General All-Grain Brewing Instructions

Step 1a: IF YOU HAVE LIQUID YEAST: It is a good idea to start your yeast ahead of time. You have two options.

  1. If you are using a WYeast, break the inside packet the morning of the brew day or when you begin.
  2. Make a yeast starter the day before by boiling 1 cup of dried malt extract (or sugar), adding it to a pint of cold water, boil for 5 minutes to sterilize. After 5 minutes, put the lid on the pot and cool down in ice water. Be careful not to open the lid to possible contamination. When making a yeast starter it is very important that the temperature of the boiled malt extract is within the temperature range of 65-75°F, before you stir in your yeast. Excessive heat can kill the yeast, or produce undesired yeast flavors; significantly colder and the yeast will not multiply efficiently. Pour into sanitized container (pint glass, growler, etc.) with a piece of plastic wrap with a couple of small holes rubber banded around the top or attach airlock and stopper. Healthy yeast will multiply every hour. 

Step 1b: IF YOU HAVE DRY YEAST, You have two options:

  1. You can add it later, skip this and proceed to step 2.
  2. Make a yeast starter the day before by boiling 1 cup of dried malt extract (or sugar), adding it to a pint of cold water, boil for 5 minutes to sterilize. After 5 minutes, put the lid on the pot and cool down in ice water. Be careful not to open the lid to possible contamination. When making a yeast starter it is very important that the temperature of the boiled malt extract is within the temperature range of 65-75°F, before you stir in your yeast. Excessive heat can kill the yeast, or produce undesired yeast flavors; significantly colder and the yeast will not multiply efficiently. Pour into sanitized container (pint glass, growler, etc.) with a piece of plastic wrap with a couple of small holes rubber banded around the top or attach airlock and stopper. Healthy yeast will multiply every hour. 

Step 2: Preparing to Mash

Start by estimating how much water to mash the grain in with. A rough estimate would be about 1 quart of water per pound of grain. You are also going to mash in with approximately 2/3 of your water, and save the final 1/3 for sparging. 

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Step 3: Mashing

Once you have estimated how much water to use, we suggest mashing in in one of two ways.

  1. Mash your grain in while the water is cold, then slowly bring the heat up to 170°F. This should take roughly an hour, but once the temperature is reached, sufficient time has elapsed for the grain enzymes to convert the starch into sugar, and fix those sugars.
  2. Before mashing the grain in, bring the kettle of water up to 170°F, turn the kettle off, then mash in. After mashing in the kettle temperature will drop to roughly 155°F, being within the desired mashing temperature range. stir occasionally and maintain 155°F for an hour. 

Note: While the grain is steeping, (during your hour of mashing in) it is good to use the down time to sanitize your fermenting bucket, heat your sparging water to 170°F and have a beer. 

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Step 4: Sparging

  • Your mash is ready to be collected into your brewing Kettle. Proceed to drain or "run off" your wort from your mashed grain and slowly sparge the grain with the remaining 170°F water. Collect it all in your kettle.

Note: A trade secret is to open boil your wort for 10-15 minutes to drive off unwanted DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide). DMS has a distinct creamed corn smell. After a 10-15 minute open boil, you are ready to boil your hops.

Step 5: Hop Boil

  • Once your wort comes back to a boil, you are ready to start your hop boil.
  • This process is typically 60 minutes from the addition of your first hop until you shut off your heat and end your kettle process (depending on style).
  • You may have multiple additions of hops, boiling certain hops for X amount of time.
    • The longer you boil hops the more bitterness you get out of them, the shorter you boil them the more they aid in flavor and aroma.
    • Different hops have different alpha acid levels. These are expressed as X% and represents how much of the flower weight is composed of hop resins. Thus, the higher the alpha acids the higher the contribution to the beer's bitterness.
  • Most beers call for at least 2 additions (e.g. one for the whole 60 minutes, and another within the last 20 minutes).
  • Once your hop boil is over, turn off the heat and continue to step 6.
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Step 6: Cooling Down

  • Once your boil is over, you are almost done. Take the Kettle off the heat and cool your wort down as quickly as possible. If you can cool your wort in under a half an hour, that is ideal! The best way to cool your wort is to use a wort chiller. Otherwise, an ice bath in your sink is sufficient. Once your wort is cooled to at least 100° proceed to step 6.

Step 6: Adding Water to 5 Gallons

  • Pour slowly into your sanitized fermenter. Add sufficient water to bring your wort to 5 gallons.
    • You will want to monitor the temperature of the cool water you add.
  • It is important that your wort is between roughly 65°-80° before proceeding to step 7.

Note: It is at this point that you can collect a sample to take a hydrometer reading.

Step 7: Adding Yeast

  • Add yeast and stir vigorously for 30-60 seconds. Seal the fermenter and attach airlock (always half-filled with water). 

Step 8: Primary Fermenting

  • Put your fermenter (ideally in a cool water bath to regulate fermentation temperature from days 2-4), you want to maintain a 65-75 degree fermenting temperature, and a cool water bath is an efficient way have a stable fermentation. Remember that 65-75 degrees is ideal for Ales, Porters and Stouts. Lagering is different, seeing as how Lager yeasts like colder fermentation conditions. 

 

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