MAKING GOOD BEER IS EASY!
-------------------------
This recipe is for "cheap" home brew.  For home brews, it's a very basic
recipe and easy to do.  This recipe does not use actual hops - it is basically
just a beer kit process but it is a good intro into what the process is.

The most important thing is that once you are past the work on the stove,
EVERYTHING must be kept very sanitary as beer can grow things<g>.  But keep
in mind, that no one has ever died from homebrew.

Also, be cool and don't worry if things don't go exactly the way you think
it should.  Beer brewing is pretty relaxed - remember, people have been
brewing beer for thousands of years.

If you don't trust this recipe, the procedures, the equipment, or the
explainations, then get this book and read it first:

                   The Complete Joy of Home Brewing
                        by Charlie Papazian
                        ISBN 0-380-88369-4 (about 10$)

It is the definitive guide to home brewing and is written by the world's
leader in home brewing.  I got started by using this great book.


                            THE  FIRST  BREW
                       --------------------------
Equipment List
--------------
      You can get all of this stuff at a great store in NE Portland.  It's
      called WINE ART and is on NE Broadway (it's listed in the Yellow Pages
      under "Wine Making Supplies".  It's run by an old lady who can answer
      ALL of your questions and make recommendations about what to get or
      substitute.  Tell her that you've never brewed before and she will try
      to help you out.  I believe she is open seven days a week.  She also has
      beer kits, bottles, cappers, ingredients, and books.

      1 steel 3 gallon soup pot (I've done it with a 2 gallon barely).
      1 large wooden spoon for stirring.
      A bunch of beer bottles (about 50) or a dozen wine bottles
      1  5 gallon carboy (large water bottle)
      1  large funnel (don't use the one in the garage!)
      A cork with a hole in it (fits the carboy)
      A siphon hose (fits the hole in cork)
      A fermintation lock (about 1.00 at a store) (fits hole in cork)
      A big 5 or 10 gallon plastic tub (food quality!)
      A bottle capper + 50 bottle caps (buy the caps, rent the capper)
      More stuff once you get into it!

      You should be able to borrow, buy, or rent all this stuff.


Recipe
------
    5-6 lbs hop-flavored malt extract (Use liquid in cans or powered)  8.00
    5 gals. of water                                                   0.00
    1 package of ALE yeast                                              .75
    3/4 cup sugar for use when you bottle                               .25

Simple List of the Steps
------------------------
      1) Put 1 1/2 gallons of water into the pan and start boiling.
      2) Pour in the malt extract and boil for 15-20 minutes.
      3) While the "wort" is boiling, put 3 gallons of cold water into
         the carboy.
      5) Pour the boiling goo into the carboy.
      6) When the tempature is below 78 degrees (about 4-5 hours) pour the
         yeast into the carboy.
      7) Attach the fermentation hose into the cork about a half-inch.
      8) After the initial fermination settles down - fill up the fermintation
         lock and place into the cork.
      9) Ferment for 8-14 days.
     10) Bottle the beer.
     11) Age beer in bottles for 10 days.
     12) Drink the beer and don't drive!

More Detailed List of Steps
---------------------------
      1) Put 1 1/2 gallons of water into the pan and start boiling.
         Use any kind of pan except aluminum.  It is best when it's a nice
         big three gallon stock pot.  Start the water to boiling and as soon
         as it's hot (not yet boiling) do the next step.

      2) Pour in the malt extract and boil for 15-20 minutes.
         You can use either the malt extract syrup or malt extract powder in
         the same amounts as long as both are "hopped" - it usually says it
         on the label.  If you can't get hopped extract, add an ounce of
         Cascade Hops (freshly dried) to the recipe.  Stir the "wort" as you
         pour it in keeping care to not allowing it to settle to the bottom.
         You want it to dissolve into the water.  As it boils stir it ever
         so often.  Keep an I on it, because at one point in the boiling it
         will start to rise to the top of the pan - don't let it boil over!
         This rising is called the "fast break" and once it happens, it won't
         happen again<g>.  Boil it for 15-20 minutes.

