One of the great things about homebrewing is that there’s very little special equipment needed to get started. Apart from a fermenting bucket, airlock and no-rinse sanitiser, you can mostly get by with equipment that you already have in the kitchen. Most beginner homebrewers start by purchasing a homebrew kit which includes all the essential…
How To Keep A Keg Cold Without A Kegerator (Tailgating, Weddings)
Whether you’ve bought a keg for a party or brew your own beer at home, if you want to serve draught beer on tap you’ll need to find a way to keep the keg cold. Most homebrewers store their kegs in a kegerator which is basically a refrigerator that has been specially designed to dispense…
Can You Ferment Cider Too Long? | Cider Fermentation Timeline
Fresh apples are made up of approximately 85% water and 10% fermentable sugar. They also contain yeast which means that to make cider, you simply need to extract the juice and leave it in a clean container away from sunlight to ferment. Traditional craft cider made using naturally occurring wild yeasts takes two to three…
How Long Does It Take To Make A Craft Beer? (Steps & time scales)
One of the first things that my friends ask me when they try my homebrew, after the inevitable question of ABV, is how long it takes to make craft beer. I tell them that it usually takes around four weeks from start to finish. I then point out that most of the activity occurs on…
Home Brewing Laws UK (Read before starting homebrew)
Homebrewing is booming in the United Kingdom, and many of us have been inspired to try and craft our own beer without giving much thought to rules and regulations. The UK is relatively laid back on its laws surrounding home brewing. There’s no limit to the amount of beer or wine that you can make,…
How Much Water Should I Put In A Homebrew Airlock?
Once you’ve pitched the yeast, it’s time to move the fermenter to a dark place and fit the airlock. Between eight and twelve hours later, carbon dioxide should start bubbling out through the airlock, indicating that fermentation is taking place. This brings us to the age-old homebrewer’s question of how much water should I put…
How To Measure Alcohol Content With A Hydrometer
Once you’ve got your first couple of batches of homebrew under your belt, it’s time to start measuring the alcohol content of your beer. Not only is it good to know just how strong your beer is. It also helps you improve your brewing technique and, with practice, will help you consistently brew better beer.…
Is It Legal To Make Your Own Beer USA | USA Laws & Brewing Regulations
One of life’s little pleasures is unwinding at the end of the day with a cold beer or a glass of your favorite wine, but is it legal to brew beer at home in the USA? It’s legal to brew your own beer at home in all 50 states, but some local regulations may limit…
What’s the Correct Temperature for Mashing IPA (Tried and Tested Temp)
Until recently, I’ve always followed tried and tested recipes from homebrewing books and websites. Earlier this year I decided to start experimenting and try to develop my own IPA recipe. As most homebrewers know, a beer’s taste, appearance and mouth feel depend on a combination of factors including the grain bill (mix of malts used),…