Home Brewing

As you learn more about home brewing beer, you will find that there is more than just one way to make beer.  Here is a quick run down of the different levels of home brewing. Keep in mind that while you do not have to start at one level and work your way through the progression, you will likely (and it is advisable) to start towards the bottom when you are first getting started home brewing.

This is simply because beginning brewing is stripped down to the very basics-allowing the beginner to understand the fundamentals of home brewing first, before expanding out and trying some of the many variables that exist in making beer. Once you have that solid foundation set, you then can venture off in all kinds of directions.

The reason home brewers progress through the levels is simply because as you progress, you have more control over the final flavor of the beer. You have more options in the home brewing process--different types of ingredients, various ways to combine the ingredients, more recipes to use, or, even create your own.

For most beginners, the introduction to the world of home brewing is the beer ingredient kit. A kit in a can, everything you need to make beer in one simple package. You simply pour the malt extract into the wort, and you are on your way. This type of brewing is called Extract Brewing, because you are not using actual grains for brewing. Instead, you are using the extract of the malt in either liquid or dry form. You can make great beer brewing with extracts, and many home brewers continue with extract brewing. There have even been award winning extract brews.

One thing about the kits: then ingredients aren't the best, but they can easily be improved upon. There is no telling how old the yeast is, and the kits often come with pre-hopped malt extract. Substituting fresher yeast and adding fresh hops to your boil isn't too difficult, but the improvement on the flavor of your final brew will be noticeable. Brewers yeast can be purchased separately, either at the LHBS or online, and is cheap.

The main goal of the kits is to introduce you to the world of home brewing, produce drinkable beer in the shortest amount of time, and get you hooked on home brewing. Then, they know you will likely purchase more beer kits.

You can make decent beer with them, but just a couple simple tweaks will produce better beer. Substituting fresh yeast, fresh hops and extending the fermentation and bottle aging time are just small, simple steps you can take that will reward you. These small steps push you up a level, but it is a big step you can make that results in great payoff--better beer!

Once you have a few batches of Extract Brewing under your belt, you might go up a level and try Partial Mash Brewing. Partial Mash involves adding grains to your boil, while still using some malt extract--you are basically substituting some grains for some of the malt extract. You can start by steeping grains, which is no more complicated than making tea.

You simply add some grains to your boil, either directly (and straining them out after the boil), or in a grain bag. The purpose of this is to extract flavors and colors from the grains to impact the flavor profile of your finished brew. What grains you use and length of time steeping vary.

After steeping, mashing grains is the next step in the progression. You can do a partial mash first, then work up to a full mash, which is known as All Grain Brewing.   All Grain is significantly more complex than Extract Brewing, and requires exact  measurements and proper temperature control. The brewing process takes longer.

However, there are endless options available to you now, and this allows for the brewer to have more control over the final flavor of the brew. It also opens the door to more styles of beer than can be made. You can read more online and at my blog about steeping, partial mash, and all grain brewing to learn more.

How you progress in home brewing is entirely up to you. You may wish to progress through the levels of home brewing, trying and perfecting each level. You may want to skip a level. Or, you may just decide to stay with one style and brew that way every time. You may brew one way for certain beers, and brew differently for another.

No matter what, there are many ways to make great beer, and that is what is so cool about home brewing--find what works for you, and in the end, no matter how you get there, you will have what all home brewers aspire to--delicious home brew!

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Ask 10 different home brewers what equipment is essential for home brewing, and you will likely get 10 different answers. However, there will be some common items they all would mention, and chances are that stripped down, basic, "must have" list would include two plastic buckets with lids, plastic tubing for siphoning, hydrometer, and bottles.

There are many other pieces of home brewing equipment you can add to the basic set up, and there are many ways you can upgrade the basic components, but it is also possible to keep the set up very basic and still produce quality beer. A lot home brewers started with simple, even ghetto set ups, and still produced decent beer their first few batches.

There are endless combinations for home brewing set ups, and there is no one right way to do it. Over time, you will find what works best for you through online research, your experiences, and the experiences of other home brewers. Here is a quick rundown on the very basics for home brewing, as well as a few possible upgrades that you might consider.

The Brew Pot: you need something to boil your wort in, which will eventually become your beer. Your brew pot will need to be made of either stainless steel, aluminum, or enamel coated aluminum. The size of your pot also matters, and it depends on what size batches you will be doing--either a partial boil or full boil.

