Thanks for watching everyone! This is just the basics - you can brew a beer at home with the minimum of equipment and ingredients. Don't overthink it! Oh yeah; that's our home made Prosciutto hanging in the brew room. Check out our cooking channel for that.
As a home brewer with 140 batches under my belt, I really like your approach to home brewing. You are bang on with all the myths and misconseptions, we don't need to make this more complicated than it needs to be. RDWHAHB (Relax Don't Worry Have A Home Brew). Cheers!
You have a great calm teaching style about you. I currently brew only 2 gallon batches using extract. That size is perfect for me; you can do it all on the stovetop, can easily cool down the wort in the sink with cold tap water and some ice and its easier to lug around. I would rather brew more, smaller batches. Doing it BIAB style is my next adventure, so thanks for the run-through. I love how you hand crank your grain crusher! Great info. Cheers!
Good to see a new beginner guide from a channel that likely still has a few non-brewers watching. Good job on covering all the necessary points and avoiding a lot of "you must"s that aren't really vital and just discourage people. Big thumbs up for the point about any first brew just beng about learning if it's fun for you. If I had any criticism it would be about the bottling but totally forgivable as you aren't regular bottlers and anyone trying brewing for the first time will find bottling awkward no matter what.
I’d enjoy something along the lines of a strong stout or porter. I’ve tried watching other beer tubers and have had trouble following them, your presentation style is entertaining and easy to follow.
I watched this this video a few years ago on your other channel. It reignited an old desire in me to give brewing I still haven't made a beer, yet. But I have made cider. Massive amounts of boozey ginger beer. Mead. Various types of country wine. Carrot, elderflower, elderberry. Those three favourites are all delicious and unbelievably cheap to make. I've just started a 5 gallon batch of Elderflower wine, which is costing me very little to make. But will meet most of our alcohol needs for the next year So thank you for your video that got me started 😊
One small tip - for sanitising home brew is to use the tablets/ liquid that's advertised for baby bottles etc. It's way cheaper (don't need brand names) - does the same job.
Husband and I many years ago made 1-2 batches of wine a year for about 4-5 years. We enjoyed the process and realized that much of the equipment we could use to make beer. We only made a couple of batches of beer before we got busy and life and stopped wine and beer making. We did keep all of our equipment and I recently saw a local brew/wine making shop, one of the reasons we stopped was not being able to find supplies locally and this was in the mid to late '00's so not as easy to find online. Seeing new brew videos from you is inspiring me to see if the better half wants to try again to make some homemade alcohol.
This was the first all grain beer I made when it was on your main channel, I really liked it. That was right at the start of covid lockdowns and going to the homebrew store was a big outing.
Omg!! This morning as I was getting ready for work, I was thinking, “I wonder if Glen has made a your-first-brew video. Low and behold! Thanks for making this!
I am a fan of small batches. I like a variety of beers, but it takes an eternity for us to drink 5 gallons. So I typically stick with 2.5 gallon batches. I'd go less, but (1) that's about the lowest volume limit I can manage on my gear (brewzilla). Also (2), 2.5 is an acceptable spot for output relative to my time investment.
Thank you Glen, great video. When I retired a few years ago I got a home brew kit as a gift together with a package ready to ferment stuff. The beer was too sweet for my taste and very under carbonated. Since then I didn’t make beer anymore. But this simple method will give me inspiration to start another batch. And at the end a little bit more of dextrose in the bottles 😉
Great idea using Munich as the malt, I would never have considered it for a SMASH beer It brings a lot of malt and depth to a beer. You are right about simplifying it, it doesn't need to be half as complicated as it somethimes becomes. For a first time brewer I would definitely recommend getting pre-crushed grain
In the 60s my parents did large volume home beer & wine, 5 & 10 UK gallon carboys. They always used filtered & boiled rainwater. After decanting a bottle of beer for drinking the dregs were saved in a bottle, which was then drunk as last. My father maintained that the dregs bottle was always the best.
A nice, simple and to the point video aimed at new brewers and those maybe looking to get into the hobby. Using a SMaSH recipe was a great idea. I'm looking forward to more brewing videos in the future.
