How to Brew Beer at Home

Brewing is the process of making beer — a fermented, alcoholic beverage made from grains. The most commonly used grain for brewing is barley, but others used in the beer brewing process may include wheat, rye, oats, sorghum, and other grains. Brewing is similar in some ways to making wine, which is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from fruits (most often grapes) or mead, which is fermented honey.

How Is Beer Made?

Beer is made from essentially four ingredients using four main steps. The four main ingredients in beer are malt, hops, yeast, and water. And the four basic steps to make beer are malting, mashing, boiling, and fermenting. But the beer brewing process depends on which of four brewing methods you choose.

Extract Only Brewing

Extract only brewing uses extract from malted grains to make wort — the sweet solution created by boiling malt, hops, and water. The extract may be dried, liquid, or a combination of both. This is a good way for first-time homebrewers to get into the hobby, as it requires the least amount of equipment and isn’t as involved as all-grain brewing. In fact, you can usually find a kit at any reputable homebrew supplier.

Ready to brew your first batch of beer? Check out our guide on Extract Kits for beginner guidelines and brewing instructions.

Extract Only Beer Recipe for Beginners: Bierstadt Lagerhaus’ Slow Pour Pils Clone

The Bierstadt Lagerhaus Slow Pour Pils clone features notes of dry biscuit, crackery malt, and hints of honey to support the white pepper and floral hops. It’s decidedly bitter with a dry, crisp finish. This clone recipe includes extract only and all grain versions.

Extract Brewing With Grains

When you’re ready to take your extract-only brewing to the next level, try adding specialty grains. Using these extra ingredients lets you modify your extract beer in terms of aroma, color, and flavor. You will need a few extra pieces of equipment and more time to brew, but adding specialty grains to your extract-based beer lets you brew just about any style you choose.

Follow our guide on how to brew an Extract with Grains beer.

Extract With Grains Recipe for Beginners: Alaskan Brewing Co’s Alaskan Amber Clone

Alaskan Amber is an altbier, more in the Münster tradition than the Düsseldorfer. So it’s sweeter, richer, less bitter and less dry. It’s richly malty and long on the palate, with just enough hop backing. This clone recipe includes extract with grains and all grain versions.

Partial Mash Brewing

Brewing a partial mash beer is the next step on the way to all-grain brewing. In a partial mash, brewers make most of their wort from scratch by mashing malted grains, and then supplement it with malt extract to reach the target original gravity. While the brewing process isn’t as involved as all grain, partial-mash brewing makes for a longer brewing day than extract-only or extract with grains.

Get started with our Partial Mash brewing guide. Having trouble finding a partial mash brewing recipe? We’ll show you how to convert a standard all-grain recipe to partial mash.

Partial Mash Beer Recipe for Beginners: Allagash Brewing Co.’s Allagash White Clone

One of America’s most awarded Belgian-style witbiers, the Allagash White clone features coriander and Curaçao orange peel that delivers a refreshing balance of citrus and spice. This clone recipe includes partial mash and all grain versions.

All Grain Brewing

All grain brewing is the truest way to make beer. The wort is made entirely from scratch, and the brewing process demands a full volume boil of the wort—partial boils are no longer an option. You’ll need to invest in more equipment to brew all grain beer at home, and there is plenty to learn about the process. Brew Your Own has a vast archive of articles on how to brew all-grain beer, troubleshooting guides, and videos to help you.

Our All Grain brewing guide is a great resource to get you started brewing beer at home.

All Grain Beer Recipe for Beginners: Russian River Brewing Co.’s Pliny the Elder Clone

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder double IPA became a top-selling beer for the company. This clone recipe includes all grain and extract versions.

Brew-In-A-Bag

If you want to brew an all-grain beer at home but are limited on space, the brew-in-a-bag method might be your best option. Traditional all-grain brewing requires a three-vessel system to do the job. But brew-in-a-bag uses just one kettle to boil a sturdy mesh bag filled with crushed grain. Read more about the brew-in-a-bag techniques and equipment to see if it’s right for you.

What Are the Main Ingredients in Beer?

The four main beer ingredients include malted grains, hops, yeast, and water. You can usually find fresh beer ingredients online, as well as reliable homebrew suppliers in your area.

Malt

Malted beer grains provide the sugar that the yeast consume during the brewing process, which determines the strength of the beer. Malted barley is the most common base grain used in beer, but malted wheat is also prevalent. Some beer recipes also use unmalted ingredients, such as corn or rice.

