MAKING BEER

Well, basically the better equipment you have, the better beer you will make.

A couple important things for the first step.

1) Add hops 3 times... once to add bitterness, a second time for flavor, a third time for aroma (after the first step is done boiling -- otherwise you boil off the flav).

2) Barley is a good wheat to use. However, a lot of american ales will also use a lot of rice.

3) It is good to use a mixture of grains and a concentrated syrup otherwise you'd need a 10+ gallon pot just for the grain used itself.

4) May seem obvious, but... STERILIZE EVERYTHING BEFORE USE!

The beer they make here is delicious. They use a method where the beer gets carbonated in the bottle itself. Basically, after we let these batches ferment a bit, you put them in bottles, but add a bit more sugar to reactivate the yeast, but close it tight this time (the main batch closed with a one way valve). That way the CO2 cannot escape from the bottle, hence the bubbles.

Man oh man, I hope all you guys are ready for some New York City brews. You wind up spending a bit up front, but the $$$ saved in the long run will make it worth it.

PEACE.

disclaimer: entry written under the influence of margaritas