There is nothing more refreshing than a glass or a bottle of cold beer during the happiest and most festive moments in a person’s life. The smell of the bittersweet malt before taking that big gulp in the mug full of foamy goodness keeps any fruitful conversation going. Luckily, beer is available at every convenience store and supermarket worldwide, so we can keep buying for more when our personal binge stocks are down to zero.
However, can you imagine the pleasure of making and brewing your own beer? You could make the game night extra remarkable and personal—plus the fact that you can boast to your friends about having your very own beer line! Exciting, isn’t it? Well, you better know the nooks and crannies of beer and beer brewing first!
Beer Brewing is Not New!
Do you know that the recipe for making a beer was the oldest recorded recipe in the world? The exquisite taste of your favorite beer started around 5,000 B.C., with the brewing process directly documented on papyrus scrolls. The first recipes for beer were brewed in various fermentable fruits such as dates and pomegranates, as well as few indigenous herbs.
Indeed, this brewing process and ingredients are much more vigorous and potent than what we have now. As mentioned, the Egyptians, who happen to be the first people to record the beer recipe, uses the beverage during ceremonies spearheaded by the Pharaohs of Egypt. However, some accounts and evidence, such as malt scraps and bowls with beer-like residue, claim that the Mesopotamians are the first beer brewers globally. Well, it is a title worth fighting for.
After some time, beer brewing made its way from the Middle East and has passed on from country to country. For Northern Europe, beer was a staple beverage due to its nutritional value backed with being a safe alternative for water.
Beer Brewing in the Middle Ages
The beer brewing process was revolutionized during the Middle Ages. In this time, the brewers frequently use malted barley as the main ingredient for beer brewing coupled with many different herbs and spices to balance out and further improve the sweetness and bitterness flavor of the beer.
Later on, monks further enhanced the taste and flavor of beer by lagering and cold storing—something that we still currently practice in our time. As a result, Germany, Belgium, and most parts of Britain became a place for beer brewing. They are also the ones to salute when it comes to adding and balancing alcohol in beer. This progress in making the perfect beer was continuously improving years after years until now.
Why Brew Beer Yourself?
While beer brewing can be cool and exciting, it also requires an insane amount of patience, hard work, time, effort, and money. To most, brewing beer at home might seem stupid, when you can simply get a beer can from your nearest grocery store. So if you are trying to brew your way into the world of millionaires, it is better to not keep your hopes up. Although most international brewers started from their garage, given the intense competition today, your homemade beer might not even make it to the market. But not everyone is in for the business right?
You may not like the synthetic taste of canned beer or it just doesn’t hit the spot. Or sometimes it can just be a matter of pride and satisfaction to have a mug of self-crafted beer in your hands. Knowing you brew your own bear makes your savor every drop of it. If you have the passion and the love for beer, and the means and budget to brew it on a larger scale, your hard work in brewing will pay off. If not, then at least you can enjoy your custom-made beer.
How to brew beer?
If you are a passionate hobbyist who simply wants to express his love for beer on a more unique and extreme level, brewing can be satisfying and fun for you. Either way, you can make your own beer that is much cheaper than store-bought ones, so it is a win-win. But first things first, you have to understand the art of brewing.
Brewing and mixing the vital ingredients of the beer is the most basic yet essential part of beer making. With this, you can create your own beer recipe that will suit your taste palette. In fact, you can experiment using various ingredients and create different beer varieties for you and your friend. Then, if you are lucky, you might be able to produce a good beer recipe that might be your key to success!
With this, you have to make sure that you are still within the budget since experimenting could be a trial and error process. Of course, this includes the kit you will want to acquire.
Get a Brewing Kit
There are several brewing kits in the market where you can buy to brew your beer. However, their quality depends on their prices—being the most expensive one as the most productive and valuable. If you have a low budget, some kits cost less but will gradually create a cheap brewed beer, so be sure what brewing kits you want to purchase as it might affect the quality of the beer.