Most homebrewers, and professional brewers for that matter, do not malt their own grains. They simply purchase malt produced by maltsters or they use malt extract, a more highly processed form of malt.

Read our article on base malts to learn more.

Hops

Hops are the spice of beer. They provide the bitterness to balance the sweetness in beer, and can add flavor and aroma. Compared to malt, brewers add small quantities of hops in beer, even in the most bitter IPAs.

Most homebrewers prefer pelletized hops for brewing because they are more convenient to store and use. You can also buy whole leaf hops and hop extract.

Learn more about which hop varieties are best for different beer styles, and use our guide to compare and select the right hops for brewing your next batch.

Yeast

Beer yeast is critical to the fermentation process. Yeast consume sugars in the wort, converting them to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Dry yeast is a good choice for beginner brewers. You can use liquid yeast if you prefer, just be sure that the yeast is fresh, refrigerated, and you follow manufacturer guidelines.

Read our article to learn how to choose the best yeast for your homebrew. And be sure to check out our guides on homebrew yeast strains, pitching rates for fresh yeast, and how to make a yeast starter.

Water

Most beers are over 90% water by volume. Quite a bit of water is also used in the brewing process that does not end up in beer. A basic (although not infallible) rule of thumb in homebrewing is, if your water tastes good, it's suitable for brewing. If your tap water doesn't taste good, try using bottled spring water instead. Avoid water that has been through a water softener.

Learn more about the elements of brewing water before starting your next batch. And be sure to download our Brew Water Spreadsheet to help tweak your brewing water to particular profiles. .

What Beer Brewing Equipment Do I Need?

In order to make homebrew, you will need a small amount of specialized equipment. Most homebrew shops sell starter kits, consisting of a bucket fermenter and some other basic equipment. The more complex the brewing method the more equipment you will tend to need. You can find these items at your local homebrew shop or in a catalog:

Brewpot/Brew Kettle

Usually aluminum or stainless steel, but porcelain enamel will work as well. Anything less than four gallons (15 L) will be frustrating due to boilovers or scorching. You will want a top for it if possible. A built-in thermometer is a great feature if you plan on cooling the wort inside the brewpot.

Large Spoon

You’ll need a large spoon for stirring malt extract and ingredients into the wort. Metal or plastic are better than wood as they can easily be sanitized.

Hydrometer and Hydrometer Jar

Use a hydrometer for measuring specific gravity before and after fermentation.

Fermenter(s) and Bottling Bucket

Homebrewers commonly use a five-to-six-gallon (19-23 L) carboy (glass or plastic) and/or food-grade plastic buckets which are generally 6.5 gal (25 L).You will use these as a fermenter and bottling vessel. If you choose a carboy, you'll need a #7 drilled rubber stopper; if you go for two buckets, you'll need a lid for one of them with a hole drilled for the airlock.

Airlock

This allows carbon dioxide produced during fermentation to escape from your fermenter while preventing oxygen and airborne contaminants from entering.

Racking Cane

A racking cane is a long piece of hardened plastic with a curve at the end. You will also need six feet of food-grade vinyl siphon hose that fits over the end of the cane to transfer beer and wort from one vessel to another—this process is called racking.

Bottles, Caps, and Capper

If you plan to bottle your homebrew, you will need clean, non-twist-top beer bottles. You can buy fresh clean bottles from a store or save bottles of commercial beer for re-use. If you’re bottling 5 gallons (19 L), you’ll need about 55 12oz. bottles and a package of crown caps.

Use a bottling wand to fill your bottles from the bottom up to help reduce oxidation. You'll also need a capper. Bottle cappers come in numerous styles that vary in price and ease-of-use.

Sanitizing and Cleaning Chemicals

Stock up on homebrew-friendly cleaning and sanitizing chemicals, which you can find at your local homebrew supply retailer or online. See the next section on cleaning and sanitizing for more info.

Odds and Ends

You might find a few other items around your kitchen that will make your mission more fun or easier. Measuring cups always come in handy. Consider having a large funnel on-hand if fermenting in a carboy, and a large strainer if using leaf hops.

4 Steps to Brewing Beer at Home

Malting

Malting begins the process of converting raw materials into beer. The first step is germinating the grains, allowing naturally-occurring enzymes in the grains to activate so they can be used for the next step in brewing. The grains are then dried by heating (called kilning). Kilning allows the grains to be stored for long periods of time, and develops malt flavors and aromas that will get extracted in the brewing process. Almost all brewers leave this step to maltsters, but it is an important step in creating beer.

