Home Brewing System

Extending The Life Of Your Home Brewing System

It is unlikely that purchasing the materials for your home brewing system put you into debt. Most of the items needed to create and set up a home brewing system are relatively inexpensive. But just because you didn’t have to take out a second mortgage on your home to finance your hobby doesn’t mean you don’t want your home brewing system to last for a long time. Provided you take the time to properly care for your home brewing tools there is very little reason why it won’t.

Damaging Affects Of Corrosion

Most home brewing systems have a stainless steel brewkettle. Stainless steel is a metal many consumers have grown fond of. Stainless steel is not only easy to cook with it is also typically inexpensive and looks attractive sitting on the kitchen counter or stovetop. Stainless steel is also a poplar material in the kitchen because it is easy to sanitize. The problem home brewers have with their stainless steel brewkettle’s is that beer is highly corrosive. Stainless steel corrodes when the iron in it starts breaking down, the end result being large rust spots. Beer is extremely hard on your home brewing system because it is acidic and is made with live microfauna. Microfauna are microscopic animals naturally found in beer. If the brewer ignores the corroding they will quickly find themselves seeking another brewkettle. If you notice that your home brewing system is showing any signs of corroding you may want to consider replacing it because the corrosion normally has a negative affect on the flavor of the beer you are brewing.

Preventing Corrosion

The good news is that are steps you can take to prevent the damaging affects of corrosion on your home brewing system. The first thing you need to have on hand is a bottle of bleach. Using a liberal amount of bleach on your home brewing system will not only wash away the acid and any micro fauna lingering on the stainless steel’s surface, the bleach will also sanitize your system, preventing one recipe from contaminating another. You do have to be careful when using bleach, not only can accidental splashes erase the color from your clothing, but prolonged contact with the steel can actually cause the bleach to start eating away at the steel. Something else brewers might want to consider when trying to prevent their home brewing system from corroding is nitric acid. The nitric acid is a mild acid that helps sanitize and preserve the life of the brewkettle.

Check Your Entire System

Stainless steel is not the only material that can be damaged by the beer you are brewing. The rest of your home brewing system can also corrode. To prevent this from happening thoroughly clean your entire home brewing system after every use and sanitize it before using it the next time. Always check all your tubing to make sure it is in good health and that you won’t leak your beer when you are siphoning it.

Home Brewing Tools

The Home Brewing Tools You Need Before Starting

You can’t wait to get started on your new hobby, home brewing. Your mouth is watering with at the thought of sipping that first beer from your home brewing system. Your family is enthused about this new chapter in your life. You have a good friend who is more then willing to help you out. You’ve found the perfect place in your house to set up your home brewing system, and you’ve found a recipe that not only looks simple, it also sounds tantalizing. You are ready to roll. Well almost ready to roll, you still have to set up your home brewing system and before you can set up your system you need to purchase a few home brewing tools.

Tools Needed For the System

One of the most important home brewing tools you need is something to brew your beer in; a brew kettle. Most home brewers recommend that your brewkettle be at least four gallons. Four gallons might seem enormous to a beginner but experienced brewer find that when they use a smaller brew kettle they have a hard time coping with boilovers and often end up scorching their brew. Brewkettles should be made out of stainless steel. You need a couple of containers to use to ferment your brew. You can choose between a food grade plastic bucket with a lid, or a glass carboy with a drilled rubber stopper. Whichever of these home brewing tools you choose should be able to handle five gallon’s of liquid. While you are purchasing the buckets and brewkettle you will also have to pick up an airlock, the airlock is a home brewing tool that allows carbon dioxide, a gas produced during the fermenting process, to leave the fermenter. Make sure you buy six feet of vinyl hose that you can use to siphon your home made brew. Another home brewing tool you will need is a racking cane made out of rigid plastic. The last home brewing tool you should have at hand is a bottle of bleach; you’ll use the bleach to sanitize your home brewing system.

Tools You Need to Bottle Your Brew

Once you have all the home brewing tools needed to set up a home brewing system you will have to purchase home brewing tools that you will use to bottle your brew. You should purchase at least two cases of beer bottles. Make sure the bottles are clean and that they are the non-twist variety. Your beer bottles won’t do you any good unless you pick up a package of caps. A bottle capper will make the job of capping the beer bottles lots simpler.