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Brewing guides

Step-by-step manuals — from the first brew to pro level. Detailed instructions, proven methods and practical tips.

Beginner · 12 min read

How to brew your first IPA: a complete step-by-step guide

India Pale Ale is the most popular craft style. This guide walks the full process from ingredients to bottling. The recipe is for a 20 L batch, method — BIAB (brew in a bag), suitable for beginners.

What you need: equipment

30 L kettle Grain bag Thermometer Hydrometer Chiller Fermenter Airlock Transfer hose Bottles, crown caps Sanitizer

Ingredients for 20 L

Pale Ale malt
4.5 kg (85%)
CaraHell malt
0.4 kg (8%)
Munich malt
0.4 kg (7%)
Cascade hops
20 g · 60 min
Citra hops
30 g · 10 min
Citra hops (dry hop)
40 g · 5 days
Safale US-05 yeast
1 pack (11.5 g)

Step-by-step process

  1. 1

    Water prep and heat

    Pour 24 L of water into the kettle, heat to 68°C. Add the grain bag, dump in all the malts, stir. Temperature will drop to ~65°C — that is the target mash temperature.

  2. 2

    Mash — 60 minutes

    Hold 65–67°C for 60 minutes. Stir occasionally. If temperature drops below 64°C — heat gently. This is the stage where enzymes convert starch into sugars.

  3. 3

    Lift the bag and sparge

    Lift the bag with the spent grain. You can rinse it with 2–3 L of hot water (75°C) to pull residual sugars. Bring the wort to a boil.

  4. 4

    Boil and hopping — 60 minutes

    At the start of the boil add Cascade 20 g. With 10 minutes left — Citra 30 g. At the end of the boil cut the heat and cool the wort quickly to 20–22°C with a chiller.

  5. 5

    Transfer to the fermenter and pitch yeast

    Transfer the wort into a sanitized fermenter. Measure original gravity with a hydrometer (OG). Sprinkle US-05 on the surface, close with an airlock.

  6. 6

    Primary fermentation — 7 days

    Keep the fermenter at 18–20°C in a dark place. Active fermentation starts on day 2–3. After 7 days measure gravity — it should be about 1.012–1.014.

  7. 7

    dry hop — 5 days

    Add 40 g Citra straight into the fermenter. Leave 5 days at 20°C to saturate hop aroma. Do not stir.

  8. 8

    Bottling and carbonation

    Measure final gravity (FG). Add primer (120 g dextrose per 20 L), bottle. Carbonate 14 days at room temperature, then 2–3 days in the fridge.

Expected numbers

OG: 1.052–1.055 · FG: 1.010–1.012 · ABV: ~5.5%
IBU: ~45 · Color (SRM): ~6 — light amber
Aroma: citrus, tropical (Citra/Cascade)
Carbonation: 2.4 volumes CO₂

Prep · 8 min read

Choosing equipment for a beginner brewer

Putting together the first kit is the most common beginner question. Three kit levels: minimal starter, comfortable and advanced.

Minimal starter kit (BIAB)

Brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) is the simplest and most accessible method. All the gear fits in one box and stays cheap.

30 L kettle (stainless) — the main vessel for the whole process
Grain bag — to separate malt from wort
Accurate thermometer (0–100°C, ±0.5°C) — critical for the mash
Hydrometer with a measuring cylinder — for OG and FG
Fermenter with airlock (plastic, 25–30 L)
Transfer hose (food-grade silicone)
Sanitizer (Star San or equivalent)
Bottles + crown caps + capper

Comfort kit — what to add

If after 2–3 brews you feel this is yours — a few extra tools will simplify the process a lot.

Immersion chiller — cool in 15 minutes instead of 1–2 hours
Fridge temperature controller (fermentation control)
Refractometer — gravity from a single drop
Spigot with a filter on the fermenter

Process · 10 min read

Fermentation control: the key parameters

Fermentation is the stage where wort becomes beer. Understanding and controlling three key parameters — temperature, time and gravity — is what separates good beer from mediocre.

Fermentation temperature

The most important factor. Every yeast strain has a recommended range, and a 2–3°C swing radically changes the beer profile.

Ales (US-05, S-04): 18–22°C — higher = more esters, lower = cleaner
Lagers (W-34/70): 10–14°C — need a long cold fermentation
Belgian yeasts: 22–26°C — for esters and phenols
Critical: avoid swings > 5°C in a day

Fermentation stages

  1. 1

    Lag phase (0–24 h)

    Yeast adapt to the environment. Almost no visible signs. Make sure temperature is stable.

  2. 2

    Active fermentation (day 2–4)

    Vigorous foam (krausen), intense airlock bubbling. Peak sugar consumption and heat — temperature can rise 2–3°C.

  3. 3

    Slowdown (day 5–7)

    Activity drops, yeast finish complex sugars and start to settle. A good window for dry hop.

  4. 4

    Cold crash

    Cool to 2–4°C for 2–3 days. Yeast and haze drop out — beer clarifies naturally, without filtration.

Ingredients · 7 min read

Yeast: a guide to popular strains

Yeast set not only ABV but flavor. Choosing a strain is choosing an aroma profile: fruity, clean, spicy or sour.

Ale yeasts

Safale US-05 · All-purpose ale · Clean, neutral · IPA, APA, stouts · 18–22°C
Safale S-04 · English ale · Fruity-caramel · English styles · 18–22°C
Wyeast 1056 · American Ale · Slightly citrus · IPA and Pale Ale · 16–22°C
Lallemand Nottingham · Irish ale · High attenuation · Strong styles · 14–22°C

Lager yeasts

Fermentis W-34/70 · German lager · Clean, crisp · Pilsner, Bock · 10–14°C
Saflager S-23 · Swiss lager · Fruity at high T · Lagers, Marzen · 10–15°C

Belgian / specialty yeasts

Fermentis WB-06 · German wheat · Banana + clove · Hefeweizen · 18–24°C
Belle Saison · Saison · Spicy, peppery · Belgian styles · 22–28°C

Faults · 9 min read

Off-flavors and how to avoid them

Every brewer has at least once pulled a batch with an unexpected fault. The most common problems: causes and fixes.

6 common off-flavors

Diacetyl — buttery, creamy Cause: not enough time at the end of fermentation. Yeast did not reabsorb diacetyl. Fix: let the beer sit 2–3 days after active fermentation (diacetyl rest at 18–20°C).
Acetaldehyde — green apple, cut grass Cause: beer taken off the yeast too early. Fix: patience. Give yeast time to finish intermediate metabolites — at least 10–14 days.
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) — rotten egg smell Cause: lack of nutrients in the wort, yeast stress. Fix: use yeast nutrient (Servomyces); increase aeration at pitch.
Fusel oils — solvent, medicinal taste Cause: fermentation temperature too high. Fix: control temperature; for ales — no higher than 22°C, for lagers — no higher than 14°C.
Oxidation — wet cardboard, stale Cause: oxygen contact after fermentation starts. Fix: do not open the fermenter unless you must; avoid splashing on transfer.
Infection — vinegar, sour, lactic notes Cause: poor sanitation. Fix: sanitize EVERYTHING that touches wort after the boil. Star San is your best friend.

Guides and math — in the app

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