Years ago I worked with a home brewer that almost always brewed a 1 gallon brew a week. I ask why not brew a bigger batch? He looked at me very seriously and said so I can brew every week.
I spent the whole time watching and listening though I will never make beer. I just enjoy learning. You're an excellent teacher. Thank you, Glen! - Marilyn
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse it was since of the best ham I've ever tasted. Thank you for the way you explain all of your projects and recipes, it truly does help
Good video Glen. It's like I tell people who ask me about it, brewing can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I think you did a very good job of conveying the process without over-complicating things and getting into the weeds. I am always trying to keep that in mind as I brew, and I have sort of done a bell curve on my complexity, started of basic, got really involved, but am pulling back now. Though I am about to try (pressure) fermenting, carbing and serving from the same keg. Seems complicated in the gear I had to buy, but overall I hope it will make my process even simpler; using less equipment, less cleaning and sanitizing, less steps. I would go from the kettle to the keg and that's it.
make sure the swing top bottle are designed to hold pressure. a rough rule of thumb i use is if it is not a round bottle (like the ones they sell at the container store) it is not designed to hold pressure. if it is a repurposed bottle and the previous beverage was carbonated it should be safe.
After watching Chicken tap dance on Julie's back, I wonder where he goes when you're flying? A kind neighbor checks on him or something else? Always enjoy the appearances of the feline! Don't brew beer myself, but a very interesting process
Actually yeast need oxygen to survive. When you first pitch your yeast there is an abundance of O2 and the yeast eat the sugars and breathe in the O2 and excrete CO2. Since everything it needs is there the yeast will multiply and build a bigger colony. Since this is a closed system, once the O2 runs out the yeast will stop multiplying and go into survival mode, they will scavenge O2 from the sugar molecules and and leave behind alcohol and CO2. You can in fact open air ferment, the big thing to be attentive to is you have to rack it to a closed fermenter as soon as the krausen (the foamy top layer) *starts* to fall or your beer will oxidize and have some off flavors. The krausen starts to fall when the yeast colony gets to a sufficient size and activity that it can no longer survive on the O2 that is permeating through the foam. It's a natural limit that happens at the peak of the colonies health and performance. You will get much faster and vigorous fermentations because you will have a much larger, healthier, less stressed colony working for you. It's a lot of extra steps and attention required so I think that's why that method has fallen out of favor. Happy brewing, glad this channel is active once again.
Yes - all valid points. But in the context of KISS for this basic first brew; I thought that particular info overload was too much. Maybe I could have worded it better, but I think I got the point across.
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse You did. I've been brewing for years and it's as much a free exchange of information as it is a fun hobby. I just like learning stuff and that's why I watch your channels, always learning something.
I remember a similar video you make a few years ago. That video made me start doing small 5 gallon batches, thank you for that it was great fun. If there was anything I could ask for was, what is the step up from this, the priming each bottle is really getting tough and I am not quite sure how to move into kegging or force carbonation to make the process a little less laborious without breaking a bank.
True - I was just trying to show that without buying too much (expensive) equipment you could do this at home. Our first time out we just used a piece of tubing as a siphon to fill the bottles.
Good video. Would love a ham update as it looks good. Since you brought up switching to digital refractometer and kegging rather quickly in your brewing journey, I would be interested in a video (or series) about what you upgraded to earlier on and why? There are so many paths to upgrading certain equipment and when that I thought it would be interesting to hear your take as to what upgrades are available and pros/cons for the new brewer. I know I invested in the wrong upgrades too soon (should have waited) and realized later that the process would have been more enjoyable (for me) had I upgraded other equipment first. (Hope that made sense.)
I'm thinking of doing a bunch of these '101' type videos. There are so many paths at pitfalls along the way in home brewing. By the 4th brew we were kegging, it seemed natural since we film a cooking show and have lots of large fridge space. I also got a pretty sweet deal early on for some kegs: ua-cam.com/video/CbpFdIU-i_k/v-deo.htmlsi=WogGEo-_O15pKCZ9
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse I just watched that video the other day as I'm in the process of switching to kegging after 3 years and bought someone else's old kegs. I prefer bottles because I can easily give beer away but the process is too time consuming.
