As the COVID-19 quarantine continues to keep restaurants, wineries, and brewpubs indefinitely closed, you may be considering brewing your own at home while you are under lockdown. If you have ever considered home brewing, this is the perfect time to try it. These four beers are fairly to make easy even for the beginning home brewer.
SMASH Pale Ale
SMASH stands for Single Malt and Single Hop which allows you to create a pale ale with the exact flavor combination you want. Brewers recommend starting with a classic American hop and English Maris Otter malt, but you can experiment to find the right malts and hops that work for your tastes.
American IPA
If you are looking for a beer with a piney hop flavor with citrus undertones, you will need to use aggressive hops. You will also need to make the beer strong enough to stand up to those hops but keep it from being overly sweet or thick. Brewers suggest using American C hops, so named because all the hops names start with the letter “C.” These include Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, or Columbus. You will also want to use a dose of corn sugar in the boil to reduce sweetness. Surprisingly, the corn sugar will ferment out and leave the beer drier.
Use a Kegerator
Before moving on to the last two beers, it is important to remember that you will need to store your finished beer properly. All beer, even home brew, is best when served fresh, cold, and on tap. A Kegerator is the easiest way to keep your home brews at a steady 38 degrees Fahrenheit, guaranteeing a perfect pour each time. Simply hold the glass at a 45-degree angle about an inch below the faucet. Open the tap and allow the glass to fill to about half full before straightening.
German Hefeweizen
The German Hefeweizen is popular among home brewers because the 50 percent malted wheat creates a fullness on the palate but masks the sweetness of a beer that does not ferment fully. The most common types of yeast used in a hefeweizen is also pretty forgiving. The beer has a fruity and spicy aroma with hints of banana and clove. These stronger flavors mask the unwanted compounds that can occur in a beer with a lower fermentation, including a buttery mouthfeel and hints of green apple or grass.
Porters and Stouts
Dark malt provides strong coffee and chocolate flavors in porters and stouts which allow you to hide any fermentation errors. Specialty malts like crystal, chocolate, roasted barley or black patent create unique flavor combinations that allow home brewers to get creative. Some porters and stouts require an extra step of steeping the grains before adding the malt extract and boiling. Using this method requires more attention to detail and controlled temperatures which can make home brewing even more fun.
If you are at home and looking for something to do, consider brewing your own beer. You don’t need special tools or supplies to brew beer. Also, most of the hops, malts, and other ingredients can be easily purchased online.
