Many of the beers available in our stores are brewed to similar recipes. This is because many breweries went out of business during the days of prohibition, leaving only large corporations that produced mostly American light beers.

If you prefer something different home brewing gives you the opportunity to experiment with ingredients and recipes, creating beers that suit your palate. If you know of a beer you like but it is just a little too bitter or too light you can find the recipe for that type of beer and experiment by adding a different amount of hops, yeast or malt, letting the yeast ferment slightly longer, or using a different ingredient that is usually used in a different beer.

To produce an ale or lager you use different yeasts, ferment at different temperatures, and brew for different amounts of time. Be aware that the yeast used to brew lagers contains more sulfur compounds and often produces a smell of rotten eggs. The type of malt used also makes a difference to your brew. Barley malt is probably the most commonly used. Wheat malt has fewer types of tannin, and rye malt adds spiciness to the brew. There are also biscuit malt, caramel malt, chocolate malt, and dextrin malt.

The easiest way to start brewing is with a kit. This will have all the special ingredients you will need. For most kits you will also need about five gallons of distilled or boiled water.

Start by boiling two gallons of water. While it is boiling stand the containers of ale extract and malt extract in lukewarm water. This will make the contents easier to pour.
Once the water has boiled remove it from the heat and pour the two extracts in. Stir until the extracts have dissolved then return the mixture to the heat and boil for about half an hour. Let it stand and cool.

Next put the yeast in half a cup of warm water to rehydrate it. This and the cooled mixture are poured back into the original container of distilled or boiled water. Stretch and secure a cloth over the top of this container and keep it in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Keep checking the condition of the cloth and the temperature. If the cloth becomes wet it should be replaced. If the ambient temperature is too warm carbonation may be affected and your beer will be flat.

After two weeks the beer should be ready for bottling. A mixture of corn sugar and water is added to the five-gallon container and mixed. Use a sanitized hose to siphon this into bottles, leaving an inch or so gap at the top. Place the filled bottles in a dark place for another two weeks. They will then be ready to be placed in a refrigerator.
The next step is the best. Drink your brew, evaluate it, decide on any adjustments, and repeat as often as you please.