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The Estudillos say a great deal of their free time is spent brewing or enjoying beer.
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Karen and Tom Estudillo enjoy making their home brew almost as much as they like drinking it. Karen Estudillo estimates that although home-brewed beer costs as much as many imported beers, tastes better and provides a sense of satisfaction that the convenience of store-bought beer does not. Kits are available for the beginner, Estudillo says, but her stovetop method is simple: - After sterilizing all equipment, Estudillo boils filtered water (for the purest product possible). The hardness or softness of water can also produce different results.
- Estudillo stirs a can of malt extract into the water (she prefers flavored malt). Tom Estudillo grinds his own barley to control the taste and consistency of his brew, rather than using the canned extract his wife prefers.
- Extra-dry malt is added to increase alcohol content and add richness. Estudillo continues stirring until the malt is completely dissolved in the water.
- Next, the mixture is cooled to ensure survival of the yeast that will be added for fermentation. A few inches of icewater in Estudillo's sink cools the bottom of the pot.
- Once the mixture has cooled to around 100 degrees, Estudillo siphons the mixture into a large glass bottle. Siphoning eliminates sediment from the brew and produces a "clean" product.
- Yeast is mixed with water and added to the malt mixture.
- An airlock is added to the top of the bottle. It permits the carbon dioxide bubbles created by the yeast to escape without allowing air into the bottle.
- The mixture is allowed to ferment in the bottle for 14 days to create home-brewed beer.
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