Making Beer At Home: Where To Begin? By Josh Riley | Submitted On May 08, 2011

Do Your Research Before Making Beer At Home

Ah, this is my second favorite part of making beer at home, the research. Some people space their “research” over years of beer drinking bliss, while others try to get it all done in one night. How ever you do your research, it all comes down to what beer you like to drink. From lagers and stouts to weiss and ales, every beer has a distinct flavor (until the 12th beer anyway, then the flavors all blend together). Make sure you are happy with your choice because the normal home brewing process will make about 5 gallons and that’s a lot to be stuck with when you are making beer at home.

You Will Be More Successful At Making Beer At Home When You Are Fully Prepared

Let’s assume you have done all your “research” and have a pretty good idea on what your favorite home brew will be. Making beer at home is still a limited process, so we need to narrow down your list. Certain beer recipes have very strict requirements. Before you go and buy all of your home brewing equipment and ingredients, you need to thoroughly read through the recipe and make sure you can complete every step.

I Wasn’t Always Prepared When I Was Making Beer At Home (And It Cost Me)

For instance, about 10 years ago I decided I wanted to make a bock beer, so I ordered all of the ingredients and started the process without fully reading the entire recipe. All of the boiling was done and cooled and it was time for me to ferment the beer. The yeast that is typically used to brew bock beer needs to have it’s first fermentation anywhere from 40°C – 68°C depending on which yeast you choose. Well, I didn’t have anywhere to keep the temperature that cold and constant for the amount of time I needed. I had two choices, dump it down the toilet or convert my refrigerator into a fermenting chamber. Being the fanatic that I am, I chose the latter of the two. Hooking up a special digital thermostat to the refrigerator to keep it constant temperature. But I digress.

This Simple Advice Will Help You Save Time And Money When You Are Making Beer At Home

Like any other recipe, make sure you have all of your beer making ingredients and home brew supplies before you start. This will not only provide you with delicious home made beer, but by getting the entire beer making process done properly, it will also keep you from wasting money and time.

One of the first steps to take in homebrewing is to learn everything you can before spending hundreds of dollars on equipment that you might not need. Click this link to read some more tips on making beer at home [http://makingbeerathome.com/how-to-make-beer/making-beer-at-home-where-to-begin/].