If you are new to home brewing, then you will likely be doing partial boils, which means smaller batches. If you live in an apartment, then you will be dealing with limited space. If you will be doing your boils on a stovetop, you may not have the power you need to do a full 5 gallon boil, as most stoves simply do not have the power to bring such a large volume of water to a boil in any reasonable amount of time.

However, this doesn't mean you can't do a full boil. You will just have to break up the boil into two seperate batches and then combine them. If you are just getting started home brewing, you will likely be doing 2.5 or 3 gallon batches, and then using top off water to complete the 5 gallon volume.

No matter how much wort you boil, the key is to have a pot larger than the volume you plan to boil. If you are doing a full 5 gallon boil, then you will actually start off with over 5 gallons of water to allow for evaporation, so that you end up with 5 gallons of wort. You also want to avoid boilovers, so this is another reason you need a pot larger than the amount of wort you plan to boil.

Fermentation Vessel: most starter kits come with a couple 6.5 gallon food grade plastic buckets. Other options for fermenters are glass carboys and plastic better bottles. The important thing about the fermenter is that it is something that you can close and seal tightly to keep air out--air has many bad microorganisms like bacteria and germs that want to get into your beer and contaminate it.

Plastic bukets have snap on lids that form an airtight seal and have a hole in the lid for an airlock or blow off tube. Carboys and better bottles have rubber bungs (stoppers) to place into the opening to seal, and allow for an airlock or blow off tube. Airlocks and blow off tubes provide the same function: keep out air and contaminates, and allow the built up CO2 to be released gradually. Otherwise, the CO2 would blow all over the place and create a really nice mess for you to clean up.

Just like the brew pot, your fermentation vessel needs to be larger than the volume you put into it. A 5 gallon batch of wort needs to go into a fermenter that is 6.5 gallons or larger--this will allow room for the krausen to form, and also room for the CO2 to build up.  You can also use plastic water coolers for fermentation (the ones used for office water coolers), but it is important to be sure they are large enough (at least 6 gallons) and made of food grade plastic. They will also need to be able to be sealed and allow for an airlock or blow off tube to be inserted.

Secondary Bucket: many kits come with 2 buckets, and the second bucket can be used two different ways. First, you can use it as a secondary fermenter. Some home brewers decide to rack the beer from the primary (first) fermentation bucket to the second fermentation bucket. It is debatable whether this step is even necessary, but like so much else in home brewing, do a little research and determine how you will prefer to do it.

For many beers, secondary fermentation will clear up the beer, making it less cloudy in appearance. For those brewers that secondary ferment, they do not want to leave the beer on the trub for too long, so that is why they use the secondary fermenter. Others see this step as unnecessary and skip it altogether.

If you decide to forego secondary fermentation, then you can still use the second bucket for a bottling bucket. If you decide to later upgrade your fermentation buckets to carboys or better bottles, you can still keep the buckets and use them for sanitizing equipment prior to brewing, for bottling, or to have additional fermenters so you can brew multiple batches a the same.

If you do not have a home brewing kit, you can look to purchase a food grade plastic bucket and use it for bottling. There are buckets that have spigots built in to make the bottling process easier. If you can't find a bucket with a spigot built in, or you have already have a bucket that does not have one, you can even insert a spigot yourself (this is just one of the many do-it-yourself projects that can be done in home brewing) Ale Pales are a great option--this is simply a plastic bucket that has a spigot already built in.

Vinyl Tubing/Siphoner: in order to rack your beer from one fermenter to the next (or from fermenter to bottling bucket), you will need vinyl tubing and a siphioner. An auto siphoner is something you will want to strongly consider if the beer kit you purchase does not come with one. If you are assembling your own home brewing kit, then it is something to strongly consider adding--it simply makes the home brewing process much easier.

You do not want to siphon with your mouth, as this could introduce bacteria and germs to your brew and contaminate it. You can try gravity for siphoning, but the auto siphon makes it that much easier.

Another upgrade to the process is a bottling wand. These allow you to control the flow into the bottles, and to stop the pour of beer before it is overflowing and spilling all over the floor (and wasting beer!). These also leave the perfect amount of space in a bottle for carbonation. Like the auto siphon, a bottling wand isn't absolutely essential, but will make the home brewing process much more efficient and easier.

