Extract Beer Kit Instructions

How to Brew an Extract Beer Kit?

1. Create the wort; the first stage is to steep your grain additions or ‘Mash’. This means adding one litre of hot water (usually around 65 degrees) for every 1 kilo of malt. Geterbrewed supplies muslin grain bags for this process in their extract kits. This is a single temperature infusion for usually 30 minutes, and this process creates wort

2. Add the liquid malt (usually half at this stage) to the wort you have created. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to add more water and bring this to a rolling boil. The total boil will take 60 minutes.

3. During the boil, you will add hops at different stages to achieve different flavours. Hops added at the start of the boil create bitterness, hops added near the end of the boil create flavour and hops added at the end of the boil contribute to hop aroma
The hops come in teabags; all you need to do is put the whole bag in, no need to remove the hops from the bag.
Hop additions will vary depending on the kits. Here is a basic guide on when to add them
(TIP: Start a countdown timer when you add your first bag)
> 60 min - At the start of the boil
> 45 min - 45 minutes to the end of the boil
> 30 min - 30 minutes to the end of the boil
> 15 min - 15 minutes to the end of the boil - ADD Whirlfloc tablet at this stage as well
> 10 min - 10 minutes to the end of the boil
> 0 min - At the end of the boil (or Flameout)

If DRY HOPS are included, this will be added later. (See 10)

4. Add the remaining liquid malt extract near the end of the boil to pasteurize it

5. Chill quickly using a copper wort chiller or an ice bath. (if you have brewed short with a smaller pot, you must rehydrate the wort in the fermenter. Monitor your temperatures carefully to achieve the correct fermentation temperature)

6. Transfer the wort to the fermenter and take a hydrometer reading, note the starting gravity and record it. This allows you to monitor when your brew will be ready.

7. Pitch the yeast and ensure that the yeast packet and scissors are sterilised. A spray bottle with no rinse steriliser is perfect for this job. Allow the spray solution some contact time to ensure it is clean.

8. Put a lid with an airlock onto your fermenter and place it where it will ferment. Attach a heat belt if necessary to maintain temperature. Temperature control is vital at this point. It is best to keep the brew out of direct sunlight. The airlock must be half-filled with water. This allows the gases given off by the yeast to escape but protects the wort from air getting in and spoiling your brew.

9. Allow the yeast to work by monitoring the activity in the airlock (replenish water in the airlock if needed). If it’s bubbling, you have active fermentation. When it stops bubbling, that's an indication it is nearing completion, and you tap off a sample to take a gravity reading. If it is the same for two days in a row, fermentation is complete

Fermentation times vary with different yeast strains and the temperature at which they are fermented, but ten days would be an average time period.

10. If included, add dry hops after fermentation and following checking of your gravity reading 1.015 or below, the hops are added by placing the hop tea bags into a cup of boiling water and allowing them to soak for a few minutes, then add the contents of the cup including the tea bags to your fermenter. Ensure the lid with the airlock is sealed correctly. Hop additions add a delicious aroma to your beer and are best added late in fermentation, so allow them to soak in the fermenter for 2-3 days.

11. Check the gravity reading, and if it remains constant for 3 days, then proceed to bottling or kegging

What if I don’t have a large pot to boil 26.5 litres?

Brew Stovetop 11 litre batches. Boil all of your hops in half of your liquid malt extract, then add the remaining liquid malt extract at the end of the boil to pasteurize it and then dilute the volume in the fermenter.

Extract Beer Kits

Geterbrewed has been experimenting with its range of extract beer kits. It has added a new range of exciting extract beer brewing kits focusing on premium ingredients and innovative new beer styles.

What are Extract Beer Kits?

Extract Beer Kits are considered the next step after homebrewers have tried a beer kit. Adding steeping grains to the brewing process and adding hops throughout the boiling process allows homebrewers to add a fresh malt flavour and a beautiful hop profile, creating impressive results. Extract brewing doesn’t require a lot of equipment and you can upgrade from kit brewing with a large stovetop pot and a copper chiller, if you haven’t got a chiller you can cool using an ice bath in your sink, basic beer kit brewing equipment is required.

Geterbrewed Extract Beer Kits Contain

1. Premium Quality Liquid Malt Pouches
2. Steeping Grains freshly crushed
3. Hop Pellets in innovative Hop Tea Bags
4. Brewers Yeast Strains
5. Whirlfloc Tablet
6. Muslin Bags

Geterbrewed Extract Beer Kit Recipes are based on the following

- 26.5 Litre Boil Volume
- 23 Litres at the end of the boil
- 21 Litres into the fermenter
- 19 litres packaged

How to Brew Great Beer from Extract?

The Key to successful extract brewing takes three things;

1. Sterilization, as with all types of brewing is key to successful brewing, good sanitation practices throughout the brew day

2. Temperature Control, accurate infusion temperatures and controlled fermentation temperatures

3. Freshness of the ingredients, Geterbrewed have a high stock turnover so you always get fresh ingredients, we mill our malt fresh the day it's dispatched plus we have the latest hop harvest and brewers yeast strains. All our extract kits are processed by hand, so you are sure to get a quality service

What is Malt Extract?

Malt Extract Starts in the brewhouse just like any other beer. To make malt extract, the wort is transferred to evaporators after the boiling stage instead of going to the fermenter. Geterbrewed uses liquid malt extract in their extract brewing kits.

Liquid Malt Extract is concentrated wort, and it takes a lot of work out of homebrewing. Its consistency is best described as syrupy, and it is generally available in light, amber, or dark format.