Wednesday 16 February 2011

Enjoy the Benefits of Brewing Beer at Home

The benefits of brewing beer at home are endless. In comparison to many hobbies it is relatively cheap to start brewing and after a few brews you will have made this money back on what you would normally pay for ready made beer. There are no huge taxes to pay!

Home brewing is an ongoing hobby - the more you do the more your knowledge on the subject will expand to the point that your own recipes will become as good, if not better than those produced by the commercial brewers.

Home brewing is relatively eco friendly. In certain areas small breweries are appearing in individual bars promoted as eco bars, cutting the travel logistics of many mainstream commercial beers. (I worked in a bar where the beer was made 6 miles away. However the beer was then taken to a distribution depot before being delivered. The round trip was more than 80miles in total !).

When creating your own beers and ales you will find yourself experimenting with the many varieties of beer - from porters, stouts, bitters, milds, IPA's etc. You will gain a wide knowledge and invariably a heightened appreciation of the product. Read on to learn more...

Home Brewing: Where do I start ?

There is nothing more confusing than walking into the Home Brew Shop for the first time. You will be met by shelves packed with large varieties of grains, sugars, tins of malt extracts, beer kits, sugars, yeasts, small packets of mystery not to mention boilers. barrels and buckets. One thing to remember though is that the shops are invariably staffed by home brew experts. Don't be daunted - they are there to help and their passion and knowledge for the subject often comes through as positive honest enthusiasm.

Cost effective advice for the newcomer to Home Brewing.

The cheapest and easiest way to get started making beer is through step 1 below. From there you can expand as and when required.

1.Purchase a starter kit with the aim of using a beer kit.

2.When comfortable with the process of making beer with beer kits move on to malt extract brewing. The only extra equipment required is a large pan or alternatively at this stage you may want to invest in a boiler from your Home Brew Shop.

3.If you have followed steps 1 and 2 and have grown accustomed to the brewing processes it will be time to expand to All Grain Brewing. This is where you will have full control over the entire brew process. Here you will have to acquire a Mash Tun for preparing the brew liquor and definitely need a dedicated boiler. Descriptions of the required equipment for all stages of brewing can be found on the Equipment for Home Brewing page.

When in the Home Brew Shop...

When in the Home Brew shop for the first time tell the staff that you are new to brewing. They are most likely to point you towards a starter pack which includes everything that you need to make beer including a choice of Beer Kit. This is the best way to start. Brewing with Beer Kits is the easiest process to get to grips with the important points to making beer. The products included in the starter kit will also be reusable and required for the more advanced brewing techniques should you wish to expand at a later date. The starter kit will probably include a fermenting Bucket with lid, an air lock, a brewers paddle, a racking cane (for syphoning), a pressure barrel (usually 25ltrs), thermometer, hydrometer (for measuring the gravity of the beer), sterilising powder or fluid, and a choice of beer kit. There will also be included a system to add gas to the pressure barrel. The two main ways to do this is through either small gas cartridges similar to those used in soda syphons or through a small refillable gas bottle. The refillable gas bottle is more cost effective but will require the correct fitting for the pressure barrel. There is usually a small deposit to be paid on the gas cannister. Negotiate the extra into the overall price of your starter kit.

An alternative to using a pressure barrel is to bottle your beer straight from the fermentation bucket. Instructions on bottling beer are featured later on this tutorial. There are advantages of bottling beer in particular it is far easier to transport. If you move a pressure barrel it needs time for the sediment to settle otherwise your beer could become cloudy for a time.


Books on Home Brew

In my pursuit for the perfect beer I have read many books on how to make beer. These books are invaluable and are always to hand when I am making beer (unlike my PC) in case of emergency. However, to the novice, brewer I have found many to be over technical and use jargon that the newcomer may not be familiar with. For this reason I have tried to keep the jargon to a minimum on this site and have written a Glossary of Brewing Terms section.

Welcome to your Nano Brewery

The main aim of any hobby is to enjoy it. Home brewing is great fun and enlightening with a great end product but remember to drink sensibly.

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