Hydrometer: this is something you should absulutely have from the start, whether the kit you purchase comes with it or not. If not, definitely make the purchase, as this is an absolute must for home brewing.

A hydrometer measures the density of a liquid, known as specific gravity. The hydrometer will let you know when your fermentation is complete. You may hear of certain visual cues that let you know when it is done (such as activity in the airlock, or when the krausen falls), but these visual cues are not fool proof.

It can be possible that instead of being done with fermentation, your beer actually isn't finished and has what is known as stuck fermentation--or, fermentation that has been interrupted, and is "paused". This can lead to bottle bombs, or beer that tastes bad because it didn't completely ferment.

By looking at the specific gravity, you can tell if you are at your target specific gravity, or if fermentation is stuck. A hydrometer will also tell you for certain when fermentation is done--if you get the same specific gravity reading on consecutive days, then you know you are done, and ready to bottle!

Sanitizer: This is the most important thing for new brewers. This is why beginning home brewing is stripped down and simplified--so beginner brewers can learn the proper steps of the home brewing process (especially proper cleanliness and sanitation) first and foremost. Once you have the basics down pat,  then you can start to expand and experiment to control and manipulate the flavor of the beer. Sanitation is that important.

If you are not clean and sanitary, your beer could easily become contaminated, and this will produce off flavors at the very least, or a ruined batch of brew that you have to dump. It's been said that making good beer is 75% proper sanitation, so do not take this important step lightly!

Bottles: after all the hard work to get the beer through fermentation, you need somewhere to store it. Many home brewers use bottles. You can also keg your beer, but if you are new to home brewing, you will likely bottle your brew. Most home brewing kits come with bottles, but you can also purchase them onlione.

Or, a really cool option is to simply buy some beer at the store and save the bottles. No matter how you get the bottles, it is important that the bottles are sanitized prior to use. Some kits, like Mr. Beer, come with plastic PET bottles. You can even use plastic soda bottles, both the 20 oz. size and the 3 liter bottles--just be certain that you sanitize them before putting your beer in them.

One note about beer bottles--no matter where you get them, you will want to avoid twist offs. You can purchase bottle caps and a bottle capper online or at your LHBS. An alternative is the swing top Grolsch type bottles. You can find these online if you can't find them at a store near you.

There are several other ways to upgrade your home brewing kit, but the point of this article is to look at the bare essentials, and a few possible upgrades that sometimes are included in a home brewing kit.  There is nothing wrong with starting with a kit--in fact, many kits come with the bare essentials at least, and many include some of the upgrades mentioned here. Plus, they are often cheaper to purchase as opposed to buying the components separately.

There is always the option to go the DIY way, and build your home brewing kit from scratch. This way, you get exactly what you want. This is much easier if you have a Local Home Brew Store close by, but can be done online as well. Whatever kit you start with, it likely will be all you need for home brewing.

If you start with something like a Mr. Beer, you can continue to use that for home brewing. If you upgrade, you can still use it for smaller batches, easier brewing, or for experimental brews.  What it all comes down to is that there are many options when it comes to home brewing. There isn't a one size fits all. And that is what is fun about home brewing.

While some prefer to keep it stripped down and simple, others will "geek out" and go deeper into it. Either way is fine, do whatever works best for you and your situation. You can some very good beer even with a simple, stripped down set up. Certainly better than what you can buy in a grocery store.

No matter what path you choose, your home brewing equipment set up will still need a brew pot, fermenter or two, bottling bucket, bottles, tubing, siphon and sanitizer. Where you go from that basic set up is simply a matter of space, budget, type of brewing, and personal preference.

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There are a few options for the method you use to boil your wort when beer brewing. Your choice will vary, but it ultimately comes down to what options are available to you.

Fortunately, the most common options are popular beacuse they are likely something you already have access to, so there is no need to worry about having to buy any additional equipment to get started beer brewing.

For many new to beer brewing, the stove will be the most available option, and while it will work, it isn't necessarily the best option due to the limitations of most residential stovetops. If you live in an apartment, then it is likely your only option.

Stoves are limited in the fact that they do not have the power to bring large pots of water to a rolling boil, at least in any reasonable amount of time (whether the stove is electric or gas). This limits most stoves to beer brewing with only partial boils. This is sufficient for extract brewing, but could pose a challenge if you go all grain.

