Yesterday, I felt like trying something new, so I decided to brew my own non-alcoholic malt beverage. I’ve always been curious about how these drinks are made, and after seeing a bunch of recipes online, I figured, why not give it a shot?
Getting Started
First, I gathered all the ingredients. I needed malt extract, some hops (for that slightly bitter taste), yeast (a special kind that doesn’t produce much alcohol), sugar, and of course, water. I already had most of this stuff at home, except for the malt extract and the special yeast. So, I made a quick trip to the local homebrew supply store to pick those up.
Mixing Things Up
Once I got back, I started by heating up some water in a big pot. Then, I stirred in the malt extract and sugar until everything was completely dissolved. It smelled pretty sweet at this point. After that, I added the hops. The recipe said to boil this mixture for about an hour. I set a timer and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.
Cooling and Fermenting
After the hour was up, I had to cool down the mixture really fast. I filled my sink with ice water and put the pot in there. Once it was cool enough, I poured the mixture into a fermentation bucket. This is where the magic happens. I sprinkled in the special yeast and sealed the bucket with an airlock lid. This lets the gas escape without letting any air in.
Waiting Game
Now, it was just a waiting game. The fermentation process takes a couple of weeks. I placed the bucket in a cool, dark place in my basement. During this time, the yeast was busy eating the sugars, but since it was a special kind of yeast, it didn’t produce much alcohol.
Bottling Day
After two weeks, I checked on my brew. It smelled like a malt beverage! I siphoned the liquid into bottles, added a little bit of sugar to each bottle for carbonation, and capped them. Then, I stored the bottles in a cool place for another week to let them carbonate.
Tasting Time
Finally, the day came to taste my homemade non-alcoholic malt beverage. I chilled a bottle in the fridge and poured it into a glass. It looked just like the stuff you buy at the store, with a nice foamy head. I took a sip, and it was surprisingly good! It had that distinct malt flavor with a hint of bitterness from the hops, and it was nicely carbonated.
- Gather ingredients
- Mix and boil
- Cool down
- Ferment
- Bottle
- Wait some more
- Enjoy!
I was pretty proud of myself for pulling this off. It was a fun little project, and now I have a bunch of homemade non-alcoholic malt beverage to enjoy. I might even try experimenting with different flavors next time. Maybe a little fruitiness or some spices? The possibilities are endless!
