Hi everyone, my history as a home brewer goes back to my mid twenties when I was living away from home, in those days I did not get back home very much very much and I missed the brewery I grew up with and it’s range of Bitter, Stouts and IPA's. I was particularly a big fan of the bitters.

So with my friends we used to brew our own and getting together for parties and dinner it was a great time and gave me a chance to try mastering my own brews, trying to match the quality and taste of the Brewery back in my home town.

So now with over 30 years experience of home brew I find I can produce most of my favourite flavours from the past. However, I now have a problem with my old age and that's why I thought I would write a bit about home brew and how I have simplified it in my life to suit my old age. If you are a first timer at homebrew then it will help you too.

Hay, I am not saying this system is just for new comers and or persons with a disabilities like myself, it is a well respected, tried and trusted way to a make homebrew many people use it for many reasons, it maybe, they don't have a lot of space or time for big brews and this system is not really that new and I started using it a few years back. So what is it?

Well it's from Australia and America, 2 gallon keg called Mr Beer, the kind of problems I have are; not being able to lift heavy amounts or large containers but this system is so simple and helps me no end. Plus you can either use ready mix packs or like myself use stock from the local home brew shop and mix up your own recipes.

If you are just starting out you may want to use the companies own ready to use packs, simple and straight forward. The actual barrels are easy to handle and clean and because they are small my wife does not mind when I can't manage and she happily cleans and sterilises them for me, something she would never do with my old brew equipment.

One of the key things about home brew is to keep your work area and utensils as clean as possible, I recommend rigorous sterilisation of your brew equipment and if you have access to a steam cleaner use that to deep clean your working area too, see tips in extra special brew to left.

I am also lucky that she is an expert when it come to baking and cooking so getting help in my recipes, but sneakily this leads her to giving me a hand with heating of the malt extract for wort, which is the next step of the brewing process. Hay if I can brew with all my disabilities problems anyone can, ok!, yes I get lots of help.

Both the new comer and experienced brewer will find it straight forward and an easy process to follow, the other thing is unlike my old brewing practices you don't end up with too much beer, I have found as I got older I drink much less, but even if you are a big drinker these smaller amounts of brews allow you to do more than one type at the same time.

I don't wanna get to mardy about my recent disabilities of arthritis in multiple joints though out my body plus a autistic amplified pain disorder were my network of nerves are not working properly so at times it's almost impossible for me to carry out the smallest of tasks

But on the upside, it was my life long disability of autism that first got me interested in pubs, breweries and breweriana. You see I am a autistic person born with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, it was by the very nature of this disability that started me off as a collector of breweriana and a passion for brewing.

First I collected cigar packets, tubes and tins, then I started on cigarette cards and then beer mats. My father used to leave me outside the pub with a bottle of Lemonade and packet of crisps but it was the collection of beer mats I eagerly waited for. The fascination for pub stuff grew and grew over the years and so did my collection until sadly for me it was all destroyed in a fire at our home.

It was not long before I started to get an interest in the science side of brewing and this I am sure lead me to brewing myself. I like to keep things simple now, so I stick to just the main 4 brews, Bitter, Cider and Cyser. All very simple and easy to do. If you have lots of bottles and good storage area you can create quite and impressive store and varieties which is great for when the family call or that hot summers day when you break out the barbie.

Back to brewing, once you have done your mix and got the mixture moved into a safe place to leave for the fermentation takes over, this starts with sprinkling the yeast into your Mr Beer keg, allow mix (recipe) to stand for about 5 minutes and then give it one last good stir then screw on lid. Oh and don't forget the brewers pray.

Fermentation will take place best is an even temperature between 68°-76°F avoid bright lights and especially direct sunlight. Place in a location with a consistent temperature. Fermentation will take a minimum of seven days with a pre mix from the manufactures but if you are using your own recipe you will probably like myself know exactly when it will have finished, if not, a chat down your local home brew shop will give you all the answers and its good to experiment.

Once the fermentation has started its best left alone and in my early days I was like many new comers tempted to take a peek inside, this was bad news often letting out important gasses and letting in bacteria, which lead to a bad tasting beer. With this system there are ventilation notches to prevent it from exploding during the fermentation process and regulate the brew activity.

In my mini microbrewery, pictured above, I have blocked up ventilation notches on the lid by using a rubber gasket, and made a hole in the lid to take a more traditional type of fermentation bubble air lock, this allows gases to escape while preventing oxygen and stuff from the atmosphere getting in and potentially spoiling the beer. Although the notches on the lid work very well I find a one way valve has slightly improved everything and I have had no spoiled brews since changing to it.

Moving on, at the end of your fermentation you will start the bottling and carbonating. Your beer should look quite clear and there should be a settled layer of sediment visible on the bottom at this point try not to move your fermentation vessel. This is a good time to draw some off from the tap to give it a taste, make notes of how it tastes and how long it has been fermenting, it will taste flat, but you don't really want it to taste sweet and if it does give it another day or two.

Keeping records like recipes is not just for those in the kitchen keeping good notes of brewing times and your thoughts on how it is tasting will help you become a master brewer.

Into the bottle, like all your brewing equipment your bottles have to be washed and sterilised. Next you add granulated sugar to bottles, the amount will depend on two factors the size of your bottle and the recipe you are following, if in doubt follow the manufactures directions or again have a chat with the local home brew shop.

When we were young, we tried all sorts of stuff to try to make it stronger or quicker, but in the end it is always best to follow the instructions fully, once you become accomplished at following the brew procedures then you can start experimenting.

Once you fill the bottle with sugar and beer put the cap on give it a shake, have some labels ready, at first it might be a good idea to write the details of times and dates on them so you don't mix up new batches with old.

A note on labels, you can with the technology we have today design online and download your own fancy labels like I did with my ones, see the link to right. Make a name for yourself and your brewery.

Continuing with the brew, you must allow a minimum of 7 days at room temperature to carbonate brew once in the bottles for best results in carbonating let bottles settle for 2 or 3 weeks, after 2 week you can test one to see what you think, does it need longer?

This period of conditioning is important to many brewers, with many recipes the longer you leave it the better the taste, this is certainly the case with Lager, here once again have a chat down the local brew shop. As we are doing all this at home and conditions are not as rigorous as the mass brewers then it is probably best to drink your beers within 4 to 6 months but caution is advised after 4 months. Again it's best to check with the manufacture of the product you are using or again discuss it down the store.

There are lots of brew clubs out there and some of the homebrew shops can seem like a club, finding a good store with nice people is the best way forward in the world of brewing.

So where ever you are brewing you will find these smaller and more compact systems great fun with lots of benefits. I am fortunate I have lots of room and I have a dedicated areas I call my microbrewery and cidery. As you see, just for fun, I have named them Cartrefle Brewery and Cartrefle Cidery.

You don't have to go the whole hog and build a mini microbrewery or cidery like I have, this system works well in a standard size kitchen or in your own home, without putting the family out, meaning the other half, but in time you will build up a nice little system you can be proud of too.

I can promise you once you have mastered the simple basics of brewing it will open up for you a whole world of possibilities and is a great hobby that will follow you through life. Bear in mind what I have been sharing with you here, is the basics and the information is for the new comer and the older, possibly like me a disabled brewer, who is struggling. I can honestly say without moving to these smaller systems of brewing I would have given up long ago. My special thanks goes to Mr Beer, oh and not forgetting my wife.

Happy Brewing To You All,

Yours Mr M E Stephens.