Island Brew
If there is one fact that is true about Aussies, it is that we love our beer. Nothing makes for a good time more than tossing back some suds with friends and family. That is true all over the continent, including all of the islands that surround the mainland. From the large islands like Tasmania and Melville to small islands like Lord Howe and Rodd, there are over 8,000 islands surrounding Australia. At one time or another you can be sure that every one of those islands has had beer consumed on it.
Unfortunately, not all of those islands have great beer supplies. In fact, on the smaller islands it may be close to impossible to even find beer. Even on the larger islands it can be difficult to locate quality beer. The only brew for sale may be mass-produced swill. For people that live or spend a large amount of time on the islands surrounding Australia, their only option for decent beer may be homebrew.
Learning to homebrew is not as difficult as it may sound. The process has been around for a long time. In fact, the ancient Sumerians are known to have produced beer as far back as 3000 BC. Since that time beer has been made around the world, and the process has been continually improved upon and made easier. It is now possible to produce a very high quality homebrew at home with a minimum of equipment. The cost is very reasonable, and the quality can be quite stunning if brewed with care.
The following is list of equipment that is needed to make a quality batch of homebrew. You will need a fermenter, which is typically a plastic bucket of more than 5 gallons. A lid is necessary for the fermenter, and the lid will need a hole that has a stopper and an airlock. If you want to sound professional, the name of the stopper that goes into the airlock is a bung.
The next piece of equipment that is necessary for a batch of homebrew is a brewpot. This will be made out of stainless steel, and it will be at least 20 quarts in size. A turkey baster is also needed to take samples of the wort and quirt sanitizer over the equipment. Speaking of which, you want to purchase sanitizer that accomplishes its job in just one step.
Next you will want to purchase a whisk to stir the wort after brewing and before adding yeast. This step adds oxygen to the homebrew. You also will want some tongs to remove hop bags from the batch after the brewing step.
A sturdy spoon that will not be damaged by vigorous boiling will be needed. It is used to stir the wort during the brewing process. You will also need bags made from muslin to hold the grains, hops and malts that are added.
Some measurement equipment is necessary for the homebrew process. A high quality, accurate thermometer is a very important piece of homebrew equipment. You will also need a hydrometer to take measurements of the original gravity of the brew. A measuring cup is also needed.
With just this small amount of equipment you can brew some amazing and delicious homebrew. It is very easy to get the equipment you need. There are many homebrew supply shops all over Australia. For those that live on islands off the mainland, they can order all the supplies they need through the mail. As well as the equipment, most of the homebrew supply shops will sell all of the ingredients necessary as well.