One of the more pleasurable tasks around here is making beer.
Even though drinking it is better, I get a certain sense of pride by making my own home brew beer. I have mentioned before why I think that making your own beer is more environmentally friendly than buying it from the shops in this post titled “Gav’s Eco Beer“.
I reuse glass bottles, or brown PET plastic for darker beers, and use local ingredients where I can. There is little in the way of transport except for the can of mixture and brewing sugar. The water comes straight from my rain water tanks.
Best of all, I can make it mid-strength at about 3.6% alcohol, and still maintaining a full flavour unlike some light beers I have tasted.
Did I mention that it was cheap? Only about 20 cents a bottle. Now that is being frugal.
Anyway, I bottled the beer that I made the day before Sustainable House Day. It was in the fermenting barrel for three and a half weeks because I did not add any external heat. It fermented between 16 and 20C, which is within tolerance for the yeast.
As you can see, the barrel is full, the bottles are clean and sterilized and the capper is ready for use.
After 45 minutes work the barrel is empty, and the bottles are ready for secondary fermentation. In two weeks the beer will be drinkable, but gets better with age. I like to drink it after a month.
As you can see, I am very excited to be making beer again. Just think how excited I will be in a months time. Finally, I will be able to use more of those limes I have on my tahitian lime tree!
Bottoms up!
I’m brewing Belgian beer for two years now.
Should have done it before. The taste, the smell…
A big Yes from John.
Nice one John. I have sampled a few Belgium beers and they are so smooth. I must make a batch!
I have been wondering about brewing beer for a while now. I have been on the lookout though for a gluten free beer mix before I decide to buy the whole kit and kaboodle.
Hi Kim. Maybe making fruit wines could be an alternative? No gluten in that process.
Sorghum extract is commonly used in gluten free homebrew. Kim, I would suggest searching gluten free extract beer kits, or just get the extract syrup and search for a sorghum gluten free recipe (plenty of them online, usually pretty simple recipes.
Hi Gavin, I’m a new reader and really enjoying your blog. Your beer ‘harvest’ is looking very professional. Bet it tastes great too.
Hi Jean. Welcome! Yes my beer is very tasty.
Hi Gav, do you drink it straight from those bottles? My husband has always made his in tall bottles, then pours it into a glass because of the sediment in the bottom… Would be great if there is a way around this.
I used to just drink the sediment. It doesn’t have much flavour and is actually very good for you. It’s mainly yeast containing lots of protein and vitamins.