Basic Beer Brewing Instructions

 1. Clean and Sanitise Equipment

 Assemble all equipment and ingredients needed for your brew.  All equipment will need to be cleaned and sanitised prior to use. Wash your fermenter and other equipment (spoon, airlock, tap, etc) in warm water with Brew Wash. Ensure that all equipment is thoroughly rinsed with clean cold water and allowed to drain well.  After washing, you will then need to sanitise your equipment. Using a sanitising product like Brew San, ensure all surfaces of your equipment are wet with the sanitiser for at least two minutes, then  drain well - you do not need to rinse. Do not forget to run some cleaner and sanitiser through your tap.  For hard to reach places, a plastic spray bottle can be used to apply sanitiser.

 

2. Add the Beer Kit

 Pre-heat your beer kit in hot water in a sink after removing the yeast from under the lid.  Pour 2 litres of boiling water into your fermenter, first making sure that the tap on the fermenter is turned off.  Pour the beer kit into your fermenter. Use a little boiling water from your kettle to get all the wort out of the tin. Add 1kg of Brew Booster and stir until all the ingredients are dissolved.  For a better brew, use Ultra Brew, or malt (liquid or powdered) instead of the Brew Booster.  Dextrose can also be used as cheaper alternatives, but never use sugar.

 (If using finishing hops, pour boiling water into a 250ml mug containing your hops bag and leave for ten minutes.) 

 

3. Fill the Fermenter

 Top up your fermenter with water to 22.5 litres at a temperature of between 20 and 25°C, the ideal temperature to pitch your yeast. Your fermenter should be calibrated, allowing you to do this easily. (It helps to mark the 23 litre point in black pen before you commence brewing)  In summer, you may need to pre-chill 5-10 litres of water to achieve this temperature. (Ensure all containers for water are cleaned and sanitised) When pouring the water into the fermenter, splash it as much as possible and stir vigorously to aerate the water.  After stirring, if using hops, empty the cup including the hops bag into the fermenter.  Open the packet of yeast and sprinkle evenly on top of the wort.

 

4. Seal the Fermenter

 Seal the fermenter and fit the airlock. The airlock should be half filled with clean water (preferably cooled boiled water). When the fermenter is sealed properly, the water in the airlock should sit at two different levels.  If the water levels sit at the same height, you have an air leak and the airlock will not bubble.  Tighten the lid, or replace the O ring and grommet to achieve a good seal.

 

5. Primary Fermentation

 The yeast will consume the sugars and convert them into alcohol and waste gases which escape through the airlock. This is known as the primary fermentation stage. Ideally, the best temperature for fermentation of most beer kits is 18 to 25°C. Try to keep your fermenter in this temperature range for best results. If the temperature is too hot it may kill the yeast or create by-products which will cause a bad taste.  If the fermenter is too cold, it may put the yeast to sleep.  Aim for a constant temperature where possible.

 

6. Wait

There is no fixed time for fermentation. The time taken will depend on how well the yeast is working. Under normal circumstances, the brew should start fermenting in about 6 - 12 hours and finish in around 7 to 10 days. Visible signs of this will be foaming on top of the wort, a “high tide” scum mark around the inside of the fermenter, and the airlock should start bubbling. Do not rely on the airlock as the only sign of fermentation - if the fermenter is not sealed properly, the airlock will not bubble.

 

7. Check Specific Gravity

 Using your hydrometer, you can measure the progress of your fermentation. Simply run some beer from the tap into a test tube and float the hydrometer in it. When the brew is first put down, the hydrometer should give a specific gravity reading of approximately 1040 for an average beer. (You should get into the habit of recording the specific gravity of your beer when you prepare it). After your brew has been fermenting for a few days, the specific gravity will be lower. An average beer made with 1kg of Brew Booster should ferment out to a specific gravity of approx 1005 - 1008. (Adding extra malt to your brew will give you a higher finishing specific gravity reading). The only way to ensure that fermentation is completed is to use your hydrometer. Take a reading and record it, then take another reading in 24-48 hours time. If the reading is the same, fermentation is complete.  Bottling before primary fermentation is completed can result in exploding bottles.

 

8. Add Finings

 

If you wish to add finings to your beer, you can do so when the specific gravity reaches approx 1010. In a sterilised mug/jug, pour in 250ml hot water, add the sachet of finings and stir well until dissolved. Pour this mixture into your fermenter giving a very gentle stir. The finings will help settle the yeast and improve the clarity of the beer.  If you sit your fermenter tilted back slightly away from the tap during fermentation, you will also have less sediment in your beer.

 

9. Prepare the Bottles

When you beer has finished fermenting, it is time to start the bottling stage. An average brew will make approx 30 x 750ml bottle or 60 x 375ml bottles. You will need to thoroughly clean your bottles using Brew Wash and a bottlebrush. Ensure the detergent is rinsed out well and the bottles drained. After washing and rinsing your bottles, they must be sanitised using Brew San and drained well. Any equipment being used (e.g. bottling tube, funnel, crown seals) must also be sanitised.

 

 10.  Secondary Carbonation / Filling

Before bottling your beer, you need to add a small amount of sugar to each bottle for secondary carbonation to occur. The yeast present in the beer will ferment the sugar and convert it into carbon dioxide, which gives the beer its carbonation. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to each 750ml bottle and 1/2 teaspoon to each 375ml bottle. If you are using white sugar, make sure that you use a measured spoon and never increase the amount of sugar. If you do, the end result can be exploding bottles. Carbonation drops may be used in place of sugar and are less messy. Use two drops per 750ml bottle and 1 drop per 375ml bottle. (Adding the sugar before filling the bottles ensures no bottle is missed). 

 Insert the bottling tube into the fermenter tap, and fill the bottles to about 50mm from the top.  (A one meter piece of clear tubing can be attached between the fermenter and the bottling tube to give you more freedom).

 

Cap each bottle with a crown seal and give the bottle a good shake to help dissolve the sugar. Store your bottles out of direct sunlight, at around 20°C, for two weeks to allow secondary fermentation to complete. After two weeks, the beer will be ready to drink but the quality will improve dramatically if left for a longer maturation period. (6-8 weeks).

 

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Remember, if you have any questions or problems, call us on 1300 TO BREW. We want to help you make your brewing a success.

 

 

HAPPY BREWING!