Brewing Process:
1. Chill 3 gallons of spring water the night before you brew.
2. In a 20QT or larger stainless steel pot, heat 3 gallons of water to about 160°.
3. Place specialty grains in a mesh bag and steep in the pot for 30 minutes
4. Remove and let drip. Do not squeeze grains as this will add astringency to your beer.
3. Stir in half of the extract.
4. Bring liquid (now called wort) to a full boil.
5. As soon as the wort begins to boil add first hop addition per recipe. Do not cover pot and watch out for boil-overs!
6. Boil for 45 minutes, this draws out the bitterness from the hops. At the 45 minute mark, add the remainder of hops and extract and boil for another 15 minutes, this draws out the hop flavors gives body to your beer. Total boil time will be 60 minutes.
7. In the mean time, sanitize your fermenting bucket, lid, thermometer, spigot, strainer, and airlock.
SANITIZATION: No-rinse effective sanitization requires a solution of 100 ppm available chlorine. This will be achieved by dissolving the contents of an 0.8 ounce packet of C-Brite in 2 gallons of warm water and soaking equipment. You can also fill a spray bottle with the mixed solution and thoroughly wet all surfaces to be sanitized, shake off excess and AIR DRY.
***I highly recommend purchasing a bottle of 5 Star Sanitizer. It is a no rinse sanitizer that requires no air drying before contact.
8. When the boil is done, immerse the pot in a sink or utility tub filled with ice and water until sides are cool to the touch.
***To speed up cool down process you can immerse SANITIZED frozen water bottles into the wort. Just spray on some 5 Star Sanitizer, let stand for a minute and drop them in the pot.
9. Once wort is 85° – 90° pour through a strainer (optional) into your sanitized fermenting bucket. Make sure there is a lot of splashing as this aerates the wort. Add chilled water and top off to a little above the 5 gallon mark.
10. Pitch (add) the yeast.
11. Cover tightly and insert airlock. Fill airlock with vodka but water will do.
12. Ferment within the temperature range of 65° – 75° for 2 weeks. Place in an area where it will not be disturbed.
Bottling Process
1. Tear tab around bucket lid to open . Lid is reusable. Using a sanitized turkey baster (not included) fill test jar 3/4 full. Insert hydrometer and if liquid line rests on the final gravitymark then you are ready to bottle!
2. Sanitize bottles, bottle caps, 3/8 tubing, and bottling bucket by soaking or spraying with C-Brite or the highly recommended Star San and inverting to let drip dry.
3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add no more than ¾ cup corn sugar to avoid over-carbonation and boil 5 minutes. Pour into to bottling bucket.
4. Attach 3/8 “ tubing to fermenting bucket spigot and gently drain beer into bucket with sugar solution.
5. Switch tubing to bottling bucket spigot and attach bottle filler wand.
6. Insert wand into bottle and fill until beer is level with opening. Remove wand and a sufficient air gap space will be left.
7. Place cap on bottle. With even pressure, pull down on the bottle capper levers and crimp cap onto bottle.
8. Place your bottles in a dark and cool area to let condition for 7 -14 days. This process will add carbonation to your beer as well as mellow out the flavors.
