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Showing posts from September, 2010

Beer Brewing at Home

There are basically two types of beers you can create: Ales and lagers. What differentiates these two main styles of beer is the type of yeast you use to ferment your wort to turn it into beer: Ales: This beer type is created using “warm fermenting” yeast that does its work on the top of the fermenter. This type of yeast ferments when it’s 60-75 degrees (F), so you can basically ferment your brew at room temperature. What’s more, ale yeast can consume the sugars in your wort in a matter of a few days. The reason why we’re starting with a simple ale beer in this course is simply because it’s so easy to create these conditions. If you keep your house thermostat set at typical room temperate, then you have the perfect conditions to make a good ale. It’s easy. Now compare this simple ale to lager… Lagers: This beer type is created using yeast that goes to work on the bottom of the fermenter. Lager yeast requires cooler fermenting temperatures, somewhere in the range of 45 t