I'll still fill a few bottles from the keg after the beer is carbed, and I'm looking at a can setup since cans are easier to move around and lighter when we go camping.
For the Ham update you want to look up the videos titled " We Make PROSCIUTTO Crudo - Dry CURED Country HAM Leg " and " Tasting Home Made Prosciutto - 1 Year To Make! - Glen & Friends Cooking " on the Glen And Friends Cooking channel.
Okay, I know I'm a bit late, but you have me wanting to make my Octoberfest. Cooler weather means so many dark & heavier brews. I haven't looke, but have you done a Christmas Ale or Winter brew? Love those!
I brewed quite a bit back in the '80s. I was taught that you had to brew 5 gallons and that was just too much for me to drink! Is there a difference in quality you can achieve with smaller volume brews? I enjoyed the process and the beer, I just can't drink that much. Oh, and thanks for the video. I love all your channels!!!
I've been playing with 2.5 - 3 gallons, that amount seems to be the sweet spot for time vs. beer. 5 gallons can be too much, but that 2.5 is easier to store etc.
Hey Glen! Is there any difference in using mineral water instead of tap water? So there is no need to remove the chlorine. Great video, I simply love your other channels also!
Lots of home brewers will use Reverse Osmosis water, or distilled water and then add in salts and minerals. Mineral water is also an option. The tap water here in Toronto has a really good mineral composition for brewing, so the Campden tablet is for me the easiest way to get to a starting point. Brewing water is a science all on its own that results in countless hours of discussion in the home brew community.
Would artesian well water work for beer. There is one on Lakeridge Rd about 20 minutes north of the Ajax near LakeRidge Ski Resort called Chalk Lake Spring Water. There is another in Harwood (a village north of Cobourg) at the the community centre.
A much safer way to carbonate is to rack that gallon off the Lees, add one ounce of sugar per gallon to homogenize then bottle with a few grains of yeast in each. Adding sugar to a bottle is not accurate and dangerous.
Adding sugar to the bottle is just as accurate, and not really any more dangerous. You could still add too much sugar using your method and end up with the same bottle bombs you're afraid of.
My advice is to document everything and don't misplace the documents. I have all the sheets from every brew I've ever made except for the first recipe I made up which of course was the best I ever made. And I can't find that one sheet anywhere or remember everything I used. So sad.
Thanks for watching everyone!
This is just the basics - you can brew a beer at home with the minimum of equipment and ingredients. Don't overthink it!
Oh yeah; that's our home made Prosciutto hanging in the brew room. Check out our cooking channel for that.
As a home brewer with 140 batches under my belt, I really like your approach to home brewing. You are bang on with all the myths and misconseptions, we don't need to make this more complicated than it needs to be. RDWHAHB (Relax Don't Worry Have A Home Brew). Cheers!
You have a great calm teaching style about you. I currently brew only 2 gallon batches using extract. That size is perfect for me; you can do it all on the stovetop, can easily cool down the wort in the sink with cold tap water and some ice and its easier to lug around. I would rather brew more, smaller batches. Doing it BIAB style is my next adventure, so thanks for the run-through. I love how you hand crank your grain crusher! Great info. Cheers!
Good to see a new beginner guide from a channel that likely still has a few non-brewers watching. Good job on covering all the necessary points and avoiding a lot of "you must"s that aren't really vital and just discourage people. Big thumbs up for the point about any first brew just beng about learning if it's fun for you. If I had any criticism it would be about the bottling but totally forgivable as you aren't regular bottlers and anyone trying brewing for the first time will find bottling awkward no matter what.
I’d enjoy something along the lines of a strong stout or porter. I’ve tried watching other beer tubers and have had trouble following them, your presentation style is entertaining and easy to follow.
Saturday morning is a video where we brew a Porter - come on back.
He's only been teaching people how to cook for 17 years. I would hope he had this down.
@@Rakiyelno kidding /s
Been watching the cooking show for years.
beer + Chicken = a win!
I watched this this video a few years ago on your other channel.
It reignited an old desire in me to give brewing
I still haven't made a beer, yet.
