Basic Tips

Water quality. Tap water is generally quite okay but if yours is highly chlorinated you might like to boil it first. If it doesn't taste the best you may consider filtered or bottled water. Temperature control. We keep mentioning this 21-27�C (69-80�F) temperature range - it's quite important. The wrong temperature can turn your beer sour. A range of heating devices are available from your home brew stockist. Sourcing bottles. For your first home brew we recommend buying a new set of bottles from a home brew shop. This way you can be sure they're clean - and when you recycle them for your next brew, you know where they've been! Washing bottles. To minimise the risk of infected (bad-tasting) beer you should wash all bottles in warm, soapy water then rinse with very hot water to sterilise. You can use a sterilising agent like sodium hypochlorite but be sure to rinse well afterwards. Your home brew shop has other solutions and cleaning devices to save you time and trouble. How strong is your beer? You can change the approximate alcoholic strength of your beer by altering the amount of sugar you add to the wort in the beginning. A minimum of 250g ensures good fermentation. Here's a guide: Grams added Strength 1,000 5.2% 750 4.6% 500 4.0% 250 3.4% NB: Don't change the amount of sugar you add when bottling because the bottles may explode.

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