This article is aimed at those who haven’t brewed before or have done a few kits and are now starting to research the hobby a little further. I am writing this to dispel the belief that oxygen is bad for your brew. People often become quite worried and panic if the airlock isn’t bubbling, surmising that the vessel isn’t airtight and that therefore their brew is going to be ruined. This is often a cause for concern for new brewers who are anxious to make sure that they have a positive first experience and get the results they were expecting. This is all perfectly reasonable and I hope this arti ..read more

Krausen on my Chocolate StoutHarvesting yeast is very simple and easy to do. If you have a favourite yeast it also saves money as you don’t have to buy it too often. Not all yeast is suitable for harvesting, for example it isn’t recommended to repitch yeast from ‘big’ beers due to the high alcohol volume, so do some research first or just experiment. Dry yeast isn’t always suitable for harvesting either. Top cropping This is the preferred method of some brewers but also depends on the type of yeast you are using and the fermenter you have. Some prefer this method because the yeast is a ..read more

Ideally when brewing beer the home brewer needs to make sure that the ferment is kept within a certain temperature range or even better at a specific temperature. This doesn’t mean that you have to panic if your ferment isn’t at the required temperature or the temperature fluctuates a little. The yeasts provided with malt extract kits are generally very forgiving and the same goes for ale yeast if you’re brewing from grain. The main yeast which does require more care and attention is lager yeast as it ferments at a much lower temperature usually between 4 and 13 ºC. The temperature range f ..read more

It can be really frustrating when you make a beer and love the flavour but the body is lacking. There are ways of improving this and it does also come down to personal preference. ‘Body’ is a pretty elusive term to pin down, it can mean different things depending on the beer you are making and what you want from it. For example when I’m making a stout I want it to coat the glass when I swirl it round and have a smooth and creamy consistency. For this I add either oats or lactose depending on the style I want to make. That’s just one example though. Caramelised and Roasted Malts Start o ..read more

A guide to the stages before fermentation. What kind of apples are suitable for cider? Basically any apples can be used to make cider. The common garden varieties are fine to use but it is best to use a mixture rather than a single variety. You can mix a garden variety with crab apples to add more tannin to your brew helping you to produce a higher quality cider. There are specific cider apples that are considered to be ‘vintage’ apples because of the quality of the cider they produce. They can also be used on their own without adding other apples. Some examples of them are as follows: C ..read more

Water is the main ingredient in beer and it is important, however altering the chemistry of your water can be quite awkward and a matter of experimentation. It’s also down to personal taste so if you like the flavour of the beer you make then don’t worry about the chemistry of your water. Paraphrasing John Palmer (howtobrew.com): Water is the ‘final 10% that takes beer from good to great.’ It’s the last thing you should tackle when making beer. Concentrate on the main business of brewing before moving onto water chemistry and if you’re brewing from kits then I wouldn’t worry about a ..read more

Beer that has only just finished fermenting will not taste great and is referred to as being ‘green’. There may be off flavours and aromas you don’t expect however as long as there were no problems during the brewing process these will dissipate over time as the beer matures. See our blog on off flavours for more info: https://homebrewonlinebrewblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/06/off-flavours-in-beer-making/ Storage and Clearing: When you first start to bottle or keg a beer you’ll find that it is slightly cloudy. Most of the time the sediment causing the haze drops out of the beer to the bott ..read more

This is a guide to identifying some common off flavours with tips on how to eradicate them or prevent them the next time you brew. It’s also worth noting that some of these ‘off’ flavours are desirable in certain beers, it all depends on style. You’ll also find that the simplest solution to a problem is usually the best cause of action. So here it goes: DMS (Dimethyl Sulfides): This gives off a cooked corn or vegetable flavour. It is produced at various points of the brewing process. The malt itself contains a chemical that is responsible for DMS. However it is a problem that is ..read more

This is a great way of adding extra flavour to your brew when brewing from extract. It’s really easy to do and adds further body, colour and flavour to the beer. Steeping grains is a good stepping stone towards all grain brewing, giving you a little experience of handling malt and getting to know the different varieties that are available. They add an extra layer of complexity that cannot be achieved with extract alone. Chocolate malt Which malts can be steeped? The best malts to steep are specialty malts. These malts add body, flavour and colour but not a lot of fermentable sugars a ..read more

Bottling the brewBrewsafe sanitiser Clean all your equipment thoroughly with a sanitiser or steriliser. Clean everything that is going to come into contact with your brew, however don’t get too stressed out about this. It isn’t possible to eradicate everything in a home brewing environment but good levels of cleanliness reduce the risk of infection. If you’re worried about a brew and need any advice just email or phone us. Call 01904 791600 or email sales@home-brew-online.co.uk. We can help with all your queries. There are home brew forums online but just keep in mind if you do g ..read more