But I have made cider. Massive amounts of boozey ginger beer.
Mead.
Various types of country wine. Carrot, elderflower, elderberry.
Those three favourites are all delicious and unbelievably cheap to make.
I've just started a 5 gallon batch of Elderflower wine, which is costing me very little to make. But will meet most of our alcohol needs for the next year
So thank you for your video that got me started 😊
One small tip - for sanitising home brew is to use the tablets/ liquid that's advertised for baby bottles etc. It's way cheaper (don't need brand names) - does the same job.
Husband and I many years ago made 1-2 batches of wine a year for about 4-5 years. We enjoyed the process and realized that much of the equipment we could use to make beer. We only made a couple of batches of beer before we got busy and life and stopped wine and beer making. We did keep all of our equipment and I recently saw a local brew/wine making shop, one of the reasons we stopped was not being able to find supplies locally and this was in the mid to late '00's so not as easy to find online. Seeing new brew videos from you is inspiring me to see if the better half wants to try again to make some homemade alcohol.
This was the first all grain beer I made when it was on your main channel, I really liked it. That was right at the start of covid lockdowns and going to the homebrew store was a big outing.
Omg!! This morning as I was getting ready for work, I was thinking, “I wonder if Glen has made a your-first-brew video. Low and behold! Thanks for making this!
I am a fan of small batches. I like a variety of beers, but it takes an eternity for us to drink 5 gallons. So I typically stick with 2.5 gallon batches. I'd go less, but (1) that's about the lowest volume limit I can manage on my gear (brewzilla). Also (2), 2.5 is an acceptable spot for output relative to my time investment.
Thank you Glen, great video. When I retired a few years ago I got a home brew kit as a gift together with a package ready to ferment stuff. The beer was too sweet for my taste and very under carbonated. Since then I didn’t make beer anymore. But this simple method will give me inspiration to start another batch. And at the end a little bit more of dextrose in the bottles 😉
Yes! Back to the beer!
Great idea using Munich as the malt, I would never have considered it for a SMASH beer
It brings a lot of malt and depth to a beer. You are right about simplifying it, it doesn't need to be half as complicated as it somethimes becomes. For a first time brewer I would definitely recommend getting pre-crushed grain
In the 60s my parents did large volume home beer & wine, 5 & 10 UK gallon carboys. They always used filtered & boiled rainwater. After decanting a bottle of beer for drinking the dregs were saved in a bottle, which was then drunk as last. My father maintained that the dregs bottle was always the best.
I get barrels of spent grains for my cows and pigs a d they love it!!! We also compost some as Glenn does great stuff!!!
CHICKEN!
A nice, simple and to the point video aimed at new brewers and those maybe looking to get into the hobby. Using a SMaSH recipe was a great idea. I'm looking forward to more brewing videos in the future.
What? I just noticed @6:40 that beautiful big leg hanging/aging in the foreground. Leg of lamb? can't wait to see that on the other channel!
Thanks for the elementary lesson. That’s the way I remember my grandmother brewing it. Along with baking bread.
Years ago I worked with a home brewer that almost always brewed a 1 gallon brew a week. I ask why not brew a bigger batch? He looked at me very seriously and said so I can brew every week.
I kind of feel the same way - there are times when I don't need any more beer, but I want to brew anyway because I like the process.
I spent the whole time watching and listening though I will never make beer. I just enjoy learning. You're an excellent teacher. Thank you, Glen! - Marilyn
Really love the no-nonsense it doesnt need to be fancy or perfect mantra brought over from the kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
Your basement is so bright and clean.
Thanks! It took a bit of work to get the brew area to that point.
I like the bottle priming candies. I’ve used them once or twice and didn’t notice anything off.
That full leg prosciutto inspired me to have a go at curing my own.
How did it work out?
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse it was since of the best ham I've ever tasted. Thank you for the way you explain all of your projects and recipes, it truly does help
Good video Glen. It's like I tell people who ask me about it, brewing can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. I think you did a very good job of conveying the process without over-complicating things and getting into the weeds. I am always trying to keep that in mind as I brew, and I have sort of done a bell curve on my complexity, started of basic, got really involved, but am pulling back now. Though I am about to try (pressure) fermenting, carbing and serving from the same keg. Seems complicated in the gear I had to buy, but overall I hope it will make my process even simpler; using less equipment, less cleaning and sanitizing, less steps. I would go from the kettle to the keg and that's it.
