Basic Homebrewing

Why Brew Beer at Home

Home brewing can be very satisfying and rewarding. Like most worthwhile occupations, it involves the investment of your time and resources. What makes it worthwhile?

If I may, I’d like to start with a little philosophy.

I feel that it is good for the spirit to master what I call a primitive skill. By “mastering a primitive skill,” I mean to become proficient in an art, a craft, or other endeavor that was done in pre-technological times, and was essential for the survival or enrichment of humanity.

There are many such primitive skills. Baking bread from natural ingredients. Sailing. Organic gardening. Weaving. Needlework. Log cabin building. Wilderness camping. Mountain climbing. Skiing. Bow hunting. Orienteering. Knitting. Candle making. The list goes on and on. These ancient disciplines can provide a sense of balance for out otherwise busy, technology-filled dats.

As a science fiction fan, I might put it like this:

When the pioneers land on planet Q the leaders of the mission will call on the others, one at a time, to state what special skill or gift they can bring to the tribe.

I could look them in the eye and say: “I am a brewer,” and be confident of a respected place in the society.

As a brewer you enter a guild that goes back beyond the ancient Egyptians into pre-history. You enter the domain of shamans and priests, a realm that is awe-inspiring and mystical, that is touched by magic and powered by life itself; brewing is a part of what it means to be civilized humans.

Welcome to the guild.

An Overview of the Process

This book is not intended to be the ultimate or only resource you will ever want for home brewing. By following the steps outlined in this section and detailed in the following sections, you should be able to produce your first two cases of beer. The equipment you purchase in the process may be all the gear you will ever need. This section is intended to give a general understanding of what is involved in brewing beer at home. Please read it thoroughly before moving on to the recipe and procedures.

Many books and magazine articles have been written with beer recipes and alternative techniques for brewing. I hope that you experiment with many of these. You may eventually settle down to one or two favorite recipes, as I have. But there are endless opportunities for experimentation, which can be very rewarding and tasty.

Basic Homebrewing Equipment

The first thing to do is to obtain the necessary supplies and equipment. Some pieces of equipment are standard cooking utensils; some are specialized brewing gear. Look for brewing equipment and ingredients at specialty homebrewing suppliers. Thanks to an increasing interest in homebrewing, such suppliers exist in all parts of the country. My main supplier is primarily a shop for people who make their own wine. They have added brewers’ supplies and are an excellent source. You can also try restaurant supply houses, hardware stores, natural food shops, mail order, or any of the reference books listed in the back of this bulletin.

Once you have everything you need, look at the calendar.