Learn How to Make Your Own Beer

When I first heard how easy it was to make your own beer, I was absolutely speechless. Here I was, paying $6 - $9 for a 6 pack of beer, when I could learn to make the same thing for a fraction of the price. I'm somebody who likes to try a large variety of beers too, and don't have any particular favorites, so this is right up my alley. I can experiment, find new flavors, and enjoy it all from the comfort of my own home.

To start with, making your own beer is actually a very simple process. You might think that there's a large amount of equipment, precise measurements that have to be made, and certain environment conditions that must be kept, but that's not quite the truth. Brewing beer does require a few items, but it's actually possible to get started for less than $100. The major things you're going to be purchasing here are a big pot to cook your malt in, some jugs to store the beer in while it ferments (5 gallon buckets seem to work well), an airlock that allows the carbonation to escape the jug while fermenting, but doesn't allow air to get back into the jug, and some bottles to store the beer in once it's done. Depending on the specific types of beer you're making, you may need a few more items, but this is the basic list of what it takes to get started.

While you don't have to keep to any absolutely precise measurements when gathering your ingredients, it's always a good idea to make note of exactly how much of each item you are using. It takes at least a good 2 - 3 weeks to make a batch of beer, and I can almost guarantee that you're going to forget exactly what it took to make it if you don't write things down. This way, if you find a batch that you really enjoy, you don't have to guess on how to recreate it.

Finally, the environment does have a little to do with your beer, but it doesn't have to be an exact science. While your beer is fermenting, you want to keep it in a fairly cool place, under 80 degrees Fahrenheit. After it's ready, then you'll add a little sugar and let it sit in the bottles for another couple weeks at room temperature. This allows the beer to "re-carbonate" itself. When this process is complete, the beer needs to be stored in the refrigerator so it will stop the yeast from consuming more sugar and producing more carbon dioxide. This is important, because if it keeps going, then you could build up too much pressure in the bottles and cause them to explode.

Now that you've had a brief run-through of the process, I hope you'll be more intrigued and continue researching how to make beer. It's definitely an enjoyable process, and is something that every true beer lover should try.