We don't know about you but we could use a drink. (From 2021)
. These are the three most-used additives in winemaking, used to kill off wild bugs, improve shelf stability, and make your cider or wine more clear. You’ll probably see them referenced in your recipes, so it’s good to have them on hand.There are many kinds of liquid and dry wine yeast, which is why it can be fun to experiment withPhotograph: My Wine Co.
If you live in a wine-making area like Oregon, Washington, or California, you can typically buy local fruit from vintners, if you ask around.The basic steps for making beer are simple: add malt to water to make sugar water , boil said sugar water , and add hops. Then, cool and ferment said wort with yeast.
Extract brewers buy pre-mashed grain that’s been made into concentrated syrup or powder. You add this syrup or powder to water, boil it and add hops, and ferment. Voilà: beer. Mead is made mostly the same way, but with honey substituted for malt extract, and with hops not always added during the boil.
Neither method is devastatingly hard, but I recommend you start with extract, as it’s simpler, faster, and bit easier to wrap your head around at first if you're a visual learner like I am. You also need less gear.A big brew kettle like this one will allow you to boil more than 5 gallons of liquid to make a 5-gallon batch . I’ve hadIt's not required, but you can make it easier to get hot liquids out of your kettle by installingHop Bags or Grain Bagaround.