Posted by on 4/14/2021 to
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Instructions for Home Brewing with Malt Extract (Full Boil or Partial Boil Batches)
Step by Step Instructions for our 5 Gallon Extract (optional with Specialty Grains) Homebrewing Ingredient Recipe Kits
BEFORE YOU START
Minimum Requirements:- Boiling Kettle (5 Gallon or 7 Gallon +)
- Muslin Steeping Bag *Included with Kits containing Specialty Grains
- Long-handled Spoon
- Fermenting Bucket with Lid Hole, Air Lock & Rubber Stopper
- Probe Thermometer
- Sanitizer
- Bottling Bucket with Spigot
- Siphoning Tube
- If you're bottling your brew: Bottling Wand (Bottle Filler), Bottle Caps & Bottle Capper, Two cases+ of 12 oz or 22 oz beer bottles with pry-off top
- If you're kegging your brew: A 5 Gallon keg and the equipment to dispense it.
Note: For some larger, lightweight items such as buckets & siphons, they are not sold individually due to shipping issues. They can, however, be found in our Complete Home Brew Equipment Kits: Home Brewing Equipment Kits (Beginner)
OBK Equipment Kits also include one Recipe Ingredient Kit to get you started. To learn more about which style to choose for your kit, browse the 5.25 Gallon Extract Recipe Kit Section.





PROCEDURE
Give the instructions a once or twice over before your brew day to be extra prepared.Note: Instructions are provided for two different pot sizes. Larger pots can do a full boil (recommended). Smaller pots will require extra "topping off" water after the boil is finished.
On Brew Day:
- Collect 6.25 gallons of water in your 7-gallon kettle and begin heating (4.25 gallons of water for a 5-gallon kettle).
- Once your kettle is on the stove, pour your crushed specialty grains into your muslin steeping bag that was included. Tie off the open end in a knot and steep bag until your water reaches 170F. Remove the bag, discard grains, wash the muslin bag for re-use on your next batch. (If your kit is straight dry malt extract and no specialty grains, you can skip this step.)
- Bring water to a boil. Once at a boil, move kettle off heat, add the dry malt extract and stir in with your long-handled spoon.
- Put the kettle back onto the heat and return to a boil. You now have your "wort," unfermented beer. Keep a careful eye on your kettle to avoid boiling over.
- Start your timer for an hour and proceed with your hopping additions according to the times and amounts listed under "Ingredients." (If your kit includes any sugar additions, add them here as well.)
- When 60 minutes have passed, you should be left with 5.25 gallons of wort after evaporation in your 7-gallon kettle (or 3.25 gallons of wort for 5-gallon kettles).
- Start cooling the wort. Place your kettle in the sink or large tub filled with cold water & ice. Chill until the wort has reached 72F. While the wort cools, start your sanitization of the fermenting bucket.
- Sanitize everything that will be in contact with the wort after chilling has finished. (Fermenting bucket, airlock, rubber stopper). *For a great sanitizer solution: Add 1 oz of distilled white vinegar into 5 gallons of water and mix thoroughly, then add 1 oz of household bleach only after the vinegar is diluted - do not mix bleach directly with vinegar! This solution does not need to be rinsed afterwards and will not leave any residual tastes behind.
- Fill the fermenting bucket with wort, either by dumping from the kettle or with a sanitized siphoning tube. (For those using the smaller kettle, top off wort with an extra 2 gallons of room temperature water, bringing your total volume to 5.25 gallons.
- Aerate the wort by splashing and rocking the fermenter back and forth for a few minutes. (After aeration would be a good time for checking starting gravity if you have a hydrometer.)
- Add the yeast between 65-72F. This is also the temperature you will want the beer to remain until finished fermenting, so keep in a dark, quiet spot where temperature fluctuations are minimal. Add sanitized water to your airlock.
- Fermentation will begin within approximately 48 hours of pitching the yeast. Visually, there will be a foam surface created on top of your beer, and bubbles may start coming through the airlock.
- Wait a minimum of 3 weeks after brew day for fermentation to finish (for beers estimated in the 5%-7% range. Wait 4-5 weeks for beers expected to be 7%+). When fermentation is finished, the foam will have dropped into the beer, and the airlock will have stopped bubbling. *You can take your final gravity reading at this time if you have a hydrometer.
- Sanitize bottling equipment and anything that will be in contact with your brew: Bottling Bucket & Spigot, Siphoning Tube, Bottle Caps, Long-handled spoon, Empty Bottles.
- Transfer your beer into the bottling bucket with a siphoning tube. Avoid any splashing and try not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the fermentor. Keep the transfer of sediment into the bottling bucket at a minimum.
- Measure out your priming sugar (corn sugar/dextrose). Approximately 4 oz is required for 5 gallons of beer. Boil into 16 oz of water, chill to room temperature, then add to your bottling bucket with your beer (again, avoiding any splashing). Stir gently to mix priming sugar into beer.
- Connect bottling wand to the spigot, fill the bottles, and finally cap the bottles with capper.
- Let bottles condition at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. Once carbonated, bottles can then be stored cool or cold.
- Pour your homebrew into a glass, carefully leaving behind a small layer of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Enjoy!