I've tried making wine before, which has came out with mixed results. My first batch was way too sweet, but I learned right then NEVER alter a recipe until you've tried it as is. Now I am looking to try brewing my own beer. Does anyone here do this as a hobby already or have they tried it before? Any tips of do's and don'ts? Is there any kit that is better than the rest for a beginner? Any help would be great, and as always thanks in advance.
This book will get you started in the right direction. It's a must read. The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian
Howdy! I've never tried to make beer; however, I've seen kits available in catalogs that have all the supplies you need including the bottles and caps. Let us know how it turns out! Always, Gene
I work with several home brewers and they've all said the same thing to me when encouraging me to start myself: Sanitation is the key! One also added temperature control is just as important as sanitation with Lagers, but you'll likely start with an ale anyway.
I too have been looking to brew my own but as I don't have enough money for the kits or the ingredients I'll just have to wait, but there's tons of info out there. There are even vendors online that will sell you kits to make your own, and there are also videos on youtube on how to brew and such.
I home brewed for a year then moved to a much smaller house where I don't have the space to do it anymore. Made something like 9 batches. Some weren't so great, some were awesome. I used Homebrewing for Dummies and the third edition of How to Brew by John Palmer as references. Palmer's book is extremely comprehensive. There's stuff in there for long time brewers as well as new guys. I highly recommend it. Palmer and Papazian's books are go to's for just about every homebrewer out there. Sanitation and temp control are key for all beers, whether you're brewing an ale or a lager. And don't expect to make Budweiser or Miller at home. It takes a tremendous amount of skill and expensive equipment to make such a consistently tasteless lager. As for kits- Austin Homebrew Supply or Midwest Supply sell good entry level kits. I'd suggest you get the most basic kit you can find. That way you don't spend money on gear you don't use. I bought a bells-and-whistles kit when I started and ended up with gear I never used.
Thanks for all of the responces and tips. Looks like I have a few books to read before I jump into this.
I'd recommend staying away from Mr. Beer. I've heard bad things. Go to a homebrew shop, which you might be intimately familiar with since you've brewed wine, and get a serious kit with a 6 gallon carboy, bottling bucket, fermentation locks...the full deal. You don't need a ton of crap, just a few specifics. My GF got me a nice kit for Christmas three years ago and we've made about ten batches so far. I just had one of our Anchor Steam clones with dinner earlier tonight. Delicious! It's actually not that hard to pull off a decent batch of beer. We haven't ruined one yet. If you can follow a recipe during the boil, practice some basic sanitation steps during fermentation and bottling, and maintain an appropriate ambient temperature during fermentation, you'll come away with drinkable beer. One tip a brewer friend gave me that he swears by: Do not try to reuse a bottle that's had beer dry in the bottom of it, and certainly don't use one that's had mold start. Even if you sterilize the bottle, the mold will etch into the glass and adversely affect the flavor of your beer. Rinse your bottles as soon as you pour the beer into a glass and let the bottle dry upside down if you can. Lots of videos on YouTube to check out and get inspired. I'm relatively new to beer (about 5 years). I grew up not liking the taste of it, then my tastes matured in that regard, which is what prompted the GF to get me started making it myself. A bit of work, but fun stuff
I really doesn't cost much to create a basic set up. You can go as expensive as you like , but you can put together an exceptional set up for only a few bucks, with just a little creativity. The most expensive part will be your malt syrup. I've always bottled and never keg, when ever I make a quick maturing ale I usually just bottle it in sanitized 2 liter soda bottles.
Amen on this book, I have it is the last two editions. And santation is the single most important thing. From my personal quest I found I waited to long to get a wort cooler. They are a bit pricey but it is good money spent. This book will get you started in the right direction. It's a must read. The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian
if you know what you're looking for, I've heard that you can purchase all the gear you need from Home Depot or Lowe's for less than $50. The challenge is finding the right kind of buckets/ tubing in the right grades of plastic (food grade). After that, as has already been said, your main cost will be malt extract. You can also build a lot of the gadgets yourself. Wort chillers, modified fridges, etc... I'm not good with my hands so I've never tried but I know guys who have gone the DIY route and had great success. And finally, avoid the great this vs. that debates. Bottles vs. kegging, malt extract vs. all grain, etc... Do what you enjoy. You'll have beer at the end of the day.
