I have to admit I had absolutely no intention of brewing beer. I was perfectly content drinking my friends beer or buying it at the store. I did not want to put that much work into what is supposed to be a relaxing time (kicking back with a beer). I had so many choices to choose from. There was porters, stouts, IPA (india pale ale), and pale ales.
Each one had their own strengths and weaknesses. Some had a lot of strengths with very little weaknesses. However as I became more of a conisuer the weaknesses in each of the beers became more and more noticeable. I had in my mind what the perfect beer ought to taste like how dark it should be, and how creamy the head must be. I knew what it must taste like, I knew what it must smell like. It was a coffee milk stout. Just writing and thinking about this beer now makes my mouth water.
There was one problem. I could not find it in the stores. Still I was content just buying beer at the store or drinking my friends home brew. Then one Christmas a friend of mine bought me a home brew beer kit. As I opened the package I knew my time had come. Only one problem, I had no idea how to brew beer. Luckily this kit was a no-brainer. You boil the water open the can pour it in stir it add yeast let it sit. Easy. However the kits were sub-par at best. Not even close to what I was looking for.
So I turned to my blue ribbon winner home brew master (we will call him brewmister). I asked brewmister why the kits were not to my liking. He said something very interesting and true. Those kits are made up by a person and that person’s likes and dislikes. In order to have a brew you like you need to brew your own. As soon as I heard that I knew what I had to do. I had to brew my own beer.
Brewing beer is a very interesting process, and a lot of work. First you have boil 6 GALLONS of water. Yeah you heard me. 6 GALLONS. (the second time is for theatrics). I asked brewmister “Soooo are we going to do that on the stove?” He laughed a man your dumb laugh. After he was done with his pity laugh he said “There is no way you can boil 6 gallons of water on the stove.” After thinking about it for a while I decided he was right, I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and that you can’t boil that much water on a stove. He told me they use a propane burner. When he lit that thing up it sounded like a jet engine. In fact it takes so long to brew beer that you start off with 6 gallons but end up with 5 gallons because so much of it boils off.
Once you have the initial boil done then you start adding all of the ingredients. Barley, hops, malt extract, coffee, lactose (the coffee and lactose are for my coffee beer).
On my next blog I will tell you how the beer is made.
Jason Bryant