Mash filter (used to hold the already steeped grain, which is called mash) 4. Large kettle for boiling

5. Large kettle for fermentation and conditioning

6. Optional filtering and/or bottling equipment

Once the ingredients and equipment are assembled you can begin the fascinating process of brewing beer, which is basically a liquid bread. First, soak whatever grain you selected in hot water. Temperatures and steeping times will vary depending on the type of malt you bought and the style of beer you wish to create. This step is called mashing, which is a critical phase during which sugars in the malted grain are released into the warm water. The resulting sweet grain water is called wort, and the remaining spent grain is called mash. Next you will want to separate the wort from the mash in a process called lautering. At this phase, the mash might be rinsed, too, a process called sparging, before being pressed to extract all the wort. The resulting liquid is then boiled for one to two hours and while the liquid boils you will add the hops. Finally, the liquid will be left to cool and then yeast is added so that it will ferment.

Fermentation is the essence of brewing beer. Fermentation can be best defined as a chemical breakdown. Atoms and molecules re-form and create new substances. In beer,...

During the fermentation process, all the sugars from the wort will be converted into ethyl alcohol by the brewer's yeast.
During fermentation the ale appears alive: it froths and foams at top as the yeast interacts with the sugar. When the fermentation visibly slows, the yeast will start to sink to the bottom and the frothiness will subside. At this point the beer should be chilled immediately to allow all the yeast to settle to the bottom of the tank and so the remaining liquid becomes clarified and drinkable. Clarification may take a few days or more, and should ideally occur in a pressurized vessel so as to preserve the natural carbonation that occurs during the fermentation process. Carbonation, which signals the presence of carbon dioxide in the liquid, is a natural by-product of fermentation but you can artificially add carbonation to your beer later, if desired. Also, you might want to filter the beer to remove the sediments that fell to the bottom but many people appreciate the cloudy appearance of freshly brewed ale.