How to brew - Brewing beer and wine. Easy homebrew recipes!

• 1 gallon boiling water
• 3/4 teaspoon oil of spruce
• 3/4 teaspoon oil of sassafras
• 3/4 teaspoon oil of wintergreen
• 4 gallons cold water
• 3 pints molasses
• 2 cakes compressed yeast = 2 tablespoons beer yeast/brewing yeast

Pour boiling water over all 3 oils then add cold water, molasses and yeast. let stand 2 hours, bottle,let stand 48 hours at room temp before using. Chill before serving. Makes 25 quarts of brew.

Note: Beer yeast /brewer's yeast is used to produce alcohol and bubbles in beer. Don't confuse this with brewer's yeast that's used as a nutritional supplement. That type of yeast is deactivated, so it won't produce any alcohol or bubbles.

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 lemons, juice and rind
• 6 quarts boiling water
• 1 tablespoon cream of tarter
• 1 tablespoon ginger extract
• 1 compressed yeast cake or 1 tablespoon beer yeast

Put sugar and scraped (or grated) rind and juice of lemons into a large container. Pour the boiling water over them and let stand until warm. Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water with the cream of tarter and ginger. Add to the first mixture and stir thoroughly. Let stand a couple hours. Bottle and cap. Lay the bottles on their sides in a cool place for three days before drinking. 2 tablespoons ginger powder may be used instead of the extract but makes a slightly cloudy brew.

Dandelion wine was made by the barrel in Colonial days. Many children were kept busy picking the brilliant little flowers in early summer, clearing broad green swaths across a yellow field.

• 2 quarts dandelion blossoms (no stems)
• 3 oranges, sliced
• 3 lemons, sliced, peel and all
• 5 pounds sugar
• 4 quarts water
• 1 yeast cake or 1 packet brewing yeast

Pour 4 quarts boiling water over blossoms, and let stand for 3 days. Stir each day. Strain at the end of the third day. Add oranges, lemons, yeast and sugar. Let stand 3 more days stir each day. At the end of the third day strain. Let stand in a crock for 4 weeks (a plastic pale covered with a towel works great) in not too cool a place. Strain again, bottle and cap.

Stem grapes, crush, measure, add equal amount of sugar and water. Let stand 3 to 4 days, stirring occasionally. Strain, put into crocks, let stand 6 months. Syphon off, bottle and cap. This wine improves with age.

1/2 bushel grapes makes about 6 gallons of wine. Store bottled wine on their sides in a cool dark place. After 1 year the wine will be good. After 2 years it will be great. After 3 years it will be excellent.

• The bacteria that makes wine from grapes is actually found on the grape's skin, unlike beer where yeast is necessary for fermentation. Yeast is unnecessary.

• 10 medium-sized potatoes, grated or ground
• 2 gallons warm water
• 6 pounds sugar
• 4 pounds raisins
• 1 yeast cake or 1 packet yeast

Combine and stir twice daily for 2 weeks.

• 8 pounds beets
• 12 quarts water
• 5 pounds sugar
• 2 pounds raisins
• 2 yeast cakes or 2 packages yeast

Clean beets, cut into small pieces, boil in 6 qts water until soft. Drain liquid into crock. Put the other 6 qts water on beets and boil until beets are white. Drain again (all liquid in same crock), let cool to lukewarm and add sugar, raisins and yeast. Let stand 3 weeks then bottle.

3 1/2 pound honey to each gallon of water. Boil 45 min. Pour while boiling over some bruised walnut leaves, 2oz per gallon.Let stand overnight. Take out the leaves. Spread yeast on a piece of toast and add. Let stand 3 days then cover the hole of your keg or bucket with a sand bag. Let stand undisturbed for three months. Then draw off and bottle.