Thank you for sharing!!!
... ... ... again😄
(It definitely pays to make quality evergreen content! 👍👍)
Great video Glen! Perhaps you can do an even simpler malt extract brew for viewers someday ✌️
Maybe?
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse if you think about it it can all be done in one pot without a fermenter.
I’ve been brewing just with extract for years. It makes a good brew too.
That looks like an absolutely cracking beer! Like a Helles, I'm guessing? Very encouraged to have another go at brewing. Thank you
make sure the swing top bottle are designed to hold pressure. a rough rule of thumb i use is if it is not a round bottle (like the ones they sell at the container store) it is not designed to hold pressure. if it is a repurposed bottle and the previous beverage was carbonated it should be safe.
Very good intro to brewing. I would absolutely send a friend who was curious about the hobby to this video.
I admit I’m subscribing because Chicken is in the thumbnail
I used an analog refractometer like that to check the batteri acid in aircraft batteries all the time :p
Don't fear the foam!
After watching Chicken tap dance on Julie's back, I wonder where he goes when you're flying? A kind neighbor checks on him or something else? Always enjoy the appearances of the feline! Don't brew beer myself, but a very interesting process
Chicken hangs out at a friends house - they have a cat named Toby and the two of them have a great time together.
Actually yeast need oxygen to survive. When you first pitch your yeast there is an abundance of O2 and the yeast eat the sugars and breathe in the O2 and excrete CO2. Since everything it needs is there the yeast will multiply and build a bigger colony. Since this is a closed system, once the O2 runs out the yeast will stop multiplying and go into survival mode, they will scavenge O2 from the sugar molecules and and leave behind alcohol and CO2. You can in fact open air ferment, the big thing to be attentive to is you have to rack it to a closed fermenter as soon as the krausen (the foamy top layer) *starts* to fall or your beer will oxidize and have some off flavors. The krausen starts to fall when the yeast colony gets to a sufficient size and activity that it can no longer survive on the O2 that is permeating through the foam. It's a natural limit that happens at the peak of the colonies health and performance. You will get much faster and vigorous fermentations because you will have a much larger, healthier, less stressed colony working for you. It's a lot of extra steps and attention required so I think that's why that method has fallen out of favor. Happy brewing, glad this channel is active once again.
Yes - all valid points. But in the context of KISS for this basic first brew; I thought that particular info overload was too much. Maybe I could have worded it better, but I think I got the point across.
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse You did. I've been brewing for years and it's as much a free exchange of information as it is a fun hobby. I just like learning stuff and that's why I watch your channels, always learning something.
I remember a similar video you make a few years ago. That video made me start doing small 5 gallon batches, thank you for that it was great fun.
If there was anything I could ask for was, what is the step up from this, the priming each bottle is really getting tough and I am not quite sure how to move into kegging or force carbonation to make the process a little less laborious without breaking a bank.
Chicken!
since you go straight to keg, its' not a huge deal, but bottling wands are common for smaller batches going to bottles
True - I was just trying to show that without buying too much (expensive) equipment you could do this at home. Our first time out we just used a piece of tubing as a siphon to fill the bottles.
I have literally been waiting for a video like this! Thank you so much 🙏🏼
Good video. Would love a ham update as it looks good. Since you brought up switching to digital refractometer and kegging rather quickly in your brewing journey, I would be interested in a video (or series) about what you upgraded to earlier on and why? There are so many paths to upgrading certain equipment and when that I thought it would be interesting to hear your take as to what upgrades are available and pros/cons for the new brewer. I know I invested in the wrong upgrades too soon (should have waited) and realized later that the process would have been more enjoyable (for me) had I upgraded other equipment first. (Hope that made sense.)
I'm thinking of doing a bunch of these '101' type videos. There are so many paths at pitfalls along the way in home brewing.
