We are making beer!!

Yes we are, it's happening right now while I'm typing this. There's a 5 gallon barrel brewing in our garage and it's exciting!

We started six days ago and it's going to be Indian Pale Ale.

For those who are not familiar with the IPA, basically it's pale ale (made with less roasted malts) brewed for export to India and other places of the British Empire keeping this name nowadays.

We had to sterilise this huge bucket and the rest of the equipment, the best place was the tub.

Then we had to mix the hopped malt with the spray dried malt extract.

We poured the mix into the big bucket, added 6 pints of boiling water and topped up with cold water to 5 gallons. Then we stirred in the yeast, put the lid on and left it for 6 days.

We left it fermenting in the lounge. Yes, where we watch telly, so while we were there on the sofa the bucket was making all this bubbly, gurgley, farting little noises.

Yesterday was the 6th day, so with the help of a siphon and very sophisticated logistics we transferred the brew from the bucket to the pressure barrel and added more malt extract.

Now we have to wait 16 more days, and the beer hopefully will be clear and delicious.

5 gallons = 23 litres = Lots of beer!!!