Beer crafting is a fun and rewarding hobby that can produce some truly delicious results. It requires a little bit of patience since it can take about four weeks from beginning to end, but the process is fairly simple and only requires a handful of special ingredients and equipment. It’s a great way to learn a new skill, impress your friends, and enjoy some tasty homebrew!
The history of brewing is a long and fascinating one. It’s believed that the first beers were made in someone’s home, and this is a trend that continues to this day. In every country where beer is popular, there are dozens of small breweries (or ‘brewpubs’) that work on a micro-scale to create novel beers in all manner of flavors, strengths and colours.
A key part of the brewing process is ensuring that all the tools and ingredients are clean and sanitized before use. This is especially important when working with water as it makes up 90% of the brew. Brewers often boil their water before using it to ensure that it is free from contaminants.
Some brewers also add coffee or tea to their beers for added flavour, while others use herbs such as sweet gale, yarrow, Labrador tea, nettle, mugwort, aniseed, or juniper (a preparation known as gruit). These are typically added during mashing and boiling to create a balanced, well-rounded beverage. It should be noted that a number of states have their own Alcohol Control Boards and set their own regulations on labeling, hours of sale, and sanitation.
