Homemade & Commercial

Wine, Beer, Spirits, Cider & Mead Guides

Alcoholic beverages; most commonly beer and wines made at home. Brews made from brewing kits purchased at shops specialized in spirits. The Beer Pirate features homebrew recipes, equipment requirements, and commercial productions information; and all the best practices needed to make that perfect batch!

• 2 lb. roasted malt
• 2 lb. patent black malt
• 4 lb. white sugar
• 4 oz. hops
• 2 small level teaspoonfuls salt
• ½ oz. citric acid – yeast – nutrient

Bring seven quarts water to 150°F. Pour into polythene pail and add the malts at once. Put in immersion heater, cover vessel with sheet polythene as directed and wrap vessel in blanket to conserve warmth. Switch on heater and maintain mash at 145°-150°F for seven-eight hours. At this stage you may carry out the starch test if you want to.

Strain mash into boiler and add the salt and two ounces of hops. Boil rapidly for one minute and then simmer for forty minutes. Add remaining hops and simmer for further ten minutes. Put sugar and citric acid in fermenting vessel and strain mash on to it through fine muslin. Stir well, making sure all sugar is dissolved and then make up to four gallons with boiling water. Allow to cool to 65°-70°F. Then add yeast and nutrient.

Cover with sheet polythene as already directed and leave to ferment for seven-eight days. If using hydrometer, take readings after six days until 1.005 is recorded and then bottle. If hydrometer is not being used, allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘flat’ and then prime – add sugar to recommence fermentation as already directed – and then bottle. If draught beer of this sort is required, merely allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘flat’ and then bottle. Keep for a few weeks to improve and clear, but may be used as soon as clear.

• 6 lb. dried light malt extract
• 1 oz. hops
• ¼ lb. sugar
• tablespoonful gravy browning
• pinch salt – citric acid – yeast – nutrient

Boil hops and salt for fifteen minutes in a quart of water. Take out bag, squeeze when cool enough and put hop-water into fermenting vessel. Add malt, sugar and citric acid. Make up to two gallons with boiling water, stirring to ensure malt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in gravy browning. Cover as directed and leave to cool to 65°-70°F. Add yeast and nutrient and ferment in warm place for five-six days. If using hydrometer take readings after five days until 1.005 is recorded and then bottle. If hydrometer is not being used, allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘fiat’ and then prime – add sugar to recommence fermentation – and then bottle. If draught beer of this sort is required, merely allow fermentation to go on until beer goes ‘fiat’ and bottle.