by Have you ever wondered if you could make some of the great tasting beer you buy on the shelf of your favorite store at home? Of course you have, that’s why you’re reading this! The answer is a resounding yes! Making beer at home, or homebrewing, is an extremely satisfying and rewarding hobby with an estimated 1.2 million homebrewers in the United States according to the American Homebrewers Association.
Every one of those 1.2 million homebrewers had to start somewhere, and with the plethora of information available to new brewers today, it has never been easier to get started. Let’s go over some basics to get you started in a lively and growing hobby. Don’t be surprised if you make some new lifetime friends while you’re at it – people tend to like people who give them free beer.
The Benefits of Brewing
There are so many benefits to brewing your own beer: The sense of accomplishment, DIY Spirit, control over what and how you make it, freedom to explore and innovate, and best of all, at the end of it all you get beer! Brewing your own allows you to make styles or flavors of beer that you might not be able to get in your area. After your initial investment, it is not uncommon to be able to produce commercial quality beer for much less than it costs at the store. Homebrewing is tax-free and legal in all 50 States!
Because of the many benefits homebrewing has to offer, there are a variety of reasons for people to get into it. What you want to get out of the hobby will decide how you should go about it.
If you have a mind toward making money from starting your own microbrewery, then you’re going to want to take a dedicated and professional approach. You’ll need to spend a lot of time networking, and that doesn’t just mean making friends who will buy your brew one bottle at a time. No, you’ll want to make business connections with places that will buy your product in bulk. The name and branding will also be really important, so don’t be afraid to invest in a designer. It’s also good to have a strong sense of business and marketing. Consider enrolling in college courses to help you learn the basics, and look for a good accountant and lawyer. Once you’re ready to transition from a homebrew to a microbrew, you’re going to want to make sure you’re doing everything on the up and up!
But before you can start making your own brewing business, you’ll have to learn how to make your basic brew, and it’ll probably take a while to get the recipe right. So, even if you have long-term plans to grow your own beer empire, you’ll likely start out like most homebrewers. And if you aren’t looking to manage an empire, then homebrewing can still offer a lot of great benefits. If you’re a beer-drinker yourself (and if you’re interested in brewing, you probably are!) then having your own brew can be cheaper in the long run and allows you to design the recipe to your specific taste.
Of course, having your own brewery is great for your social life too. Friends and family will love hanging out at your place, especially if you’re providing free or discounted homemade beer. Many might get interested in the whole process and you could turn brewing into a group activity. Try not to be overprotective of your brew. Teach others the ropes and invite them to play around with their own recipes too.
The Process
The basic process of making beer is very, very simple. Humans have been making beer for tens of thousands of years. If our ancestors could make beer before they knew about germ theory then so can you.
1.) A malted grain is soaked in water to release starches and sugars.
2.) The grains and removed and the liquid (wort) is boiled to sanitize and create flavors. Hops and/or other flavoring agents are added at different times during the boil.
3.) The wort is cooled to allow you to introduce yeast.
4.) Yeast eats the sugars in the wort creating alcohol and CO2.
5.) Package and enjoy!
Brewing Communities
One of the best ways to get started brewing beer at home is to join a homebrew club. Most areas have at least one and they are an absolute wealth of information, guidance and support. Some of the members may have been brewing for decades, or even gone on to open commercial breweries of their own. Joining online communities is also a great way to gain more information on homebrewing, and several online resources like podcasts are great for learning fundamentals as well as new techniques, etc. Many of these resources are either free or provide perks like member deals, discounts, or free merchandise for membership.
Do a quick google search for “Homebrew store near me” and see what comes up. If you have a brick-and-mortar store near you, their staff can almost certainly be a wealth of information and provide you everything you need to get started. If there’s not a physical store near you, popular online retailers like Adventures in Homebrewing, MoreBeer, Love2Brew, Northern Brewer and more carry everything you need to get started.
What’s It Cost?
Homebrewing isn’t cheap to get up and running, but because of the potential to save money on your own beer consumption and to even make money selling beer to your friends or a larger market, it can eventually pay for itself.
You’ll likely spend at least $100 on a basic homebrewing kit, with the higher end industrial setups costing as much as a few thousand dollars to even tens of thousands. You may find some good deals on starter kits on Amazon, with some around $50. Then you have to consider ingredients and bottles. If you’re reusing bottles and just buying new caps, then you might be looking at $4 or $5 per six-pack. Of course, the actual costs will vary considerably based on your particular set up and recipes. Don’t forget to factor in your time too!
There may be other costs to consider too, such as the costs associated with branding and marketing. This could be as simple as a one-time logo/bottle design for about $300 or you could have someone doing sales, PR and social media management to help you get your brew out there. If you have a website, that’s another cost to consider and more design work. A lot of homebrewers invest in promotional items like branded signage and business cards too.
Any hobby will cost money. The important thing is to know your budget and understand what you expect to get out of it. Don’t feel obligated to give away the product for free too. People will understand that it costs you money, and while you might give out a few freebies to see what people think, it’s completely fair to charge at cost or even a bit higher if your friends want more. After all, if they don’t buy your beer, they’ll probably be spending even more on beer from a store. So if you can make a few bucks and save them a few too, it’s win-win!
You Brew You!
Brewing beer at home is only as difficult as you want it to be. Many homebrewers start using powdered or liquid Malt Extract to form the base of their beer while they learn the process. Others jump in with two feet into all grain brewing. It is very easy to spend a ton of money on homebrewing equipment, so go slow and easy at first to see how you like the process and get the basics down. Keep in mind that there are also some funny local or state laws regarding homebrewing. Until recently, residents of Arkansas could not transport homemade beer from their homes. Ask a more experienced homebrewer or look up the state and local laws near you to make sure you don’t run afoul of Local Law Enforcement.