      3) While the "wort" is boiling, put 3 gallons of cold water into the
         carboy.
         Make sure you wash the carboy out first - sanitation is #1. Don't use
         detergent or dish soap as it is hard to get out the residue.  Use a
         teaspoon of bleach and pour in a couple of gallons of water, then
         swish it around.  Empty and rinse the bleach out of the carboy.  The
         carboy should have a slight oder of bleach.

      5) Pour the boiling goo into the carboy.
         This is where a funnel comes in handy.  If you used real hops, then
         put a strainer into the funnel and pour the wort through the strainer.
         Your goal is five gallons of brew.  So if it comes up short, then
         fill it up to about 1 inch below the neck of the carboy with cold
         water (ice cubes work too and tend to cool down the wort too).

      6) When the tempature is below 78 degrees (about 4-5 hours) pour the
         yeast into the carboy.
         Just wait about 4-5 hours and dump the yeast into the carboy.  Some
         yeasts say to dissolve into a 1/4 cup of water - check the
         instructions on the back of the yeast.

      7) Attach the fermentation hose into the cork about a half-inch.
         Get a pan or larger bowl and fill it up about a quarter of the way
         with water.  Put the other end of the hose into the water so the tip
         is covered and weigh it down.  As the initial fermination starts,
         you will see bubbles coming out of the hose.  Within a few hours the
         carboy should fill up with foam and a lot of foam will come out of
         the hose in the pan.  The water in the pan keeps air from getting
         into the carboy and infecting the beer, but allows gas (carbon
         dioxide) and foam to come out.  Don't worry about the pan filling
         up - usually the foam dissolves when it hits the air.

         You will want to keep the carboy wrapped in a towel so little light
         hits it.  Light can "sour" beer - but only for extended periods of
         time.

      8) After the initial fermination settles down - fill up the fermintation
         lock and place into the cork.
         The initial fermination will settle down in a couple of days.  When
         no more foam is coming out of the hose, then remove the hose and
         put on the fermination lock.  Fill the lock up with water to the line
         on it and insert into the cork on the carboy.  Make sure the little
         cap with the fermination lock is on firmly.  You should bubbles
         bubbling through the water in the fermintation lock.

      9) Ferment for 8-14 days.
         The second hardest part: Wait.  Wait until the bubbles bubble through
         the fermination lock water about 1 bubble ever every two minutes.
         Then it is time for the next step.

     10) Bottle the beer.
         Even if the bottles look clean, wash each bottle by hand!  Use a
         bottle brush and warm water.  Have a couple gallons of water with
         a tablespoon of bleach added to it and dip the bottle brush to wash
         each bottle.  Clean bottles are crucial in this step!  Now, siphon
         the beer out of the carboy into the 5-10 gallon plastic tub.  Be
         careful not to siphon out the silt (dirt) at the bottom of the carboy.
         Get as much as you can.  Then boil a 1/4 cup of sugar in 1 cup of
         water and pour into the beer.  The sugar is food for the yeast and is
         the key to ensuring the yeast can make enough carbon dioxide to
         carbonate the beer.  Then siphon into the bottles.  Fill each bottle
         about 1 1/2 inches from the top.  Put a cap onto the bottle and set
         aside.  When all the bottles are filled then use the bottle capper
         to tighten down the caps on the bottles.

     11) Age beer in bottles for 10 days.
         Again, put the bottles in a dark place.  Then comes the hardest part
         of all: Wait for about 10-14 days.

     12) Drink the beer and don't drive!
         Yeah!  There will be a small layer of yeast at the bottom of each
         bottle - the sign of REAL beer!  Don't drink the beer right out of
         the bottle if you don't like the taste of yeast - pour it into a
         beer mug.  After a while (or a six-pack<g>) the taste of yeast gets
         better and you won't mind drinking from the bottle!

That's it.  Go ahead and try it.  Brewer's measure their experience by the
number of gallons they've brewed (I've brewed 60).  Don't be discouraged
by your first batch if it's not all you dreamed of (unless it's a complete
disaster, it will still be better than Budmiller).  Before you give up on it,
try a couple of other recipes.

Anyway, don't drink and drive or beat your wife and kids!  And don't worry.