All grain brewing usually requires a full boil, but you could always split the batch into two boils. If this is your only option, you will likely have to stick with partial mash or extract brewing. Of course, it always helps to have friends with backyards, so you can always enjoy some cold ones with friends while making a new batch of brew. You will find that having delicious home brew on hand can lead to many new friends, many who will gladly let you set up a propane burner in their backyard to make more!

Many people have a turkey fryer/propane burner that can be used, and this is the set up many brewers use. More experienced brewers opt to purchase more powerful propane burners with more BTU output so they can boil faster and produce larger batches (up to 10 gallon batches!) These more powerful burners reduce the boil time, so this is a big reason many make this upgrade.

Turkey fryers are more than suffcient, so this option works perfectly for beer brewing, and upgrading isn't necessary. But, somewhere down the road you may decide to make this upgrade and get something with more juice to improve your beer brewing experience.

There are other options, such as gas or electric heating elements, but chances are if you are new to beer brewing, one of the previously mentioned options is already available to you and the likely path you will take.

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Here is a topic that has been debated amongst home brewing afficianados.  Chances are, you have some sort of large pot around the house that you can use for home brewing. It is important that the pot you use is large enough for the job and made of either stainless steel, aluminum, or enamel coated aluminum. There are pros and cons with each pot, and in the end, it will come down to what you already have available or personal preference.

If you go with aluminum, there are certain precautions you must take with your pot, and there are a coupe concerns as well. This isn't meant to scare you, but if you are researching home brewing on line, then you will likely read about this anyway.

If your aluminum pot is brand new, then it will be necessary to "season" it before use. You will need to oxideize the inside of the pot before using the first time for home brewing. No worries though, this is easy! Simply fill your pot with water, up to a point higher than you will boil your wort, and let the water boil for 30 to 60 minutes. Then, drain the pot and you should see that there is a change in the color of the pot's interior.

It should turn a dark color, or at least no longer be shiny. This is an indication that you now have a layer of aluminum oxide coating the pot, and this aluminum oxide coating forms a protective layer between the aluminum and your wort. This process only needs to be done once, and only for new aluminum pots.

If the aluminum pot you have has been used before, then it should already have the protective layer intact. If you are not sure, you can always re-oxidize it using the same process just to be sure. This protective layer will keep your worts from developing a metallic flavor that you will notice in your finished beer.

After oxidizing, it is also necessary to properly care for your aluminum pot. Do not use harsh or abrasive detergents or scouring pads to clean. No steel wool! Also, do not use any oxygen based cleaner such as OxyClean or One Step, nor should you use any caustic or similar clean-in-place solutions. These will remove the protective layer and can scratch the aluminum.

This can lead to scratches that will provide nice hiding places that bacteria, germs, spores and other microorganisms can attach to and hide--and get into your beer and contaminate it.

You may read online that aluminum can cause Alzheimer's Disease. However, there is no conclusive evidence of this. Just remember that most professional kitchens use aluminum cookware, and you absorb aluminum form antacid tablets and deodorant.

According to Jim Palmer, the author of the home brewing bible "How To Brew", there is more aluminum in a common antacid tablet than would be present in a batch of beer produced in an aluminum pot.

Many in home brewing have used aluminum pots for years with no ill effects. The main thing with aluminum is to take proper care of the pot. However, remember that one of the most important lessons to learn about home brewing is proper cleaning and sanitization of your home brewing equipment, so this should be second nature anyway.

As for all the rest, simply DWHAHB!

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Beer ingredient kits are great ways to learn how to make beer. Beer kits provide the very basics you need to brew a batch of beer, without having to worry about the many different variables to the beer brewing process that can be confusing to those just starting to learn how to make beer. 

Beer kits simplify the process so you can first learn the very basic fundamentals of how to make beer, and ensure you have what you need so you can produce your first batch of home brew. However, the kits do have some flaws that can cause you to make a batch of beer that you won't be as happy with.

These flaws can contribute to leaving the newbie discouraged to the point that they may give up on a hobby that they would otherwise have enjoyed for years to come. These flaws can easily be corrected with a couple simple substitutions to ensure your first batch of brew is even better, and will allow you to jump ahead on the learning curve.

The first flaw is the ingredients that come with the kits themselves. You never know just how long the ingredients have been sitting in the can, on a shelf in some warehouse gathering dust. Just as it applies in cooking, the better quality of ingredients you use, the better the resulting product will be.

