This is not something to attempt lightly if you mean *REALLY* from
scratch. You need strictly controlled temperatures when chitting the
barley and malting it, also it must be turned (gently) regularly or it
goes sour.

Then when you mash it, the maltose has to be extracted within a very
tight temperature band, about ±1°F for lager malt and ±1°C for English
type beer malt.

It is much more sensible to buy spray-dried malt extract.

I think the purchased malt might have to be the one!


You can buy dried hops from many chemists. You need about four ounces of
the dried hops for five gallons of beer.

Noted!


However, hops are easy to grow, are fairly decorative in (say) a big
hedge, but in a small garden might present a bit of a problem, as the
vine will grow to a height of about twenty feet. (They are perenniel,
and die back every year, to regrow with a lot of new thugs^H^H^H^mates.

Might be OK - I've been looking for something to climb up the back of my
house, it's not the best looking back of a house you've ever seen. Could be
just the job! And if it's fast-growing . . . all the better!


Best of luck with the beer. Oh, a word of warning: if you are going to
use any sugar in the brew, check on one of the proprietory beer kits how
much they recommend. ON NO ACCOUNT exceed this as a ratio to the malt
they use, as too great a proportion of sugar in a malt brew will lead to
severe headaches and can kill you.

Blimey . . . I had no idea. Right, I shall watch out for that one!

We've got a really good real ale pub here in Bury . . . I was in there last
night, and had a pint of Ramsbottom Brewery "Windfarmer" - even beer is
going renewable these days. 'Twas a lot better than a brew they had in their
called "Old Disreputable", in any case!

Is it best to grow the hops from seed, or buy a vine from somewhere?

Andrew