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Home Brewing: Do it yourself! | |
If you like beer as much as I do, (and that would be “a lot”) you have probably thought about making your own at some point. Your favorite brew might be an ale or a pilsner; import or domestic. Personally, I favor the Belgium whites. Those monasteries always seem to be the best at turning out a fine beer. I have wondered for years how monks manage to create such a delicious drink. Kind of makes me want to go in for the whole “God” business -- as long as the eternal reward involves lots of alcohol. As it turns out, making your own beer is pretty damn easy. Ridiculously easy...the whole process takes only about six hours of actual work. Then you just put the bottles away somewhere and forget them. I was surprised at the surplus of information that’s available on the subject of home-brewing and how simple it is to pick up kits and supplies online and at local stores. You’re probably wondering about the money, so here’s the deal: to make two cases of beer, the ingredients cost around $35.00. The kit itself will set you back about $50.00. But, man, is it worth it. For a very basic overview, the majority of the labor -- mixing and cooking everything together -- is done on the first day. Then letting it sit for two weeks while the beer ferments and, finally, bottling it. It turns out that the hardest part about brewing your own beer is waiting to drink it. Technically, the beer should sit in the bottle a few weeks to a few months for its flavor to fully develop. I find the anticipation near impossible to handle and usually have to taste my beer after only a week. There is nothing more satisfying than prying the cap off the bottle, listening to the hiss of CO2 escaping, and then watching the foam form as I pour a glass of my very own beer. To date I have created three cloned beers: Hoegaarden, Sierra Nevada, and Fullers ESB. While no one would mistake my attempts for the originals, I am very happy with the final products. I can’t stress enough how unbelievably simple the whole process is. But don’t just take my word for it -- go and create your own. Once you’re ready to begin, check out the beer brewing tutorial at "http://www.BeerTools.com." It’s the best site on the net for the home-brewer. You can also search on Ebay for beer kits and guidebooks to help get you started. Just think, in a matter of weeks you could be proudly downing pint after pint of your own beer. Good luck, and Happy Brewing. Eric Pilarshitz |
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