While fresh ingredients are best, that doesn't mean you can't make a good batch of beer with an ingredient kit. After all, you are first and foremost learning how to make beer and need to learn the basic process, as opposed to trying to create an award winning brew.

The first ingredient you need to concern yourself with is the yeast. Yeast in beer kits can be old, even dead. It isn't a bad idea to buy some brewer's yeast. You can find it at the Local Home Brew Shop (LHBS) or you can purchase it online. Yeast is cheap, but could be a worthwhile investment.

The beer kits also usually come with pre-hopped malt extract. This simplifies the process, but by skipping the pre hopped malt and actually using fresh hops, you can greatly improve the flavor of your beer. It's as simple as adding the fresh hops to the boil and removing/filtering them before fermentation. You can research online to see the recommendation for when to add the hops and how long to leave them in the boil based on the type of hops and the type of beer you are brewing.

The next flaw (and a major one) with kits is the instructions they come with. They are often vague. They also leave out important details that would otherwise be of help to people learning how to make beer. Keep in mind, it is easier for the kit manufacturers to create one generic set of instructions as opposed to creating detailed instructions for each type of beer kit.

The worst flaw of the instructions is the timeline they give for the production of beer. Many kits will tell you that you can be drinking your home brew as soon as 7-10 days after starting. Ignore these directions! Yes, it is possible you could drink your beer this soon, and it might taste ok. However, the main reason these manufacturers tell you this is marketing. But remember--DWHAHB!

Patience will go a long way to improving your beer. Let your beer ferment and age for a reasonable amount of time without rushing it, and you will be glad you did. In general, the kit manufacturers are more concerned with selling more kits than they are with you making the best beer possible. They won't sell as many kits if they say that it could take weeks, or more than a month to produce beer. They would lose people to other pastimes and hobbies that have more instant gratification.

The kit manufacturers also know that the window they have for selling you beer kits is limited. After a few kits under your belt, you are likely to either give up, start brewing from recipes, formulate your own recipes or start all grain brewing. So they want to try and sell as many kits as possible before you move on from kit brewing.

If you see instructions that recommend bottling in 5-10 days, then it is likely a poor quality kit,  poor quality instructions, and the beer will more than likely be better by leaving it for an additional 1-2 weeks. The goal of these beer kits is not to make the best beer possible. Rather, they are simply designed to make beer, period. Hopefully decent beer, but really, anything drinkable in as simple a way possible without introducing too many steps or too much difficulty to scare off or frustrate the new brewer.

Brew kits are excellent ways to learn how to make beer. In fact, many home brewers got started using kits to learn how to make beer. They simplify the process to make it as easy as possible for the beginner. Think of these kits as training wheels.

Once you have learned the basics, the fundamentals of how to make beer, you will soon learn that there are so many ways to improve upon your skills and your beer. You will see that you don't have to make drastic changes to see big improvements. It is also important to know that if you continue to brew with kits, that there is nothing wrong with that.

This type of brewing is known as Extract Brewing. and many home brewers continue to brew this way many years after getting started. Some brew snobs look down on extract brewing, preferring the all grain brewing method. But don't let this crowd discourage you!

While it can be a natural progression to start with extract brewing, then move to partial mash, and then all grain, it is up to you to see where in the spectrum you will fall. It is a matter of personal preference, budget and space considerations, and experience and knowledge. It is possible to skip ahead in the progression.

It is also not required that you "graduate" through the progression. You may decide that you have no desire to try partial mash or all grain brewing. Brewing with a kit keeps the process simple. With a couple tweaks to the formula, you can produce better quality brews, even phenomenal ones! In fact, there are many award winning extract brews out there.

Basically it boils down to what works for you and your particular situation. Not everyone wants to build a giant brewing set up with many pieces of equipment, and added steps to the process--they simply want to quickly and easily produce some decent brew. And there is nothing wrong with this.

Do what works best for you, and if you decide to continue to brew with a kit and extract brewing, know that it doesn't make you less of a brewer! Remember, DWHAHB!

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One of the most important lessons for those new to beer brewing is proper cleaning and sanitation. All around us there are invisible bacteria, germs, and wild yeast that like your beer as much as you do. These microorganisms are unwelcome guests to the party, however, because if they get into your beer, they can contaminate it and infect it.

