Do It! Brew It Yourself!

(Page 5 of 5)

March/April 1979
By the Mother Earth News editors 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

Although I do occasionally "sample my goods" straight from the bottle as I pass through my beer cellar, home brew should—as a rule—be sipped cold . . . and from a glass. For one thing, the beer will taste better in a glass, because it'll be aerated. Also, there's a great deal of satisfaction in seeing the color and action of your own homemade drink. If you want that tankardful to be crystal clear, however, you must remember to tip the bottle only once while pouring ... or you'll probably rile up the (harmless) sediment at the bottom of the bottle and cloud the liquid.

RELATED CONTENT

Also, remember that an immediate and thorough rinsing of your freshly emptied bottles will easily rid them of this sediment layer . . . but that, if left, this material sets up stubbornly and can be difficult to remove.

IN SUMMATION

Home brewing makes sense for a couple of reasons. For one thing, homemade beer costs (depending on the quantity of extract and sugar used) between five and ten cents a bottle. Even more important: When you make your own beer, you'll always know exactly what you're drinking. Some 59 chemical additives are used in commercial beer, and—unlike food manufacturers—breweries aren't required to list any of these additives on their labels!

That's about all there is to it. You now know what equipment you'll need, how the beer is made, and some good reasons to whip up a batch of your own. One more thing, though: Honest to goodness, my homemade beer has never given me a hangover ... it really is painless!

EDITOR'S NOTE: At the time this article was being written, it was still technically illegal to make your own beer. The law isn't strictly enforced, however, and new regulations should have gone into effect on February 1, 1979 that allow a one-person household to produce 200 gallons of brew a year for personal consumption . . . and permit larger families to brew up to 400 gallons a year. It would be best, of course, to check with local, state, and federal authorities before beginning a batch of home brew, just to be on the safe side.

Page: << Previous 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • Hosea McAdoo 10/1/2009 4:08:20 PM

    I totally agree with the previous post by Nathan. The original post date of the article is March/April 1979 which , in part, explains the errors, however my first beer was made this way in 1967 and was predictably awful.

    This recipe will make a lot of alcohol but an awful taste. This was the prohibition may of making a high alcohol drink for the winos.

    I would advise the many web sites that give very good instructions and recipes for real and great home made ales and lagers. Just Google, home brew, home made beer etc. and you will find these but also suppliers for excellent kits for ales and lagers for any type you like.

    Some of the grossest errors from the old article are as in the precious article as well as the cleanliness factor was not emphasized nearly enough. It has to be close to OR standards. Plain sugar will make a beer that has very winey off flavors and brewers yeast is bred to raise bread and give bread flavors. Good brewers yeast is not very expensive and , if careful, can be reused. The Blue Ribbon Malt syrup is good and can make good beer but there are many other choices at about the same price. Blue Ribbon used to be available in grocery stores making it the original choice for illegal home brew.

    Home brewing is legal for up to two hundred gallons per year but there are no requirements for keeping track of the amount and I am unaware of any investigations. It is imperative that you do not sell your brew without license.

    Home brewing can be a very rewarding hobby and can be done as simply or as complicated as you want and make great beer, but not the way described in the article.

  • Hosea McAdoo 10/1/2009 3:25:56 PM

    I totally agree with the previous post by Nathan. The original post date of the article is March/April 1979 which , in part, explains the errors, however my first beer was made this way in 1967 and was predictably awful.

    This recipe will make a lot of alcohol but an awful taste. This was the prohibition may of making a high alcohol drink for the winos.

    I would advise the many web sites that give very good instructions and recipes for real and great home made ales and lagers. Just Google, home brew, home made beer etc. and you will find these but also suppliers for excellent kits for ales and lagers for any type you like.

    Some of the grossest errors from the old article are as in the precious article as well as the cleanliness factor was not emphasized nearly enough. It has to be close to OR standards. Plain sugar will make a beer that has very winey off flavors and brewers yeast is bred to raise bread and give bread flavors. Good brewers yeast is not very expensive and , if careful, can be reused. The Blue Ribbon Malt syrup is good and can make good beer but there are many other choices at about the same price. Blue Ribbon used to be available in grocery stores making it the original choice for illegal home brew.

    Home brewing is legal for up to two hundred gallons per year but there are no requirements for keeping track of the amount and I am unaware of any investigations. It is imperative that you do not sell your brew without license.

    Home brewing can be a very rewarding hobby and can be done as simply or as complicated as you want and make great beer, but not the way described in the article.

  • Nathan Schneider 9/30/2009 4:03:50 PM

    I don't know how old this article is but pretty much everything written here is WRONG. Bakers yeast? Beer tastes better out of a glass because it is aerated? What? You WILL end up with beer but it WILL taste terrible...unless you have no idea what good beer is supposed to taste like. I would recommend buying "How to Brew" by John Palmer and following his directions. You will be MUCH happier with your results.

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.