Making Beer in a Mason Jar
When we asked our friends at Erie Ale Works to teach us how to ferment beer in a Mason jar, they didn't hesitate and we learned a lot along the way. Was it fun? Absolutely. Educational? Without question. Would we do it every weekend? Definitely not; home brewing is a genuine labor of love that takes time, patience, and attention to detail. We loved learning the process, and we're just as happy leaving the heavy lifting to the experts at our local breweries.
Instructions provided by Erie Ale Works. Printable recipe at the end of this post.
Time required: 14-day ferment, 28 days total
Ingredients:
- An Afternoon Wheat Beer Making Mix Kit (malted barley and wheat blend, hops, yeast)
- 1/2 oz sugar
- Water
- Ice
Tools:
- 4 half-gallon Mason jars
- 2 reCAP POUR lids
- 2 reCAP Fermenters
- 2 lids and bands
- A thermometer
- PBW (Professional Brewer's Wash)
- Star San sanitizer
- A strainer
- A large pot
- A refractometer (optional)
A few terms to know:
- Mash (soaking grains to release malt sugars)
- Sparge (rinsing grains with hot water for remaining sugars)
- Wort (the liquid from the mash that becomes beer)
- Bottle-conditioning (secondary fermentation that creates carbonation)
- Priming (adding sugar before bottling).
How to make it:
- Wash: Thoroughly clean all equipment with PBW, don't skip this step.
- Mash: Steep grains in 2 quarts hot water until it resembles oatmeal, cook 1 hour stirring occasionally, then heat to 170°F while stirring constantly.
- Sparge: Strain the mash into a large pot to collect the wort, then pour an additional 4 quarts of 170°F water over the grains to extract remaining sugars.
- Boil: Bring the wort to a rolling boil, add bittering hops (at least 1/2 oz), boil 1 hour, add a second hop addition with 15 minutes left, then a final addition once the heat's off.
- Ferment: Chill the wort to about 70°F in an ice bath, transfer to 2 sanitized half-gallon jars topped with reCAP POUR lids and Fermenters, and let ferment 14 days.
- Bottle (in Mason jars): Sanitize 2 more jars, add sugar to the bottom of each, pour in the fermented wort avoiding sediment, seal, and let sit 2 more weeks. *Caution: pressure builds during this stage: don't shake or remove lids, and don't refrigerate yet.
- Enjoy: After 2 weeks, refrigerate and enjoy your homemade beer.
Why we love mason jar fermentation: Jars are transparent so you can actually see what's happening, easy to clean, endlessly reusable, and already in most kitchens, no special equipment required.
A note on craft: Brewing your own gives you a whole new appreciation for it. Great beer is hard work, which is exactly why we love supporting local craft breweries. Explore reCAP fermentation lids → · Download the Making Beer recipe PDF →