© 2004
Harris Filters

Making beer from either a dry kit or using your own grains and malt extract allows you to vary the recipe to suit your taste.

The malt extract used has already been prepared by the manufacturer in the form of either a liquid or a powder. The quantity of malt used in a brew affects the fullness, flavour and alcohol level of the beer.

The only extra equipment you require is a suitable pan to boil the ingredients (such as a large saucepan) and a strainer (muslin bag, sieve etc.) to strain the liquid (wort) through.

INGREDIENTS USED:

• Malt Extract - either powder or liquid
• Malt grains - Crystal malt, black malt etc. to boost flavour/colour
• Hops - to give bitterness (various types)
• Yeast - use a good ale or lager yeast
• Water -

BASIC RECIPE

• Pour 6 pints of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Add the malt extract, grains and hops, stir and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Strain the liquid into a plastic bucket. For a pub style beer add 1 Kg sugar and stir until dissolved. For a strong full bodied beer use 3lb of sugar. Make up to 5 gallons by adding cold water and then stir well.
• Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface, stir, then cover it with the lid or a   clean cloth....do not snap the lid on the bucket. Leave the brew to ferment in a warm place 18-24C (65- 75F).
• Fermentation will have finished when the froth dies down and no more bubbles rise to the surface. Preferably use a hydrometer and obtain a reading of 1004-1008.
• It is always advisable to add beer finings at this time.
  Beer Brite finings are very effective and very simple to use.
• Next, being careful not to disturb the sediment, syphon your beer into either bottles (use only lemonade or returnable beer bottles) or your barrel. At this stage you should add half a teaspoonful per PINT of priming sugar .
  DO NOT EXCEED THIS .
• Leave a 2" SPACE at the top of all bottles. TIGHTLY secure caps! With barrels dissolve 4oz  sugar in half a pint of hot water then add to the brew. Keep the barrel or bottles in a
  WARM place for the next 7 days.
• Afterwards store in a cool place to mature. Your beer will be ready to drink in 7-10 days, but will considerably improve with a further 14 days of ageing and well worth the wait!