Extract Beer 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, you may need to add more water depending on the size of your pot and bring this to a rolling boil. The full 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 boilcontribute 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 count down 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 will need to 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 keep a record of it. This allows you to monitor when your brew will be ready.

7. Pitch the yeast, 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 is going to ferment. Attach a heat belt if necessary to maintain temperature. Temperature control is key at this point. 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 2 days in a row, fermentation is complete

Fermentation times vary with different yeast strains and the temperature that they are fermented, but 10 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 pot large enough to boil 26.5 litres?

Brew Stovetop 11 litre batches, simply 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