Mashing

In mashing, malted grains are soaked in hot water. The starch molecules in the grains dissolve in the hot liquid and the enzymes (activated by the maltster) chop the large starch molecules into smaller molecules of sugar. The main sugar produced in the process of mashing is maltose. Malt sugars from the mash are what fuel the yeast cells during fermentation.

For homebrewers who brew with extract, this process has been done for them. Malt extract is made from malted grains that have been mashed. The resulting liquid is then condensed into syrup or dried into a powder.

Boiling and Cooling

The solution of water, malt sugars and other substances from the malt is called wort (or unfermented beer). Before wort can be fermented, it should be boiled. Boiling sanitizes the wort and helps to make the finished beer a more stable product. During the boil, the hops are added to the wort and bitter compounds are extracted from them. After the boiling, the wort is cooled so that yeast can be added.

Fermenting and Conditioning

Yeast is added after cooling the wort. After a short time in which the yeast acclimate to the wort, fermentation begins. The type of beer determines how long fermentation takes. Fermentation lasts a few days to a week for average-strength ales, while it can take up to months for stronger beers and lagers.

After the beer has fully fermented (and sometimes conditioned for a while), you can bottle or keg it, or serve it.

5 Steps to Clean and Sanitize Your Brewing Equipment

Your brewing equipment needs to be as clean and as free from biological growth as possible. Be sure to clean and sanitize your equipment before and after brewing.

The only organism you want growing in your fermenter is yeast (unless you want a sour beer). Contaminated beer may turn out sour or develop other off flavors. It can smell like baby diapers. In addition, the beer may gush when opened or your bottles may explode.

1. Wash and Scrub All Surfaces

To clean your equipment, it's best to use a special solution that's made for brewing equipment such as TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) or PBW (Powder Brewery Wash) or One Step. Make up a solution with warm water, grab a scrub brush and clean all the surfaces you can reach. Be sure to run your cleaning solution through your racking cane and fermentation lock.

2. Rinse With Hot Water

After cleaning, rinse every piece of equipment with hot water. 

3. Inspect Your Equipment

When you're done, visually inspect your equipment, especially those surfaces that will contact the wort. If you see any dirt or residue, repeat your cleaning procedures. Don't rely on your sanitizer to take care of any surfaces that are not spotless—it doesn't work that way. You'll need your equipment to be as clean as possible for the sanitizer to be effective.

4. Sanitize Everything

To sanitize, soak any equipment that will touch the post-boil wort in sanitizing solution. There are a few homebrew-friendly sanitizers to choose from, including Iodophor and Star San. Creating a solution in a spray bottle to spray your equipment is a great and cost-effective way to sanitize your cleaned equipment. But be sure to run sanitizing solution through your racking cane and fermentation lock.

5. Prevent Cross-Contamination

The final step is prevention. You may be the biggest threat to your beer! Wash your hands often while brewing. When you're done, clean your brewing equipment thoroughly and wipe down all surfaces that may have gotten spattered, like your kitchen counters and stovetop. Check out these articles for more in-depth advice on cleaning and sanitation. 

Is My Beer Contaminated? Troubleshoot Your Homebrew

If your first batch is not the best beer you have ever had, there are generally only two possible reasons:

Contamination. If a microorganism other than your brewer's yeast got in your batch you will likely know it. Vinegar flavor, mud puddle, locker room/dirty socks, or compost pile odors are classic signs of contamination. (These contaminators won't kill you, but they might make you sad or discouraged if you have to dump out all that hard work.) Analyze your routine. If you can figure out the source of contamination, fix it and try again. Sanitization does get easier as you brew more.

Not what you expected. There are many nuances you can add as you gain brewing experience, among them: specialty grains, boiling of a larger wort volume (and add less water to the fermenter), more complex hopping, efficient wort cooling, liquid yeast cultures, dry hopping, and all-grain brewing, wherein you start from grain instead of extract. These additional procedures offer more options, more ways to tweak your product. Good brewing notes and more attention to details will allow you to customize your flavors, too.

For more specific troubleshooting guidelines, refer to our troubleshooting chart found here.

Take Your Homebrew to the Next Level

Congratulations on brewing your first batch! There’s so much more to explore with this hobby. Whether you want to refine your process or maybe your beer just wasn’t what you expected and you need to troubleshoot, subscribe to Brew Your Own for a wealth of information on brewing beer at home. You’ll find everything you need from articles about brewing and the science of it all to troubleshooting tips and more than 1,000 beer recipes to try.

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