Brew your own beer — at home. This sounds like a dream come true and it is, at least for me. I have been brewing at home for over 20 years and it all started not with craft beer, but with the imported beers I was drinking.
The increased flavor in the imports came at an increased cost — something that I was not too happy about. But as luck would have it, there was a small building in the town I was living in that sold homebrewing supplies. After one visit to this unassuming store, I was hooked on the hobby of homebrewing.
I had never even heard that you could brew your own beer and was not too sure if this was something I could even do. What equipment was needed? What skills did it take? Was this expensive? Was it even legal? The clerk was very helpful in getting me started and I all needed was a large pot and some basic kitchen skills. And yes, it apparently was legal. As a big bonus, the cost to brew your own was a fraction of purchasing a similar beer in a store.
The clerk directed me toward a single can beer kit of a Czech Pilsner. I couldn’t believe it. Not only could I brew a great pilsner at home but I would be saving money at the same time. Homebrewing, you had me at saving money.
The single can was very easy to brew. Just open, pour the contents into a large pot, heat for a bit and add yeast. After a few weeks it was ready. I cannot imagine it was any good, but that is how I became a homebrewer.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, of the many ways to brew beer, the single-can method is not the best method, even for a beginner. There are only four ingredients needed to brew beer: hops, malt, yeast and water. The can has all four, so what is the problem? The problem is control.
There are three common brewing methods: extract, partial-mash and all-grain. Each method gives the brewer a certain level of control over the brewing process that you cannot get from a can. The significant difference between the three methods is where the fermentables are derived: extract, grains or some of each. The brewer then selects from dozens of hop varieties, to be used in many combinations. Yeast is available in dry and liquid forms, each having many strains. Even water has many variables to take into account. Sometimes too much control can be confusing.
If you are a veteran homebrewer, you know how challenging it is to brew the beer that you intended to brew by controlling as much of the process as you can. Keep on brewing, because when you hit that perfect combination of grain, mash temperature, hop additions, yeast strain and water profile, you have brewed liquid magic.
If you would like learn how to homebrew, I suggest starting with an extract kit. This kit contains all of the ingredients and full instructions. The extract kit will contain malt extract, grains, hops and yeast suitable for the style. After you brew a few extract kits, start to experiment by using a different yeast. Then add additional hops and more extract for balance. The next thing you know, you have created your own beer — a beer under your own control.
If you are interested in learning how to get started in the hobby of homebrewing, stop into Titgemeier’s, 701 Western Ave. The store sells homebrewing equipment and ingredients. Its staff can answer your questions and will be helpful in getting you started.
Upcoming homebrewing events include: The Glass City Mashers (GCM) homebrewing club will be demonstrating how to brew at at 4 p.m. May 11 at The Attic on Adams. Titgemeier’s will be giving 10 percent off homebrew supplies and ingredients May 11-16. GCM meets at The Attic on Adams at 7 p.m. May 14.. The public is welcome to attend. Titgemeier’s is holding an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16, with GCM members in attendance to answer homebrew questions.
Remember: “It is easy to brew good beer, but nearly impossible to brew perfect beer.”
Scot Yarnell is the Glass City Masher homebrew club president. He has been homebrewing for more than 20 years, won several times in local contests and placed first in national qualifiers.
