Why Brew Your Own Beer?

I've read many articles about the process of home brewing beer. I've experienced the process of home brewing. The questions arise: Why choose to make your own beer? What benefits come to home brewers?

Perpetuate the Legacy
Ancient cultures, such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, and Israelites, were brewers. Beer recipes have been found inscribed in clay tablets and in the excavations of pyramids. The tradition continued through the Middle Ages. In the 1500s, Germany established breweries and eventually created Oktoberfest. During the mid-1800s, German brewers brought brewing to the US, thus engendering the nascent empires of Budweiser, Miller and Coors. Craft brewers have taken up the call of the brew in these modern times and make outstanding beers.

Suppose there occurs a huge, global calamity and all the breweries around the world were suddenly obliterated. Granted, this is a depressing thought. But what a clarion signal it is for a lowly nobody such as me to learn an ancient craft in the privacy of my home. I could just hope that a brewer or two survived and they would once again take up their avocation. Yet, that would be foolish. No, I must assume that I will be the only brewer available then. I must learn all that I can now so that I will be ready then. You should, too.

Yes, home brewing is the ultimate contingency plan. Let everyone else worry about the mundane necessities of life in the post-apocalypse era. Some of us will be conjuring a grandiose libation, thus bringing joy to the hearts of the other mortals as they refashion the world. Ales and lagers must be preserved for the generations.

Face it, without beer no world would be worth living in for any length of time.

Art Appreciation
Even if you don't understand the paintings of the great artists, they can still be pleasant to look upon. As a home brewer, you can be a man's man and an artist. Creating the perfect pint is an art, a craft worthy of praise. It is also attainable by anyone.

Creating a sui generis beer that you are proud of is a singular experience. So many Americans are accustomed to going to a bar or a store and just getting "beer" - that yellowish substance passed off in cans and bottles by the Big Three. Budweiser and its clones started in sincerity but were corrupted and have thus twisted the tastes of the public. The so-called King of Beers even went so far as to muscle out other brewers in Munich during the World Cup. What a disgrace. Home brewing is a sweet defiance of the Big Three, a thumbing of the nose at corporate standardization, a celebration of art.

Brewing your own beer is an education in the artistry of beer styles. Much research must go into each beautiful batch of beer. What balance of grains and hops suit a red or a porter? Which yeast will provide the proper overtones for an IPA or a stout? Whether using extracts or grains, the ingredients must be correct and balanced. Of course, style is only a guideline and is used especially for judging beer in a competition. So a home brewer is not necessarily bound to them. A home brewer is free to experiment, free to dabble even deeper into the art of brewing.

Understanding other artists is essential in any trade. How can a home brewer truly appreciate a stout if he has not had Guinness or Samuel Smith or Old Rasputin or something comparable from a local pub? Or does a brewer know what an American porter is or could be if he has not consumed Sierra Nevada or Anchor or Black Butte? A true brewer must study the styles by book and by bottle. Then homage can be paid them when creating something new. How fulfilling it is to hand a friend a bottle of beer and explain to him that you made it yourself. It is a moment of triumph and pride. As his jaw drops in disbelief he takes a draught. Then come the inevitable questions and your home brewing adventure begins its second stage: education. It is time to spark the life of another home brewer.

Another unique aspect of brewing: even if you make a so-called mistake and don't create a beer to style, you've still made a beer worth drinking and appreciating. Aberrations are still art. Home brewing is a challenge that is continuously rewarding.

The Almighty Dollar Must Be Saved
Reducing the money spent on a beer is an incentive to home brew, too. Let's work through an example. Suppose you purchase a six pack. In my neck of the woods, a sixer of decent beer will run approximately $7. Homebrew is made in five gallon batches generally. A five gallon batch will yield somewhere around eight six-packs. If you purchased that much at the store you've got a cost of approximately $56.

Let's further extrapolate that the beer just purchased was a porter. Brewing your own porter using extract will cost you approximately $30. Going all grain would shave some more from that cost. You do the math. Granted, this cost savings will only occur after you've made your initial investment in equipment. But the savings is evident.

Social Benefits of Brewing
Another brewer I know appreciates the camaraderie of making beer at home. Many beer makers practice their craft in the company of friends. Two or three (or more) people may pitch in funds to purchase equipment and ingredients and then they go make a disaster out of one of the patrons house for a day. While the beer - and the disaster - is brewing, friends can do "research" and hang out for a while. Brewing is a relaxing hobby, a stress relief. Even if you don't brew with friends you'll still find it a reposing activity. The scent of grain and hops, the rolling boil of wort, the bouquet of roasty porter - all this will create an experience you'll want to repeat again and again.