After a long day (or let’s face it, a short one) there’s nothing better, for some, than the first, thirst-quenching sip of a freshly pulled beer, but when that brew is one you’ve made yourself, that sip can taste like you’ve simply died and gone to beverage nirvana.
And, apart from first-slurp bliss there’s plenty of practical reasons why self-respecting drinkers should have a home brewery too (just in case you need to justify your reasons for wanting one!); it’s cheaper than heading to the local alehouse, far more convenient and learning the craft is good for the soul.
Best of all, with the right bits of kit and a good dose of patience, anyone can do it.
So what do you need? Well, that depends on what you want to achieve.
There’s all sorts of ready-made beginners’ kits out there but if you’ve been inspired by the microbreweries that have been popping up all over the UK and want to set up something a little more substantial yourself at home, you’ll need some quality equipment.
Here’s the homebrew essentials:
The Homebrewer’s Kit
The actual pieces of kit you need to make a basic homebrew are pretty simple, so you can start small and build your brewery as you go.
The minimum bits of kit you’ll need for a basic beer include:
- Fermenting bin with a tap or syphon tube
- Beer bottles or a keg
- Hydrometer
- Sulphur dioxide or chlorine based sterilising products
Plus, a safe space to store your fermenting brew that has a stable temperature of around 20˚C.
If you’re ready to take things up a notch and try your hand at extract brewing, you’ll need to add:
- Stove top or electric element boiler
- Hop strainer
- Grain bags
- Thermometer
- Brew paddle
However, if you’ve fallen in love with homebrewing and are ready to really craft some quality ales through grain brewing, then you’ll need all the above, plus:
- Mash tun with strainer
- A pump, like the Lowara CA or something similar, which you can pick up online to transfer your beer between containers.
Master the Cleaning
Any equipment or utensils you use must be free from micro-organisms that could affect the quality and flavour of your brew or even put your health at risk. Use a suitable steriliser and always, ALWAYS rinse everything thoroughly with fresh tap water before use to remove any traces of cleaning products.
Select Your Ingredients
Almost all beers are a blend of hops, malt, yeast and water but the way those ingredients are combined and then mixed with other stuff like honey, citrus oils or even bourbon means you have limitless opportunities to make unique creations that suit your own personal tastes.
Explore different recipes and experiment with flavour. You can find some great homebrew recipes online from Brew Engine or join the community of fellow home brewers who swap recipes, tips and insider tricks online at Jim’s Beer Kit.
Whatever recipe you choose, always select quality ingredients and follow the care instructions for them carefully.
Manage Your Expectations
Getting to sit down with that first delicious homebrewed ale means first sitting down to a lot of seriously below par beverages and doing a lot of lifting, cleaning, disinfecting and tinkering in between. This is not a hobby for anyone seeking instant gratification.
Craft ales are exactly that, a craft. Making them takes time, patience and some creative flair so if at first you don’t get the mouth-watering sip you seek, brew again. Tweak your recipes, adjust your timings, fiddle with your equipment and simply enjoy the process.
You must log in to post a comment.