Procure the Ingredients
Of course, a brewing kit is nothing without its ingredients. In this case, it is recommended that you look for a local market that sells wholesale and fresh ingredients for your beer. A good brewing kit should have the best ingredients to brew or taste cheap and stale.
After finally being particular about this brew hobby and acquiring the things you needed in this journey, you must have patience and time to wait for the beer to brew. Of course, different types of beer require additional hours of brewing, the process of home brewing remains almost the same as commercial brewing. Therefore, you need to wait at least weeks for your beer to be adequately fermented, plus the number of hours you consume for the preparation and mixing process. Indeed, beer brewing is not for everyone, but if you are a person who has a deep interest in beer and how they are made, then beer brewing is definitely worth all your time and money.
Top Reasons to Start Homebrewing
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Save Money
The first reason you need to start homebrewing is that it will allow you to come up with relatively affordable beer. Although it depends on the ingredients you are going to choose, you will end up with better quality as compared to the cheap ready-made beers out there.
If you are a beginner, you can opt for individual ingredients or pre-packaged ingredient kits. Most newbies will opt for an ingredient kit that will cost slightly more but will be convenient in the long run.
Take Part in the Old Tradition
The history of beer brewing is as old as the Neolithic. This means that history stretches at least 9,000 years. Even before it became a commercial practice, brewing was an important part of daily life in households and the community overall.
As a result, you have a golden opportunity to take part in a tradition that dates thousands of years. Plus, you get to choose the ingredients of your choice, allowing you to drink your favorite beer each day.
Starting Isn’t That Expensive
If you thought that the initial cost of beer brewing is expensive, you were wrong. Although some costs are involved but not to the extent where you drain all your savings. You can buy a starter kit for around $75 that will have almost everything to brew your first beer batch. Once you master the technique and skills of brewing beer, you can move on to relatively higher-priced equipment.
Makes an Impressive Gift
Homemade beer makes for a perfect gift. Even though you can easily buy something off the shelf, nothing beats a homemade gift. No matter what the occasion, presenting beer as a gift will leave people impressed. For instance, if you have a wedding coming up or Christmas festivities, you can easily create a batch and serve your friends and family members the best homemade beer they have ever had.
To Your Health
Indeed, excessive consumption of beer is not good for health. However, if you were to take it in moderation, it will benefit your health. Beer contains antioxidants, protein, fiber, and vitamin B along with rich sources of silicon.
These nutrients come from the ingredients that are used to make beer. Apart from the yeast, malt hops, and other ingredients that offer such benefits, it is also about the brewing practices. Manufacturers refine the beer, which leads to the extraction of nutrients.
But if you are brewing the beer at home, you are in full control. You do not need to filter the beer, which will make it healthier. Plus, you can also add in some herbs and raw honey to turn your beer into a healthy tonic.
FAQs: Beer Brewing Can be a Great Hobby
Here is a look at some popular questions about beer brewing as a hobby.
1. Is Beer Brewing Hard?
Beer Brewing is not that difficult as one might assume. The only complicated task is boiling water and constantly stirring up the ingredients. Commercial manufacturers use technologically advanced machines with a precise amount of ingredients to ensure consistent results.
2. Is Beer Brewing Profitable?
Yes, beer is sold and distributed across the world. Every year, the demand for beer increases as people drink it in the afternoon, while relaxing or at dinner. However, beer brewing comes with experience. It will take some time for a newly established beer brewing business to rake in some profits, considering its quality and competitors in the market.
3. Can You Brew Beer at Home?
Yes, beer brewing can easily be done at home nowadays. Back in the day, the only choice customers had was the ready-made beers. Being able to brew beer at home gives the customers more control over the taste and quality.
Conclusion
There are so many hobbies in this world aside from beer brewing, but no matter how costly and tedious it is, many people enjoy spending their time inside their houses and man caves creating their very own beer. Well, no one can blame them for doing so, right? No one dislikes an ice-cold beer, and anyone would be willing to drink one any time of the day, especially when you are stressed out. No wonder this drink exists for thousands of years. This famous and historical beverage’s charisma will be passed on from generation to generation for sure.