Before kits beer used to be illegally brewed at home using malt extract that was produced for medicinal purposes and sold at chemists. Hops could also be bought from chemists, they were sometimes stuffed into pillows to help induce sleep. Explains why I fall to sleep easy after drinking a few of my usually over hopped beers.
I found this recipe many years ago in an old brewing book in 1985, I wrote it out and has been sitting in my recipe folder since, I can't remember the name of the book.
This is one of the earliest recipes for home brewed beer.
454g (1lb) Malt Extract
28g (1oz) Hops
225g (8oz) Sugar
4.5L (8pints) Water
Dried Yeast
Dissolve the Malt Extract and Sugar in 560ml (1pint) of water.
Boil the Hops in 1.1L (2pints) of water for 15mins.
Strain the liquor into the malt and sugar syrup.
Add a further 1.1L (2pints) to the hops and boil again for 15mins.
Strain the liquor into the malt and sugar syrup.
Add a further 1.1L (2pints) to the hops and boil again for 15mins.
Strain the liquor into the malt and sugar syrup.
Discard the hops.
Cover the wort and leave until it has cooled to room temperature.
Top up the wort to about 4.8L (about 8 & 1/2 pints)
Sprinkle the yeast onto the wort.
The day after fermentation starts, skim off the froth and rouse up the beer.
Repeat this procedure the following day and then leave the beer for one week to finish fermenting and to begin clearing.
Bottle and prime the beer, 1/2tsp per 560ml (1pint), store for three weeks.
This recipe gives a fairly strong bitter beer of good clarity, condition and flavour.
Variations
The same recipe can be followed today with variations to suit your palate.
Malt extract can now be bought, the grain content of which has been adjusted to make it suitable for different beer styles. You can vary the basic recipe by changing the type of malt extract
The availability of better hops has improved and you can now choose between the different varities. They are likely to be much fresher than those used when this recipe was formulated and a smaller quantity of hops, say 3/4 to 2/3, maybe sufficient. Choose the amount to suit your palate.
The sugar quantity can be reduced or increased slightly or replaced with golden syrup. Alternatively, brown sugar maybe used instead of white to darken the beer or black treacle (not more than 15ml/1 tbsp)
The malt and sugar mix can be boiled with all of the hops for 45mins and then strained or boiled with all but a handful of hops for 30mins and the remainder added for the last 15mins to enhance the hop flavour. Alternatively, the hand full of dry hops can be added to the fermenting wort after the final skimming and left in until fermentation is finished.
15ml (1tbsp) flaked rice or maize, or a wheat biscuit can be boiled with the hops to vary flavour.
15ml (1tbsp) raw, roasted or torrified barley can be boiled with the hops to impart colour and flavour.
Crystal and chocolate malt can be boiled with the hops to make a brown ale and some black malt to make a stout.
Lactose can be added to produce a slightly sweet ale or stout.