Home brewing isn’t just for beer connoisseurs, it’s a fun and inexpensive hobby that can produce a brew far superior to the watery canned stuff. Plus, there’s the added benefit of knowing that your brew contains only natural ingredients.
Home brew kits are available for beginners and experienced brewers alike, with the basic equipment costing less than $30. And, if you have the right supplies on hand, making a five-gallon batch of beer is actually quite simple.
A good recipe is the most important part of the brewing process, and you can find plenty of them online and in books. There are also plenty of variations on the basics, allowing brewers to experiment and come up with their own creations.
When making a beer, it’s crucial to keep in mind that each step needs to be done exactly as the recipe calls for in order to ensure the best results. So, it’s always a good idea to read a recipe a couple of times before starting. And, it’s wise to start with something relatively simple until you get familiar with the process and your equipment.
Once you’ve got a handle on the basic techniques, you can move on to more complicated recipes and even experiment with different “enhancements.” For example, putting whole hops (dried or flakes) into a cheesecloth bag and adding them during the cooking malt will give the beer a distinctive flavor. And, adding other ingredients, such as lemon peel, ginger root, hibiscus flower, orange blossom, or thyme will create a wide variety of unique flavors and aromas.
