Brew-It-Yourself Custom Directions

All-Grain: Heat approximately 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain in recipe to 165-175 degrees. Mix grains and heated water thoroughly in mash tun, taking care to moisten all the grain and leaving no dry pockets. Seal container and allow to stand for 45-90 minutes. Toward the end of this time (in another kettle), start heating 1 quart of water per pound of grain used to 180-190 degrees and begin re-circulating the liquid in the mash tun…..slowly draw liquid from the bottom and carefully pour it on the top of the grain bed until the liquid being collected from the bottom runs clear. Slowly drain wort from the bottom of the mash tun while adding an equal amount of the 180-190 degree water to the top, ideally keeping about 1” of water above the top of the grain bed (this procedure should take 45 minutes or more) . Collect 6-7 gallons of wort and begin boiling. Proceed with hop schedule.
 

Partial Mash: In a saucepan, bring 1 gallon of water to 170 degrees and remove it from the heat. Add grains, mixing completely to avoid dry pockets. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Pour the gallon of grain “tea” into a larger kettle (3-5 gallon size) and rinse another gallon of hot water through the grains, adding that to the liquid already collected. Discard grains and add more water to kettle, allowing space for the extract to be added. Bring to a boil and remove from heat to add extract. Bring mixture back to a boil and begin hop schedule.
 

Extract: Use 3-5 gallon kettle and fill 2/3 full with water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat to add extract. After extract is dissolved, bring mixture back to a boil and begin hop schedule
 

Hop Schedule

Boil wort 5 minutes and then add water salts if used, and all additives marked with an (A).Hops are packaged in 1 or 2 ounce packets, so pay attention to the variety and amount of hop being used.
Continue boiling for 40 minutes and add the items marked (B).
After 15 minutes, turn off heat and add items marked (C).
Cool wort to mid 70 degrees if possible (this should take about 30 minutes and if using a dry yeast, use this time to hydrate the yeast in a cup of water at 90-100 degrees that is covered with foil or plastic wrap). Add this to your fermenter and top off with water to 5 gallon mark, mix well, and take note of hydrometer reading.
Any items marked with a (D) on the recipe sheet will be added into the primary fermenter (single stage) after initial fermentation, or into the secondary fermenter (double stage).

Temperatures

Ales ferment best at 69-72 degrees…try not to exceed 75 degrees or beers may taste fruity and harsh. Lagers will ferment from 50 to 60 degrees. Start fermentation at a warmer temperature (70 degrees) until it is active and then add to refrigerated unit at lower temperature. A single stage kit will ferment and clarify in one container (total time will be approx. 7 days). Check specific gravity before bottling. A double stage kit will ferment in the first container and clarify in the second. Siphon from the first to the second after fermentation is over (2-4 days), making sure that the specific gravity has dropped significantly. The beer can remain in the secondary for up to 14 days to allow for clarification.

Packaging

If specific gravity of beer is correct, siphon into bottling bucket and add 4 oz. corn sugar. Fill bottles, cap, and leave at room temperature for 2 weeks minimum. Test one bottle to see if it is carbonated…..if so, then chill and enjoy!
 

Always sanitize any equipment that is in contact with the beer (2 caps iodophor / 5 gallons cold water)