Making beer at home is a fast growing hobby as people discover how easy it is and inexpensive to get started. And who doesn’t want to impress their friends with their own great tasting home brewed beer? Your friends will swear it’s as good as their normal brand.
Here are three reasons why you should start brewing your own beer at home:
- Getting started is easy. Making beer may sound intimidating but it isn’t. The ingredients, recipes and equipment you’ll need are linked from this Website. You’ll find books, DVD’s and beer brewing kits.
- Save money. Brewing beer at home is cheaper than going to the bar or buying beer retail. There’s an initial investment to get started – purchasing equipment, supplies, etc. – but once you’re setup and running, your cost per beer pint will be much lower.
- It’s better tasting. In addition to being fun, easy and inexpensive, brewing beer at home provides more control over how beer tastes. Brewers can choose from 1000’s of beer recipes and tweak recipes to suit personal taste. Beer brewers can choose from all kinds of beers, including ales, fruit beers, wheat beers and more. You can’t do that with a six pack!
Ok! You’re ready to make your own delicious homemade beer but how do you get started? You might want to start by visiting home brew beer forums and seeking advice. You’ll be surprised at how much help others will be if you let them know you’re new to home brewing.
To start making home brewed beer, you’ll need some basic equipment and ingredients. There are many beer making kits available with everything you need in one box, or you can buy your equipment and supplies separately.
It’s important that the area where you bottle beer is clean and free of bacteria which can be introduced at any stage of beer production. Bacteria can come from such things as open trash, dirty dishes, or left out food.
Here’s a short list of what you’ll need:
• One large container (5-6 gallons) to store the beer in while it’s fermenting (also called a carboy);
• A large stock pot or bucket – a stainless steel brewing pot works best – that can hold at least 16 quart of liquid;
• A fermentation lock to allow carbon dioxide released by the beer to escape the fermenter.
• A hydrometer (a thermometer will work if you don’t have a hydrometer);
• A siphon hose (needed to transfer beer from the fermenter when it’s ready, without having to mix air into it);
• A long-handled stainless steel spoon and a funnel;
• Bottles or other containers to store the beer after brewing;
• Ingredients (varies based on the recipe used).
Whether you buy your own equipment or go with a beer making kit, you’ll have no trouble finding all of the supplies and ingredients you need.