Homebrewing Frequently Asked Questions:  

How long does it take to brew beer? 

About a month, start to finish.  Using malt extracts, a typical 5 gallon batch of beer (about 2 cases) will take about 4 hours to brew up, including preparation and clean up;  1-2 weeks to ferment;  about 4 hours to bottle;  and then 2 weeks in the bottle to carbonate.  The flavor will improve if you can leave it in the bottle for at least 4 weeks before sampling.    

The instructions on the side of the malt extract kits say to use sugar when brewing.  Why is it better to use more malt and no sugar? 

Adding sugar to the boil is a cheap way to boost the alcohol content.  However, the resulting beer will be thin and may have a cidery flavor.  If you choose to add sugar to the boil, the general rule of thumb is that no more than 1/3 of the total fermentables, by weight, should be sugar, or else you'll get cidery flavors.  If you're looking for microbrew-quality homebrew, use 6-7 pounds of malt and don't add any sugar to the boil.  

Why should I boil the extract when the recipes on the cans say to just add the malt extract to the fermenter with hot water, stir and pitch the yeast?

It's a matter of quality again.  Most malt extract producers have geared their product (the kits, at least) to a global market.  That market wants cheap, quick, easy beer.  Boiling the extract serves 2 purposes:  1) it sterilizes it, and 2) it provides what is called a hot break, which helps to clarify the beer.  I recommend boiling kits for 10-15 minutes and adding 1 ounce of finishing hops to the final 5 minutes of the boil in order to bring back the fresh hop aroma.

I don't like bitter beer.  How do I control the level of bitterness? 

Bitterness in beer is determined by 3 things:  the quantity of hops, the alpha acid content of the hops, and the length of time the hops are boiled.  Generally, the longer hops are boiled, the more bitter the beer will be.  Also, the higher the alpha acid content of the hops, the more bitter the beer (assuming the same quantity of hops and boiling time).  Whole hops have to be boiled longer than pellet hops to achieve the same level of bitterness.  The amount of malt and unfermentable sugars in the beer will also affect the perception of bitterness -- a full-bodied stout will be less bitter than a light lager with the same hopping rate.  Also, adding gypsum or brewing salts to the beer will increase the perception of bitterness.  

What's the difference between finishing (or aroma) hops and bittering hops? 

The bittering property of hops is determined by their alpha acid content.  The higher the percentage of alpha acid, the more bitter the hops.  Generally, hops with less than 6% alpha acid are considered finishing hops and are used for imparting the fresh hop aroma and flavor in a beer.  Hops above 6% alpha acid are considered bittering hops and are used to impart, you guessed it, bitterness or bite.  You can use low alpha hops for bittering -- it just takes more of them to achieve the same level of bitterness.  For example, it would take 4 ounces of a 3% AA hop to equal 1 ounce of a 12% AA hop.  The aroma properties of hops are lost when you boil them for long periods (30 minutes or more), so it would be a waste to use low alpha hops that have been specially cultivated for their aroma properties (such as Hallertauer, Fuggles, Saaz, Kent Goldings or Tettnanger) as bittering hops.    

I pitched the yeast 2 days ago and nothing is happening.  What should I do? 

This could be due to several things.  If the wort (unfermented beer) was above 100 degrees when you pitched the yeast, then the yeast is probably dead.  Add another packet of yeast.  If the wort is below 65 degrees, the yeast may be dormant.  Move the fermenter to a warmer area and stir up the sediment.  If you used a liquid yeast right out of the packet, then 2 days is a normal lag time.  Be patient.  If nothing is happening after 3 days and the fermenter has been around 70 degrees, then the yeast may have been old or bad.  Add another packet of yeast.    

When and why should I use a secondary fermenter? 

Secondary fermenters are used to help clarify the beer and to remove the beer from contact with the heavy sediment (trub) that occurs in the primary fermenter.  If your fermentation is done in a week, then it's usually not necessary to transfer your beer into a secondary, unless you want to.  However, if you expect the fermentation to last a couple of weeks, or if there is a lot of sediment in the bottom of the primary, you may want to use a secondary.  The time to transfer the beer into the secondary is right after the large head of foam has collapsed, usually 4-6 days after fermentation begins.  If fermentation has stopped, then don't transfer to a secondary -- go ahead and bottle the beer.    

My beer has been in the fermenter 2 weeks.  How do I know when it's ready to bottle? 

Watch the airlock.  When it stops bubbling, that means the fermentation is complete.  Let the beer sit in the fermenter another couple of days to let everything settle out and clarify.  Then it's ready to bottle.  If you can't get to it right away, you can leave it sealed in the fermenter for a couple of weeks without it developing off-flavors. 

Is corn sugar the same as regular sugar? 

No.  There are several different types of sugar, such as dextrose, sucrose, fructose, etc.  Corn sugar (dextrose) is highly fermentable by brewing yeast and is the preferred sugar for carbonating beer.  

Are liquid yeasts better than dry yeasts? 

Depends.  Dry yeasts generally start fast, ferment quickly, are inexpensive, store well and produce good beer.  Liquid yeasts are more expensive, require incubation time, are available in a wider range of pure strains, and produce great beer.  Experienced homebrewers usually graduate to liquid yeasts because of their consistency and flavor characteristics.  With careful planning, the expense of liquid yeasts can be spread over several batches by reusing the yeast.  For optimum performance, liquid yeasts should be grown in a starter prior to pitching into your main batch of beer.  For more information on this, see our "How To Make A Yeast Starter" handout.  

I've heard that sometimes I should aerate my beer and sometimes not.  What's the deal? 

The only time you should aerate your beer is after it has been cooled and before you pitch the yeast. This is especially important for high-gravity beers (beers with a high concentration of malt) because brewing yeast requires oxygen at this point in order to multiply rapidly and overpower any wild yeasts that may have made it into the fermenter.  There are several ways to dissolve oxygen into the wort.  The easiest is to simply splash the wort around while you are transferring it from the brew pot into the fermenter.  Remember that this is the only time you want to aerate.  Be very careful after this point not to splash when moving or siphoning the beer.  Keep the outlet end of the siphon hose below the surface of the liquid.  

My beer tastes good, but there's no head.  How can I increase head retention? 

One trick is to use whole hops instead of pellets.  Another is to add a little wheat (either extract or grain) to the recipe.  A small amount of wheat (a cup or so) will aid the head retention without contributing the distinctive wheat flavor.  If you use wheat grain, use the regular steeping method.  Do not boil the grains.  Other factors in head retention are carbonation levels and the cleanliness of the glass the beer is served in.  Soap residues or oils will cause the head to quickly dissipate