It is the home brewers job to provide the yeast a healthy environment during fermentation, and to give the yeast a head start before these other organisms can take hold. Certain precautions must be taken during the beer brewing process to prevent contamination. That is why it is critically important that you are thorough in cleaning and sanitizing your beer brewing equipment.

It is important to note that cleaning and sanitation DO NOT mean the same thing. Sanitation goes beyond simple cleaning. Chemical sanitizers must be used in the beer brewing process to eliminate the majority of the microorganisms on the equipment beyond what simple soap and water can accomplish alone.

Sanitation is extremely important in the beer brewing process, especially for the new home brewer. Good sanitation habits are a very important part of the learning process, and something you must master and practice every time you brew. 

Contamination can occur at any time in the beer brewing process, and result in "off" flavors and poor tasting beer. Often, when beginners experience flavor issues during their first few batches, it is the result of poor sanitation practices.

Fermentation is the controlled growing of yeast, and the healthier the environment you provide the yeast, the better it will do. Unfortunately, a healthy environment for yeast is also a healthy environment for all the things you do not want in your beer--the microorganisms, including germs and bacteria.

By using proper cleaning and sanitizing of your beer making equipment, you ensure that contaminants are kept to a minimum, and that your yeast will be well fed and not interfered with. Remember, happy yeast makes great beer, which makes the home brewer happy!

Here is a quick breakdown of the differences between cleaning, sanitizing and sterilizing to clarify.

Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same thing. You need to clean your beer making equipment first, then sanitize it. Cleaning is the process of removing the visible residue, the dirt. In other words, what you CAN see. By itself, cleaning is not enough for a clean fermentation.

Cleaning agents will remove surface dirt, but do not kill a significant amount of microorganisms. However, cleaning is still an important part of the process beacuse if dirt is not removed, it can provide a place for microorganisms to hide. This would make sanitization almost impossible.

Sanitizing, which can also be called sanitization or sanitation, is the process of killing offmost of the microorganisms on your beer making equipment. Homebrewers use sanitizing solutions to sanitize their equipment.

However, these solutions cannot eliminate any microorganisms that are not on the surface of the equipment--ones that are hidden in dirt or residue inside the equipment. This is why it is important to clean properly and thoroughly before sanitizing. Sanitization removes the majority of microorganisms, but some may remain. However, not enough that they seriously compete with the yeast for nutrients.

Sterilization is the process of killing every living cell in and on your beer making equipment. It is not usually necessary to sterilize for the home brewing process. Because you bring your wort to a boil, the heat of the boil sanitizes the wort. Therefore, sanitation prior to boiling is not necessary. However, once the boil is complete, and the wort temperature drops below 160 degreed (fahrenheit), it is critical that every precaution be taken to ensure proper sanitation all the way up until you drink the first beer.

All beer making equipment that comes into contact with the cooled wort and fermented beer must be sanitized, including your hands and anything else that comes into contact with the equipment. This includes carboys, buckets, better bottles or whatever you use for fermenting; chillers, spoons, stirrers, and any other utensil; racking cane, bottling wand, auto siphon, bungs, stoppers, airlocks, bottles, caps, kegs and anything else that can/will touch your wort/beer.

As you learn more about beer brewing, you will see there are many ways to control the flavor of the beer during the beer brewing process. But the most important factor and first lesson for the new brewer is cleaning and sanitizing. This is why the beginning beer kits have simplified the process of brewing beer. It is critically important that you first master the very basic steps of the beer brewing process first., before you start to worry about how to manipulate the flavor of the final brew. And one of the most crirical steps of the process is learning good cleaning and sanitization habits.

It has been said that good beer brewing is 75% cleaning. When it comes to sanitation, there are several options for what products you can use. The pros and cons vary, but the important thing is that you use something.

The two most readily available and cheapest options are also probably not the best options: bleach and vinegar. These do, however, work, but there are better options, which I will explore in a later post. (One important note in case you don't read the next article--DO NOT mix bleach and vinegar! Use one or the other, but not both!)

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When it comes to home brewing, a very important part of the process is the brew pot, or brew kettle. It is what you make your beer in! When it comes to brew pots, likely you have one lying around the house somewhere. There are many alternatives to what you can use for your brew pot, but there are some important requirements that your chosen pot must meet.

