Homemade Kentucky Beer

BOURBON COUNTY (BCN) — If you would like to try your hand at making homemade beer, here is an easy recipe for you. You can use a 15 gallon plastic garbage can with a clip on lid.

You will also need:

Approximately 6 oz. hops

1-1/2 teaspoons granulated yeast.

Place ingredients in the vessel with approximately 2 gallons water, or more if vessel is large enough, and bring to boil. Then turn down to simmer for about 45 minutes, steeping hops in liquid during this period as hops will sit on top of the water; otherwise, flavor will be too weak.

Put malt, raw sugar and molasses into plastic bin. Then strain hops liquid through parachute silk or cheesecloth to remove all sediment and add liquid to contents of bin. Stir thoroughly with a wooden paddle to completely dissolve malt and sugar into liquid.

Place the bin in a position where it can be kept for a week undisturbed at 70 degrees. Fill up with lukewarm water to within 2 inches of the top of container. Temperature of brew should now be about 70 to 80 degrees. Sprinkle yeast evenly over surface and seal. Beer will work for 7 to 10 days. A thick white broth will appear after the first 8 hours and gradually die, towards the end of the time.

When working has ceased, take 8 dozen clean 26 oz. bottles and put one level teaspoon of white sugar into each bottle. Drain off liquid into bottles taking care not to disturb too much. (This will disturb sediment and make liquid cloudy). Cap bottles tightly and correctly and store upright for 3 weeks minimum.

Cool in refrigerator in upright position and pour gently into glass mug for serving. Sediment also forms in bottle. If beer is too lively, too much yeast has been added or if bottled before, it had ceased working. Flavor of beer can be softened by adding 4 oz. of barley to the hops when bottling. Color can be darkened by increasing amount of molasses.

Do you like to make homemade beer? If you made this recipe how did it workout for you?
Let us know in the comments below!