Water
The attributes of the water used in brewing, not just its cleanliness, are very important when making beer. For example, the quality of ales brewed in Burton-on-Trent in England is largely due to the local water. Likewise, the magnificent pilsners that come from the Czech Republic would not be possible without its water source. “Hard” water, which is high in dissolved salts, is regarded as best for brewing ales, while “soft” water, which has fewer salts, is generally best suited to lagers.
Kegging
A guide to kegging beer will be added soon. In the meantime, plenty of information and advice on kegging is available on our forum.
Bottling
Most homebrewers bottle their beers. It is cheap and easy, but a little time-consuming compared with kegging.
Conditioning
Most beer can be bottled or kegged straight from the fermenter, whether it has been racked or not. However, there are some beers that benefit from further conditioning before being put into bottles or a keg.