Brew pots for home brewing should be made of stainless steel, aluminum or enamel coated aluminum. Avoid plain steel, as this will give off-flavors to your beer. The size of the pot is very important. It must be at least 3 gallons, although a bigger pot is better as this will give you more flexibility. Typical batches for home brewing are 5 gallons, and your pot should be at least 6 gallons to allow for boiling (and to avoid a boilover).

However, you do not have to boil a full 5 gallons in one batch. Instead, you can do what is known as a partial boil. A partial boil is just what it sounds like--not a full 5 gallon batch, but a smaller boil, maybe 2.5 or 3 gallons. Once you add the boil to the fermenter, you add water to complete the 5 gallon volume, which is known as topping off. You could even brew a couple partial batches and combine them together to make 5 gallons.

Another important factor with brew pots is the heat source you will be using. If you have an outdoor propane burner, then you will be able to use a larger pot and be capable of doing full boils. If you live in an apartment, or do not have an outside propane burner, then you will likely be using your stove, which is completely fine. However, it is important to note that stoves do not usually have the power to bring a large pot of liquid to a boil, at least not in a reasonable amount of time.

You may also not be able to fit a larger pot on your stove.  If you are using a stove for your boils, then you will likely be better off using a smaller brew pot and working with partial boils. Fortunately, many people have a turkey fryer set up, and these work great for home brewing. 

However, if you decide to upgrade your brew pot, you may also consider upgrading your propane burner to something with extra BTU's in order to cut down on the length of time it takes to reach a boil.

For the newbie to home brewing, any large pot you have will likely do the trick, at least for the first few batches. Drinking delicious, home made beer starts with the brew pot, so yeah, this is a key component to the home brewing process. It could very well wind up being your first upgrade/expense to your home brewing kit. But it is worth it...a good brew pot can last for many years and many beers.

One important note: many pots have their capacity stated in quarts, so a quick conversion from quarts to gallons is 1 quart equals .25 US gallons. In other words, 5 gallons=20 quarts and 6 gallons=24 quarts.

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When it comes to the beer brewing process, there are many different approaches the home brewer can take with their set up. You can choose to purchase equipment especially made for beer brewing, you can use some house hold items, and you can even make some items yourself.

There is a wide range of possible combinations of equipment you can choose for your set up. It really boils down to your budget, experience, space considerations, and individual preferences. For those new to beer brewing, it is advisable to start with some sort of all inclusive brew kit. There are many options with these, as well, but the key reason these kits are the way to go is simple: convenience.

 These kits will have at least the very basics that you need to get started beer brewing, and some even have a few extras that come in handy. You can start simple with a kit like Mr Beer--inexpensive, and doesn't take up too much space. This will allow you to try out beer brewing as a hobby and see if it is something you will enjoy and stick with.

Many beer brewing enthusiasts enjoy making hand crafted beer that is cheaper and better than commercial beers. For some, the process is too much a hassle, and they don't brew again. Beer kits comprised of separate components make a great starting point for new brewers. They contain the bare essentials to get you started, and allow you, the new brewer, to focus on what is really important: learning the fundamental process of beer brewing.

Once you understand the basics and have a solid foundation, you can then determine what is the best way for you to go about the process. After that first batch of home brew, you can then determine if this is a hobby you will continue. If you like this hobby, you can continue to brew on your starter kit, whether it is a Mr Beer or a component kit.

You can always upgrade or add on accordingly as you learn more about beer brewing. With component kits, it is not necessary to break the bank to upgrade. As mentioned previously, many of these kits come with some extras, so upgrading may not be necessary until further into the hobby. The basic kits still will get you through the process, and upgrades basically consist of extra equipment that are better materials or make parts of the process easier--but aren't absolutely essential.

In fact, one of the cheapest, easiest, and best upgrades to do is to upgrade the ingredients you use to brew. Most beer brewing starter kits come with plastic buckets for fermenting. You can upgrade these to glass carboys, and there are several reasons why you might decide to do this--however, fermenting in plastic buckets is completely fine, and it really is a matter of personal preference.

If you decide to upgrade, you can always keep the buckets for sanitizing equipment/utensils and as bottling buckets. You can even use them as additional fermenters for additional batches of home brew! If you started with a Mr Beer type kit, you can still get use out of it after you have brewed your first few batches. If you live in a small space, these kits still work fine for brewing. Many home brewers that started with these still use them--they are perfect for experimenting. Create your own beer recipe, and since the batch is smaller, if it doesn't work out, you waste less beer. Or, perhaps 5 gallon batches are too much for you, and you like smaller batches.

