How to Get Started Making Home Brew
Home brewing is a hobby with results you can enjoy and share. Although it’s a bit more difficult than running to the liquor store for a case of beer, home brewing allows you to put your personal spin on the traditional libation. Whether you like honey or the taste and smell of pine, making your own beer is easy enough for anyone to learn and complex enough for you to be challenged and creative. Here is how to get started on your home brewing hobby.
Things You'll Need
- "The Joy of Home Brewing" book
- Home brewing starter kit
- Beer making kit
- Beer bottles and caps
Instructions
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Pick up a beginner's book on the subject to get you familiar with the methods and equipment before you invest in the materials needed to make a batch. "The Joy of Home Brewing," by Charlie Papazian, is the bible of home brewing and the material is presented in a very readable manner.
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Find a home brewing store in your area. Getting to know the owner is another great way to learn about the home brewing process. Most home brewing businesses are owned by enthusiastic brewers, and they love to share their knowledge with a novice who wants to learn. This is also your lifeline to getting fresh supplies and advice. If you can’t find one locally, you’ll find plenty of places online to order your supplies, and there are lots of home brewing groups to chat with over the internet.
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Get your equipment. Although home brewing is not extremely expensive to start, you do need some specific equipment. Your home brewing store will have everything you need, and probably offer a startup kit. A startup kit would include a brewing pot for your stove (like a big cooking kettle), a carboy, siphons, sanitizing liquids, a thermometer, hydrometer, bottle brushes and bottle caps, among other things.
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Get your bottles. You can get new bottles at your home brewing store, but you can easily get used bottles from your local liquor store. All you need to do is pay what they would get for the recycling, and they will happily hand off a case or two of bottles to you. Sanitizing is important, but with proper cleaning, those bottles are just as good as new ones.
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Make your first brew with a kit. A novice can get lost with options when brewing her first beer, so start with a beer making starter kit with all the ingredients you’ll need. You can pick from ambers, stouts and pale ales, and your kit will have all the grains, hops and yeast you’ll need for your first brew. Keep it simple until you get through the whole process once before getting fancy with your brewing.
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Tips & Warnings
Check and recheck your list of materials needed before you get started brewing up your first pot of beer. You don't want to be halfway through when you realize you are missing something important.
Don't get nasty bottles. Although getting used bottles is perfectly fine, ask your liquor store clerk to select bottles without cigarette butts and other nasty bits included.
Resources
- Photo Credit david.nikonvscanon flickr
