Woohoo!!
My first batch is an australian dark ale.
Ok... the pics!!
Ok, the stuff in the pot is called wort. Its pronounced like wurt. Pretty much a special mixture of roasted malt, hops, 2.2 pounds of sugar, and 2 liters of water. It's taste is kind of hard to describe... kind of a dark, thick flavor thats a little sweet and quite a bit bitter. Its the kind of taste that fills up your whole mouth, kinda of like a cabernet wine... but doesnt taste like wine.
Ok, now the wort has been poured into the fermenter tank, and the additional purified water (I used my reverse osmosis & de-ionizer filter that use to mix up saltwater for my marine aquarium) has been added, and I used some ice to cool it down to the proper temperature. Then I added the brewer's yeast, which is what starts the fermentation process.
Checking the specific gravity. Its right at 1040 which tells me that this brew has a potential alcohol content of about 5.5 percent. Its actually reading 1.040, but brewers dont use the decimal point, they just call it 1040.
Temperature is reading right about 27C which should be perfect for the yeast to start fermenting the sugar into alcohol. Should take from 4 to 7 days to finish.
So there it is... 6 gallons of wort, just starting the fermentation process to become beer. The little clear plastic tube thing at the top is an air lock. When it starts to bubble, it will be releasing carbon dioxide from the tank which tells me that fermentation is taking place. It lets the carbon dioxide out, but doesnt let any air in. Otherwise, the wort would become 'infected' and you'd have ruined, sour beer.
After its finished fermenting, I'll pour it into the bottles with the tap and add some more sugar and cap the bottles. The added sugar will start the secondary fermentation process, which is what carbonates the beer in the bottle. Takes about 14 days, then its ready to refridgerate and drink. But I've read that if you let it age in the bottles for 3 months, it really tastes its best.