Craft beer crafting is a very old art, dating back to the ancient ages. While the art of brewing is complicated and has many levels of nuances, it all comes down to four ingredients: water, malt, yeast and hops.
Wort: The first step of the brewing process is to combine hot water with crack malt and other grains, creating a liquid called wort. This is the base of the brew, and the sugars from the grains will be converted into alcohol in the fermenting process.
Yeast: The yeast in the wort is what makes the beer into alcohol and is responsible for all those bubbles you see when you pour a glass of your homemade brew. The yeast eats the sugar in the wort, producing alcohol as it goes.
Fermented Sugar: Another important ingredient is fermented sugar which is a mixture of malted barley and other grains. This sugar is the nutrient that the yeast needs in order to grow and become the beer you’re about to drink.
Water: The quality of your water will play a major role in the taste of your finished beer. Try using a quality bottled water or boiling your tap water for a few minutes before adding to your brew to evaporate chlorine and other chemicals that might interfere with the brewing process.
Sanitization: The first thing you need to do is sanitize all of your equipment. This can be as simple as rinsing out your equipment with bleach, or as elaborate as using a food-grade cleanser and sanitizer like One Step No-Rinse Sanitizer or BTF Iodophor.