Besides an upgrade in ingredients, the first upgrade you may make is an additional fermenter--this will allow you to make multiple batches of beer at the same time. This way, you will have many different flavors of beer on hand. Or, if you have a special occasion coming up, you can have lots of beer available!

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While the basic process of how to make beer is the same, there are many different ways to achieve the end result. There are many different approaches to brewing beer. Most beginners start with what is known as Extract Brewing, which uses malt extract as opposed to grains. The next level is Partial Mash Brewing, which combines malt extract and grains. Finally, there is All Grain Brewing, which, as you probably guessed, uses only grain for brewing (no extract).

There are several options when it comes to chilling the wort, but they all accomplish the same thing. One step that has been debated endlessly amongst brewers is whether or not to secondary ferment. This basically comes down to a matter of personal preference. Once you have finished fermenting your beer, you can either bottle it, or keg it. Usually  beginners learning how to make beer will bottle it.

Brewing beer has many different ways to accomplish the end result, and is a constant learning process. But because there is no "one" way or "right" way to do it, it leaves many options for home brewers to choose from--which allows the brewer to find what works best for them and to "do it their own way".

As you gain more experience learning how to make beer, you will see that there are more than one way to go about the brewing process, and you can determine which ways work best for you. While the basic process is the same for brewing, there is no right way. Find the way that works for you, and don't worry about how others do it--although you can learn from others, but that doesn't mean you have to do it the way they do.

Your own circumstances will dictate some of your choices for you--for instance, if you live in an apartment, you will have space concerns. You will also likely be using the stovetop for your boils. This can affect what type of brewing you will do, as well as the types of beers you may brew. You may have to figure out creative ways to get around certain limitations, but that can be a fun part of the process.

It is important in the beginning of learning how to make beer that you learn the very fundamentals of the process and master those first. This gives you a solid foundation to build off of. Then, you can start learning about the many different ways to brew. There is more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to brew beer. And that is part of the fun of brewing, finding all the different ways to make great beer!
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In learning how to make beer, patience is an important part of the brewing process, and can't be emphasized enough. Another important lesson that ties in with patience is that as you are learning how to make beer, there are many mistakes that can and will be made.

 However, there is no need to fear mistakes, because often they lead to some great beer. It is important for new brewers to know that no matter the error made, NEVER throw out a batch of beer! There is only really one mistake you can make that should result in throwing out a batch of beer: contaminated beer.

Otherwise, there is a good chance that you can salvage a batch of beer and at least make it into something drinkable. It is important new brewers learning how to make beer to keep a detailed log of the entire process. Keep track of ingredients used, each step of the process, temperature and hydrometer readings....everything.

This is VERY important, because first, by keeping detailed notes, you can look back over them once you have finished the brewing process. If your batch of brew turned out great, you will know how to repeat it again in the future. If there were some shortcomings in your brew, or there was anything missing, you will be able to see where you might make tweaks or changes the next time so you can end up with the beer flavor profile you desire.

Second, it is important to keep track of every detail of the process so you have a documented account of your batch. This is very important, because if you made any mistakes or can't figure out what went wrong ot why your beer didn't turn out right, other brewers with more experience will be able to help you. If you cannot provide them with the details of your batch, then they will not be able to advise you as to what you did wrong or how to correct your mistakes.

The brewing community--both online and locally--are tremendous resources to learn more about how to make beer. One benefit  is that you can learn about all of the "rookie mistakes" others have made, so you can avoid them and shorten the learning curve. These more experienced home brewers know a few tricks as well, so they can help you become a brewmaster faster.

Keep in mind, mistakes can often turn into wonderful things, and tasty beer as well! It is difficult to totally ruin a batch of beer and produce something that is undrinkable. Keep in mind that you have to have patience! Time is the friend of fermenting beer. If you think you may have made a mistake, there is no need to panic and toss out your beer. DWHAHB!

Be sure to take advantage of the many online beer brewing forums and don't be afraid to ask questions. Chances are someone else has made the same mistakes you have when they first started learning how to make beer. They can also help you so that if your brew doesn't turn out the way you had hoped, you can still produce a good batch of beer!

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