A minimalist’s guide to brewing your own beer — making beer with extract kits
So you want to brew your own beer --- you either have a friend who is an avid brewer and have had his or her awesome home brews, or perhaps you have read about it and have been interested in making your own. While most of my blog is going to generally talk about what's called "all-grain brewing" --- brewing beer with basically just water, hops, and crushed grains --- this segment I'm going to give you the minimalist guide to brewing your own beer using malt extract kits.
The same thing applies here as with all other methods of brewing --- it can be as expensive or complicated as you want it to be, but in the end it's you who has to clean up the gear, wash the bottles, and handle the brewing. Your wife (or husband) is probably not going to volunteer their services to clean up after you. So whatever method you want to use, keep it relatively simple (especially in the clean-up department).
Choosing a heating technique for single-infusion mashing
Having the right gear for your brewing environment is important --- choosing what will work best for where you intend brewing your beer, whether it's the garage, the kitchen, outside, or even in an apartment. The same goes for choosing the right brewing methods and heating techniques, especially as it pertains to mashing. While one method may work for one setting, like using propane burners in your garage to maintain your mash temperature; those same methods might not work well in others. I can't think of any apartment complexes that would permit the use of propane burners inside their buildings. So you have to consider all the variables before selecting your all-grain brewing equipment and the ideal process.
In this entry, I'm going to cover a few options for all-grain mashing and review their relative pro's and con's, including the gear that you may wish to consider and/or need to go that particular route. I'll also share a few links to more information on the widely opinionated discussion on the varying mashing techniques that are out there. And hopefully in the end you will have a better idea of all the options available to you, and I will have worked out in my head which will work for my circumstance.
And for the record, this is not the definitive list of techniques or a complete dissertation covering all that you could possibly need to know about R.I.M.S. or other techniques of maintaining mash temperatures for single-step infusion mashes. Think of this as a primer to get you involved in the discussion and investigating what will work best for you.
How to brew your own beer: the general process
I remember the very first time I set out to make the switch from extract kits to all-grain brewing; it was overwhelming and with so many sources saying different things, sometimes using different terminology, and sometimes using different gear. And with trial and error, I eventually came to learn the process for myself, understanding the basics about each step and what to expect.