I love making things from scratch. I also love beer. I figured why not combine the two and try some home brewing. It was not the picture-perfect brewing experience that Pinterest would boast of. I would categorize it more on the lines of a learning experience. Despite the learning curve, we ended up with what I would consider quite a successful first beer. And I learned a few tips along the way.
Just under 3 years ago I packed my bags and moved my life to Madagascar. I packed clothes and toothpaste, mosquito spray and mascara, and about a hundred other things that I ended up not necessarily needing. Once again I was given the opportunity to shift my life halfway across the world. This time, Zambia was my destination and I think I finally got the packing list right. Who cares about clothes? I made room in my suit case for a 5-gallon home brew kit.
Yes, you read that right. I am a true millennial through and through. The one thing I am most grateful I packed is my one-gallon home brew kit from Box Brews in Boston. Along with the ingredients to make a festive Harvest Pumpkin Ale.
I grew up with Sierra Nevada Brewery practically in my back yard. As I entered that sacred coming of age year, the magical 21, I discovered the vast and beautiful world of craft beer. There are myriad wonderful things that Africa has offered me that America just couldn’t, but craft beer is simply not one of them. So, as I packed my bags this time, I smiled in satisfaction as I gingerly tucked away each glass bottle, brewing instrument and barley oat.
THe HOME BREWING PROCESS
Mash and Wort Preparation
A few weeks ago I invited my friend, Guillermo, over and we set out to brew our own beer. We were the epitome of inexperienced and unprepared. Not to fear. In true Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) fashion, we remained resourceful, resilient and probably a little overly confident that in about 14-17 days we would be drinking the best Harvest Pumpkin Ale this side of the Atlantic.
The number one thing that my home brewer’s guide kept repeating was the importance of keeping the work space sanitary. Both Guillermo and I had a good laugh about this as sanitary is probably the last word we would use to describe our brewing experience. We boiled our barley outside, over an open flame. We consistently were swatting flies away from the sweet sugary liquid (wort). Not exactly
We used random pots, pans, bowls and even a blender to hold the mash for sparging. We realized we certainly didn’t have the ideal tools, but we promised to invest in some for our next go around. I cleaned half my kitchen with sanitizer, but we ended up setting up shop on the other half that I failed to sanitize.
fermentation and bottling
On top of all this, after the wort had fermented in the carboy for about 10 days, I was tasked with bottling. A job I now know is really best done with a partner. I watched videos on how to siphon the beer out of the carboy and it seemed easy enough, but proved much more difficult in reality.
I resorted to starting the siphon with my mouth (a tactic brewers warn against as it introduces new bacteria). One benefit was I got a sneak preview of the pumpkin beer to come, and it left me smiling and hopeful. I spilled the equivalent of one or two beers all over myself in an attempt to smoothly switch bottles while siphoning. My kitchen rightfully smelt like a brewery floor.
I made many mistakes with my first brew experience, but I had a good time. Despite the spill, I bottled six beautiful cobalt blue 16 oz. reusable bottles. I placed them on the counter with a sigh of satisfaction. It was the yeast turn to get to work.
Tasting
Two weeks later the yeast had magically turned our sweet wort into beer. I wanted to wait for Guillermo, but after my failed trip to Chienge, I was ready for some comfort and a reminder of home. I opened the bottle with hopeful anticipation. I was not disappointed.
Despite our many mistakes, somehow the beer had still come out crisp, smooth and extremely satisfying. I don’t know if it’s just been too long since a craft brew has flirted on my lips or if we actually managed to make the best Harvest Pumpkin Ale this side of the Atlantic. Either way, I was happy. So were the ladies when I shared the rest of the bottles at our Lady’s Night Backyard BBQ.
3 Tips for Brewing a Great Beer at Home
We learned some valuable lessons on our first attempt at brewing beer. I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, and I honestly don’t know if my laissez-faire attitude will bring about a great brew every time. But I imagine having a good attitude and fun time can never hurt the process. And now it is time for what I promised at the very beginning, the 3 tips for brewing beer at home for the first time:
- Don’t take yourself too seriously
Make having fun and enjoying yourself the primary goal, for the first time at least! With more time and brews you will get better, but the first time is all about figuring out the process. - Practice siphoning BEFORE you go to bottle
Practice with water until you have a good feel for the process. Watching a video on YouTube isn’t enough, at least it wasn’t for me. Actually practice! - Have at least most of the right instruments
In particular, I would be sure you have at least two large pots that can hold all your liquid for sparging your wort.
So now you have my amateur advice. What will be your first beer to brew at home?