How to make an Australian beer. Like the quilt thing but better.

All right, this one goes out to Damo who is presently venturing into his first foray for brewing.

This is how you make a beer from a kit. Its relatively simple while at the same time being deceptively hard.

First things first, which i have just done with him, buy the things you need to make the beer in.

what you'll need:

1 x vat
1 x biiiig spoon
1 x water trap
1 x bung
1 x filter (in bung)
1 x sanatizer!
1 x temperature guage

Alright, now that you have everything to make the beer in, you need the beer.

Buy a kit, any kit, and some form of sugar/malt/sugar&malt mix. You need both because the kit provides the flavour and the sugar/malt provides the alchohol. The kit will also come with yeast so for starters you can just use this although, as previously blogged we recommend the buying of premium yeast.

Ok.

Next: Making the beer.

Sanatise the crap outa everythign that will touch this brew. That means the spoon and the inside of the tub (including the inside of the lid). One teaspoon of sanatiser (pink stuff as we call it) to a litre of hot water should do it. Ensure that there are no dark spots or particles left. Rinse the vat out with cold, tap water and make sure the smell is all gone (if you leave some sanatiser in it won't kill you but it will make the beer taste like Tin... not that great - take it from us).

Once sanatised it is ready to brew.

Plop the can of kit mix into sink of hot water after removing the lid and the yeast (make sure you take out hte yeast or the hot water will kill it) and soak it for about 5 minutes. This will allow it to flow out a lot easier.

Pour it in, with the sugar/malt, into the vat. Now pour in about 3 litres of hot water (not a science). Use the now empty can/s to transfer the water into the vat. A hose may not be sanatised and could have spiders and shit growing in it. After doing this, with your nice clean spoon, start stirring and keep on stirring till it is all disolved. Once disolved fill it up the rest of the way with nice clean cold water.

On the side of your tub you should have a temp guage which is a sticker. Ensure that the temperature is not above 30 degrees centigrade (for ales) or 16 degrees (for lagers). If it is then you will have to cool it down with ice or at least leave it to cool in a cool place before 'pitching' the yeast.

Once it is at the correct temperature give it a good stir to airate the mixture then pitch in the yeast (a fancy way of saying tear the top off the packet and sprinkle it fairly evenly over the top).

Then screw/put on the top, put in the water trap and you are done.

Put into a cool place for 2 weeks, try to ensure that the temperature is correct (read the blog about the banana beer) and then its time to bottle.

Bottling will have to wait for another time.

Enjoy Damo you rascal* (read - devo).

Cheers,

Tom