1 Gallon Kit Instructions

1 Gallon Kit Instructions

1 Gallon All-Grain Kit Instructions

Did you just purchase a 1 Gallon All-Grain Kit from us? Are you just looking for simple instructions on how to brew a small batch of beer? We're here to help! Here's a quick rundown on how to brew 1 Gallon of Beer at home.

Go over your equipment and verify that you have everything you need from in the checklists below.

Equipment Checklist

(included in kit)

Equipment Checklist

(not included in kit*)

One Gallon Glass Jug Brewpot (8 qts minimum)
Screwcap w/hole for airlocks Strainer (fine mesh preferred)
Twin Bubble Airlock Spoon (for stirring)
Racking Cane Pot Holders
Siphon Clamp (small) Scissors
Siphon Hose (3 ft.) Timer
Floating Thermometer Ice (to cool the wort)
Star San Funnel

*Ideally you'll have everything on the right hand of the list in your kitchen already.

Prepare Ingredients

  1. Before you begin: Mix 1/4 oz. (1.5 teaspoons) of Star San with one gallon of water.
  2. Soak everything you are going to use in the sanitizer. If there are still bubbles on the equipment don’t worry. Don’t fear the foam.
  3. Keep extra sanitizer in a container for now. You can re-use the sanitizer until it becomes cloudy.

Start the Mash

  1. Start the mash: Heat 2.5 quarts of water to 160°F.
  2. Add grain to water.
  3. Mix gently with a spoon until mash is thoroughly mixed (like oatmeal). Add water if the grains are too dry or if the water is too hot. The temperature will drop to around 150°F.
  4. Mash (let sit) for 30 minutes. Put a cover on your pot to help maintain the temperature.
  5. After 30 minutes, check the temperature (at multiple locations in the pot). If the mash has cooled, apply heat until you have reached the appropriate mash temp (~148-152°F) and then turn the heat off. Cover and let sit for another 30 minutes.
  6. After 60 minutes of mashing, heat to 168°F while stirring constantly for mash out.
  7. Sparging (aka rinsing):
  8. Heat an additional 4 quarts of water to 170°F.
  9. Set up a strainer over a pot.
  10. Carefully add the hot grain (mash) to the strainer collecting the liquid that passes through.This sugary liquid is called wort and will eventually become beer.
  11. Carefully pour the sparge water over the mashed grains in the strainer.
  12. You want to collect about 1.5 gallons of wort. Discard grains when done.

Start the Boil

  1. The Boil: In a pot, heat wort until it boils.
  2. Watch out for boil over when the hot break occurs (foamy stuff floating at the top). Turn down heat if boil over occurs.
  3. After the wort comes to a boil (and is not boiling over) add your 60 minute hops and start a timer for 60 minutes. Stir occasionally. Leave cover off while boiling.
  4. Follow the hops schedule in the recipe. Hops are added in order from longest boil time to shortest boil time.
  5. After you’ve added all of your hops and boiled for 60 minutes, turn off the heat.
  6. Place brew pot in an ice bath (the sink is a good place for this) until it cools to 70°F.
  7. Once the wort is cool, place strainer over funnel and pour your beer into the (sanitized) glass jug.
  8. If you’re under one gallon of wort, top up with tap water to hit 1 Gallon.
  9. Add 1/4 (0.25) package of yeast directly to the gallon jug.
  10. Shake the jug vigorously to oxygenate the yeast (yeast love oxygen).
  11. Attach the (sanitized) screw-top lid to gallon jug. Fill the airlock up to the fill line with sanitizer and pop it into the hole on the screw-top lid.

Pitch Your Yeast

  1. Fermentation: Allow beer to sit and ferment in 65 to 70˚F area away from light for 2 weeks. You’ll see lots of bubbling going on in the first 7 days which will eventually subside. Let it go for the full 2 weeks to ensure that fermentation is complete.
  2. Collect some swing-top bottles while you wait for fermentation to complete (i.e. drink some beer!).
  3. After 2 weeks you are ready to bottle (see bottling instructions).

Start Bottling!

Every brewing setup is different and you’ll need to learn how your system works and adjust your process from there. If you run into any problems, just call us at (917) 596-7261. We want to help you make good beer and feel comfortable with the process.

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