that flavor will shine through in the bottle. Use a Campden Tablet to help eliminate it before brew day. Avoid distilled water - it’s stripped of important minerals that actually help yeast ferment.

From brew day to pouring your first glass of homebrew, the process takes 4 weeks. Let’s break it down!

• Day 1: Brew day itself involves sanitizing (~5 minutes), the boil (about 90 minutes) and chilling the wort (~20 minutes). 
• Day 1 - 14: Fermentation requires 2 weeks.
• Day 15: Bottling day requires about 30 minutes.
• Day 15 - 28: Carbonation in bottles requires 2 weeks.

Don’t worry - it can be improved! Low carbonation usually just means that the yeast needs some more time to create CO2. If you’ve moved all bottles from your batch into the fridge, bring them out and let them stand at room temperature for another 3-5 days before chilling a bottle & testing again. Low carbonation can also be caused by: too much headspace in bottles, carbonating in too cold an environment, not using enough priming sugar or having an improperly sealed cap.

A beer’s alcohol content is determined by the amount of fermentable sugars available to the yeast. Yeast convert sugars into alcohol and CO2. Here are some ways to increase the ABV in our beer recipes:

• Brewers Crystals: Add on brew day to boost ABV without altering flavor.
• Fruit Puree: Add this no-boil puree to your fermenter pre-fermentation.
• Belgian Candi Sugar: Add on brew day to boost ABV & add subtle flavor.