Homebrewing beer

I have been Homebrewing beer for at least 20 years. I usually have 20+ cases in stock. I do not use the pretentious beer kits sold everywhere. I KISS it and use the beer making kits sold in the SYRUP section of the grocery store. two brands I know od are PREMIUM and BLUE RIBBON. I have some hard core beer drinking friends. they are UNANIMOUS in saying my beer is the best they ever drank. here is my method. I hope to post photos soon.

BEER BREWING using OFF the SHELF beer brewing kit found in the syrups section of most grocery stores usually on bottom shelf, such as BLUE RIBBON or PREMIUM brands.

THINGS YOU NEED
one beer making kit
Two 5 gallon carboys
sugar
1 pint LIGHT CORN SYRUP
Two paper grocery bags
Two black plastic garbage bags
58 inch piece clear nontoxic plastic tubing
one pinch valve for tubing ( I started with a hose and clamp valve from a new bag type enema.)
Large spoon
funnel
One coarse airlock ( improvised airlock = submerge the end of the hose in water filled two liter soft drink bottle.)
One fine airlock

1) MIXING Start 2 gallons of PURE WATER to boil. Don’t use chlorinated tap water because it kills the yeast. When tepid draw out a pint, dissolve a tablespoon of sugar to a pint of the water and then dissolve the YEAST. place in the sun to get started awaken the yeast. This is a STARTER.
When almost boiling use 1 gallon and mix in EXTRACT until dissolved. Pour into 5 gallon ( preferably glass) container. Into the remaining 1 gallon dissolve the sugar. The amount of sugar regulates the alcohol content. It can be from ½ lb. to 5 lbs. I like 1lb. makes a LITE beer. Pour into container. Pour in the yeast STARTER, which by now has risen to a head of foam ( that’s how you know it’s ready). Top off container with PURE water. Place COARSE AIRLOCK on carboy.

2) PRIMARY FERMENTATION Place in cool (65 to 70 degrees) dark, (you can place the carboy in a COZY made by placing it in a black trash bag and then a paper grocery bag. This not only blocks light but serves to insulate it as well. Which stabilizes the temperature),place somewhere undisturbed, until the foam sinks ( called "folding") until coarse airlock stops bubbling (approximately 3 days) and the murkiness settles some. The longer you wait at this stage the clearer your beer will be.
 3) SECONDARY FERMENTATION Carefully RACK (syphon) into clean 5 gallon vessel, careful not to syphon the dregs off the bottom quart or so. Replace this quart with PURE WATER in the vessel. Let ferment until bubbling in the FINE AIRLOCK stops.

It is NOT TIME SENSITIVE. It can remain in either stage for days. Actually the longer it sits the clearer the final product.

4) BOTTLING Heat 1 to 2 quarts PURE water, dissolve in 1 lb. light corn syrup. Pour into fresh clean 5 gallon container. Syphon ( RACK ) the beer into vessel with syrup. Stir gently. You are Ready to bottle. Syphon, being careful not to suck-up dregs, and pour down side of bottle. Don’t splash.. age 12 weeks in cool (optimum 50 degrees) dark place.
　
BEER BREWING SECRETS
1) PURE WATER Although you can use tap water, let it stand a couple of days to let the chlorine escape. Well water will have dissolved minerals which will effect the quality of the final product. PURE WATER IS BEST.

2) CLEANLINESS Everything used in the process must be clean preferably STERILE.

A) To clean strange bottles the first time, soak in hot water in which you’ve dissolved a heaping tablespoon of swimming pool chlorine or a couple of tablespoons of bleach. Soak until labels soften. Remove labels. Rinse thoroughly.
B) Clean, preferably STERILE, utensils are a must.
C) Clean the carboys immediately after use. Don’t use soap. Just hot water and a bottle brush. Rinse thoroughly. Sun dry place in sun to sterilize between uses.
D) for regular used bottles, Thoroughly rinse the bottles with hot water, immediately after you pour the beer for consumption. Shake well to remove the dregs. If you let the dregs dry, it becomes difficult to clean properly. Don’t use soap, but if you do, be sure to rinse well.

3) PATIENCE
 
A) Wait until foam folds (sink) AND settles before you rack. Preferably until coarse airlock stops bubbling.
B) While syphoning, be careful to syphon FROM just below the surface of the carboy, TO just below the surface
of the bottle. Keep both ends beneath the liquid.
C) Do not disturb while brewing. Handling disturbs the dregs in the beer at any stage..
D) Ageing, it really isn’t ready before 8 weeks, preferably 12 weeks. We have aged as long as 2 years.
E) When pouring for consumption, pour slowly down the side of an FROSTED glass to minimize foaming.

4) DARKNESS Any light causes disturbance and cloudiness and darkens beer as well.

5) SERVE ICE COLD IN FROSTED GLASS OR PITCHER. It is impossible to drink straight from the bottle without disturbing the dregs which ruins the quality. iced glass minimizes the foaming.. Have you ever seen the old depictions of the brewmeister pouring? He’s holding it up to the light so he can see the dregs while holding the beer bottle horizontal to minimize disturbance and holding the frosted glass at an angle so it pours down the side, minimizing foam.

6) Opening the bottle do NOT SNAP OPEN the cap. that makes it foam instantly completely mixing the dregs up. CRACK OPEN SLOWLY to relieve pressure.