A Glance Into Home Brewed Beer

The most widely consumed beverage in the world is beer. Moreover, in all likelihood it is the world’s oldest alcoholic drink. There is speculation among historians that it has been drunk since 9500 BC. It is therefore no small wonder that its popularity continues to this day. As such, there has been an ever-increasing interest among beer lovers to produce home brewed beer. So let’s grab our hops and barley and take a close look at the way you can brew your own suds.

First it is good to know what beer is made of. Basically, it is made of water, hops (where the flavor comes from, ) a starch which can be fermented like malted barley and yeast. You have probably heard the word “hops” used frequently in TV ads; it is used as a flavoring only. Hops comes from the hop vine and the flowers are used in brewing.

What we are mostly interested in though is how we take these ingredients and transform them into a drink that will impress a brewmeister, if not your next door neighbor. Your first step is to purchase a brewing kit, unless of course you have the financial wherewithal or investors to establish your own commercial brewery. Let’s go on the assumption that the brewing kit is the way to go.

First, as hinted at above, buying a kit does not require taking out a second mortgage. Virtually all kits come equipped with the necessary ingredients and hardware to get you started. They can be found online or at specialty retail stores. You can expect to pay from thirty dollars to over a thousand. It is probably a good idea to invest wisely in the beginning to see if brewing your own is for you.

Be certain that your kit includes all you need to start and finish your brewing. This means that it comes with all equipment, ingredients and bottles that you need. Starters will typically need bottles, a fermenting bucket, yeast, hops or hop extract and wort. Wort is the liquid extracted from the barley. An instructional DVD and user’s manual would be great too.

The actual process of brewing is not tedious. On the contrary it can be a fun hobby, and you do not have to wait too long for the finished product. It usually takes about two weeks from firing up all of your equipment to savoring that first taste. In other words you can impress your friends (soon to be jealous friends) with homemade beer in fourteen days.

One note on kegs: if you consider using them as a means for storage or additional aging, be careful. If not attended correctly, they can become dangerous. Pressure may be left contained in a keg. If not properly ventilated, the valve could burst and turn into a flying projectile which could hit someone and cause serious injury.

Home brewed beer can be more than just a great alternative to store bought brew. It can be hobby that holds your interest and quenches your thirst at the same time.

Do you want to learn beer brewing instructions? Check out our video training website that features home brew videos.