By the 4th brew we were kegging, it seemed natural since we film a cooking show and have lots of large fridge space. I also got a pretty sweet deal early on for some kegs: ua-cam.com/video/CbpFdIU-i_k/v-deo.htmlsi=WogGEo-_O15pKCZ9
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse I just watched that video the other day as I'm in the process of switching to kegging after 3 years and bought someone else's old kegs. I prefer bottles because I can easily give beer away but the process is too time consuming.
I'll still fill a few bottles from the keg after the beer is carbed, and I'm looking at a can setup since cans are easier to move around and lighter when we go camping.
For the Ham update you want to look up the videos titled " We Make PROSCIUTTO Crudo - Dry CURED Country HAM Leg " and " Tasting Home Made Prosciutto - 1 Year To Make! - Glen & Friends Cooking " on the Glen And Friends Cooking channel.
@@Kinkajou1015 Thank I watched the making of the Prosciutto but missed the final follow up video.
Okay, I know I'm a bit late, but you have me wanting to make my Octoberfest. Cooler weather means so many dark & heavier brews. I haven't looke, but have you done a Christmas Ale or Winter brew? Love those!
We've brewed a few 'winter warmers', I'm not sure if I filmed them though.
@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse Well, good excuse to brew & film another. 😀
Hey Glen! Love all your videos; I am wondering if you could please brew a Irish Red Ale at some point? That's my favourite beer.
It's on the list - may be a while, but we'll get there.
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse excellent!
Can you create a one gallon batch that is more complicated, like an IPA or Hazy?
Definitely - but the hassle might not be worth the payoff.
I brewed quite a bit back in the '80s. I was taught that you had to brew 5 gallons and that was just too much for me to drink! Is there a difference in quality you can achieve with smaller volume brews? I enjoyed the process and the beer, I just can't drink that much.
Oh, and thanks for the video. I love all your channels!!!
I've been playing with 2.5 - 3 gallons, that amount seems to be the sweet spot for time vs. beer. 5 gallons can be too much, but that 2.5 is easier to store etc.
Every beer I've made has taken 5 days from start to finish and cost around 20 pence a pint.
Glen, can you share what model of induction stovetop that is? In my searching it seems some models have inconsistent temperatures.
Unfortunately I no longer have it - I donated it away to someone who needed a bit of help.
Need to see more Chicken 😺
Hey Glen! Is there any difference in using mineral water instead of tap water? So there is no need to remove the chlorine. Great video, I simply love your other channels also!
Lots of home brewers will use Reverse Osmosis water, or distilled water and then add in salts and minerals. Mineral water is also an option.
The tap water here in Toronto has a really good mineral composition for brewing, so the Campden tablet is for me the easiest way to get to a starting point.
Brewing water is a science all on its own that results in countless hours of discussion in the home brew community.
Would artesian well water work for beer. There is one on Lakeridge Rd about 20 minutes north of the Ajax near LakeRidge Ski Resort called Chalk Lake Spring Water. There is another in Harwood (a village north of Cobourg) at the the community centre.
have you made mead ?
Years ago we made some - it was tasty, but we never made it a second time.
Is this a repost? I feel that I've watched this before..
This was posted 4 years ago on our cooking channel, I decided to repost it here because people were asking for a basic 'intro' video.
@@GlenAndFriendsBrewHouse I'll just watch it again then!
Lady I worked with her husband made a lambic and a cherry pit got caught in the bubbler and it blew up all over the house when they were on vacation!
Ouch!
A much safer way to carbonate is to rack that gallon off the Lees, add one ounce of sugar per gallon to homogenize then bottle with a few grains of yeast in each.
Adding sugar to a bottle is not accurate and dangerous.
Adding sugar to the bottle is just as accurate, and not really any more dangerous. You could still add too much sugar using your method and end up with the same bottle bombs you're afraid of.
My advice is to document everything and don't misplace the documents. I have all the sheets from every brew I've ever made except for the first recipe I made up which of course was the best I ever made. And I can't find that one sheet anywhere or remember everything I used. So sad.
😎👍👍🙏🙏🍻🎉🎉
I don't have hops at home.
Well you can pick them up at the same place you get the malted barley.