How to Brew Your Own Beer: Part 2 – Ferment,
Bottle, and Enjoy.
You’ve made the wort and pitched the yeast.
Now it's time for fermentation and bottling.
You will need A fermenting bucket or carboy
An airlock and stopper Household bleach A
medium saucepan 2/3 c. priming (corn) sugar
A bottling bucket A racking cane and plastic
tubing A jar or glass A long metal spoon A
spring-loaded bottle filler 48 “pop-top”
beer bottles An assistant 48 caps A capper
Sodium percarbonate sanitizer A hydrometer
An auto-siphon A fermenting bucket or carboy
An airlock and stopper Household bleach A
medium saucepan 2/3 c. priming (corn) sugar
A bottling bucket A racking cane and plastic
tubing A jar or glass A long metal spoon A
spring-loaded bottle filler 48 “pop-top”
beer bottles An assistant 48 caps A capper
Sodium percarbonate sanitizer A hydrometer
and an auto-siphon.
Step 1.
After you've completed Part 1 by sealing the
fermenter, store the beer at room temperature
in an undisturbed area.
Fermentation for this brew will take two to
three weeks, depending on the strain of yeast
you use, and even the weather.
Step 2.
As the yeast nibbles away at the malt, the
beer will swirl and bubble, especially over
the first few days.
When you notice less than one bubble per minute,
(usually after about two weeks), check the
beer.
If it's still hazy, then the yeast needs more
time to settle.
If it's clear and dark brown in color, initial
fermentation is complete.
With a glass carboy, you can see the beer
without opening the airlock.
If you're using a fermenting bucket, you'll
have to open it briefly.
Step 3.
Move the fermenter to a tabletop or countertop,
wash your hands, and sanitize all equipment
in a bleach solution.
Place the bottling bucket, jar, bottles, caps,
and capper close at hand.
You can also use sodium percarbonate, available
at home-brew supply stores, as a sanitizer.
Step 4.
If you are using a hydrometer, take a final
reading to determine the alcohol percentage
of your brew.
Step 5.
Boil one to two cups of water in a medium
saucepan and add the priming sugar.
Continue to boil the mixture for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, wait until the mixture stops
bubbling, and pour it into the bottling bucket.
Place the bucket below the fermenter.
Step 6.
Open the airlock and stopper.
Insert the shorter end of the racking cane,
a rod used to pull beer from one vessel to
another, into the tubing.
Fill the tubing with clean water.
Holding your thumb over the tube, dip the
racking cane into the beer.
Lower the end of the tube into a jar, and
release your thumb.
Step 7.
Let the initial clear liquid run into the
jar or glass; discard it later.
As soon as the liquid in the tube runs dark,
begin siphoning it into the bottling bucket.
Transfer all the liquid, stirring it gently
with the spoon as you mix it with the priming
sugar.
Don't stir too vigorously.
Leave excess sediment behind in the fermenter.
Siphoning can be tricky for first-timers.
Do a trial run beforehand, using water instead
of beer.
You can also buy an auto-siphon at any home-brew
supply store.
Step 8.
Once the bottling bucket is full, lift it
off the floor and onto the tabletop.
Remove the plastic tube from the racking cane.
Attach one end of the tube to the valve on
the bottling bucket, and the other end to
the bottle-filler attachment.
Step 9.
Insert the filler attachment into a bottle.
When it hits the bottom, the beer will begin
to flow.
Fill until there's one inch of space left
in the neck—the beer needs this room to
carbonate properly.
Step 10.
Pass off the bottle to your accomplice to
crimp on the cap using the capper.
Continue until the bottling bucket is empty
or all 48 bottles are full.
Step 11.
Store the sealed bottles at room temperature
for 7 to 10 days, during which time the yeast
will eat the priming sugar, causing carbonation.
When it's ready, chill the beer in the fridge.
Never drink straight from the bottle, as there
may be yeast and sediment on the rim.
Pour yourself a tall one, and say hello to
the freshest beer you've ever tasted.
Did you know Though the 1933 repeal of Prohibition
legalized making, selling, and drinking alcohol
in the U.S., brewing beer at home didn't become
legal until 1978.
