01-09-2009, 02:57 AM
--- "dotzler5435" wrote:> My question is this: What is the EASIEST> recipe to make beer. I know I have to have some kind of malt extract> but what else do i need? Also, is it necessary to boil or can i just> add all of the ingredients together.Hi,To make beer, you need to purchase a tin of malt extract, which is asyrup. You add the extract to boiling water, add the hops, then coolit down to just about body temperature, and add the yeast. A can ofmalt extract usually makes about 5 gallons, so you can use aproportion of the extract to fill your 2-liter bottles that you thencap with the EZ Caps. Be sure to leave enough headspace, since theyeast will produce quite a head in the bottle, and you don't want itto overflow.You do have to boil the malt extract in water, because malt needs tobe warmed in order to kickstart the enzymes which convert malt sugarinto yeast-digestible sugars (which are what make the alcohol).Boiling also destroys all of the other "nasties" which could outliveyour yeast cells and turn your malt into vinegar or worse.Frankly, I've found that EZ Caps are better for making ciders andwines from concentrates than they are for making beer. Cider and winecan both be drank directly from the 2-liter bottle, whereas beer willneed to be decanted into bottles for a secondary fermentation andcarbonation step before you drink it. I've had great success turningregular old apple juice + sugar into hard cider which is very tasty!ORGINAL POSTER: k_