A hydrometer measures the relative density of a liquid relative to the density of water. This is referred to as Specific Gravity. Sugar water will have a density that is greater than pure water. Ethanol has a density that is less than water. The hydrometer will sink further into a solution of alcohol and not sink as far into a sugar solution. Specific Gravity is unitless. It defines the ratio of the density of a solution to the density of water. Specific Gravity is calculated like so, Specific Gravity = (Density g/cm)/(1 g/cm).

In the Scottish highlands, a few men gather firewood and brush, return to their house and stoke the huge fire blazing beneath caldrons of barley mash. It’s about 1150 A.D. and the men, monks shielded by giant monastery walls, are preparing a high-alcohol beverage called “uisge beatha,” the breath of life (aqua vitae in Latin). Around Europe, the great cathedrals are just being started using the new technique: the flying buttress. An Incredible Crusade is underway within the Holy Land.

If you’ve thought of doing your own private beer in your house, but you aren’t really certain of the right way to do this, where to begin, or what you require, a home beer brewing kit a great way to get started. A brewing kit gives you everything required like equipment, ingredients, as well as simple step-by-step guidelines. In as little as 14 days of you starting with your kit, you could be loving superb beer you produced all on your own.

As you enjoy the cold, refreshing beverage that beer is have you ever stopped to consider where beer came from? Or who brewed the first beer? And just who figured out the whole barly and hops recipe? If you have, then read on and learn a bit about the history of beer.

Wondering what to give a friend or loved one for their birthday or for Christmas? Why not give them the ability to make their own wine from wine kits? It’s a gift that really does keep on giving as you are actually giving them the ability to make great tasting, inexpensive wine for many years to come. It is truly a lifestyle gift.

Most people like kicking back at the weekend or on the evenings with a form of alcoholic drink. It allows people to forget about the troubles of work and family pressures and relax at home, snuggled up in the sofa. However, the price of buying alcohol from liquor stores and supermarkets has become ever more expensive as the state government seeks to squeeze out every last penny of tax on alcohol sales. Therefore for many Americans, home brewing is becoming the answer. Homebrew supplies are selling more and more.

As technology gets more and more sophisticated and our lives become easier as a result, there is a growing population of people that are interested in going back to basics. This is not a shunning of technology, but more a conscious acknowledgement of where we came from as a civilization and retaining certain traditions. When it comes to tradition, food and drink are the simplest ways to connect to what it means to be human. While some people bake their own breads, grow their own food gardens, or raise their own chickens, there are others who take the making of beer and wine seriously. Getting into the home wine business requires the right winemaking supplies.

Federal law allows private citizens to make certain types of alcoholic beverages for their own consumption, but regulatory power is given to the states by a constitutional amendment. Every state sets its own rules, and it is entirely legal to make homebrew in Kansas.

Making wine is one of the most interesting hobbies that anyone can partake in. Of course, winemaking supplies for home-brewing pleasure are absolutely necessary. There are different ways to go about it. For instance, there are complete kits sold to simplify the entire procedure.

Making your own cider is not as difficult as it may seem; in fact, it’s an activity you can do right from home. The only mandatory supplies in making cider is a special fermentation bucket, yeast, and of course, the juice from your favorite fruit. Here we will briefly explain how to go about making your own cider from scratch.