How To Use Hops and Grains to Brew Beer

Brewing is both an art and a science that people have been perfecting for over a thousand years in the quest for the perfect beer. Home brewing variables play a part, but the main ingredients-hops and barley-determine the taste when you brew beer

ecognize that sugars (grain) and bitters (hops) combine to make the distinct taste of beer. Find both ingredients at home brewing supply houses like The Home Brew Store or Homebrew Heaven.

1. 
   
   Make certain that you use malted barley. Malting allows the barley to germinate partly. This prepares the starches to turn into maltose (sugars). After drying, the barley seeds are used to brew beer.
   
   
2. 
   
   Mash the barley to release the malted sugars. The mashing process means soaking the seeds in hot water. Specialty malts like some roasted malts for darker beers like porters and stouts should be steeped in hot water instead of mashed.
   
   
3. 
   
   Boil the malted barley, adding hops for bittering or balancing the taste. These cone-like flowers of a vine come in different varieties and act as a natural preservative.
   
   
4. 
   
   Time the adding of the hops depending on the variety of the hops. High alpha hops like Columbus are often added 39 minutes before the end of the boil. Adding hops at the end of the oil to steep during cooling is another method.
   
   
5. 
   
   Add the brew with yeast to the fermenter. Some brewers also add hops to the fermenter after the bubbling has slowed. This is called dry hopping and increases the hop aroma to the final product.
   
   
6. 
   
   Measure hops according to the bittering potential in Alpha Acid Units (AAUs) and International Bittering Units (IBUs). Typical U.S. beers have 10 to 14 IBUs.

Beer has been one of the most favored alcoholic drinks that people all over the world enjoy. It has a very distinct bitter taste and is best enjoyed ice cold. It is made through the process called brewing and for some people they enjoy making their own beer at home.

Making beer right in your own home is easy. As long as you have the ingredients and materials then you can start brewing beer at home. The key ingredients for brewing beer are barley and hops and once you have these two then you can get started.

Here is a simple and easy step-by-step process of making your own beer using hops and grains.

• Choose your hops and grains. When you go to a local home brewery store, you’ll see a lot of different grains that you could choose from. If you are only starting to learn how to make beer at home, it is best to use malted barley. Most beers often contain 50% malted barley for it to germinate in the water. Once you’ve become more familiar with beer making, you can try adding different grains like oats, wheat, rye and others. Hops on the other hand have different levels of bitterness potency. The bitterness of the hops that you will buy and amount that you will put in the beer will affect its taste.
  
• Soak the barley in hot water and then mash it. It is important to soak the seeds of the barley in hot water for you to be able to release the malted sugar of the seeds. Mash the seeds thoroughly to be able to extract all the malted sugar of the seeds.
  
• Boil the water with the malted barley. In a big pot, put the malted barley and a good amount of water in it. Allow it to boil to infuse the flavor of the malted barley in the water.
  
• Add the hops. The hops are cone-like flowers and these will serve as your preservatives for the beer. It is important to add the hops at the right time to achieve the perfect bitterness of the beer. It is best to put the hops 40 minutes before the end. Avoid adding too much hops as this will affect the bitterness of the beer. Estimate the amount of hops that you will put in by using the Alpha Acid Units (AAUs) and International Bittering Units (IBUs) to measure the bitterness of the hops. Most beers only use 10-15 IBUs. Place the
  
• Put the brew in the fermenter that has yeast. Before pouring the brew in the fermenter, place a strainer in the opening then pour the brew in. This will strain any unwanted particles while you allow your beer to ferment. Shake the fermenter well for it to have some oxygen inside. Let it stay there for 2 weeks then transfer it to another fermenter to have a clearer beer.

Beer has become an international beverage. People all over the world drink it and enjoy it. If you want to create your own beer flavor then try brewing beer at home using barley and hops. Who knows, you might be able to create the next big flavor in beers.