Home Brew Beer: A Beginners’ Guide

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Home brew may seem to be shrouded in mystique and entirely too complicated, but when you separate the nonsense from the useful information, you'll discover that you don't have to be a mad scientist to make a great beer.
Home brew may seem to be shrouded in mystique and entirely too complicated, but when you separate the nonsense from the useful information, you'll discover that you don't have to be a mad scientist to make a great beer.
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To make good beer, you need five basic ingredients: water, sugar, malt, hops, and yeast. Shop for the best.
To make good beer, you need five basic ingredients: water, sugar, malt, hops, and yeast. Shop for the best.
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Cleaning the bottles thoroughly is a necessity.
Cleaning the bottles thoroughly is a necessity.
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Keep records of the preparation process so that you can duplicate good batches, and avoid repeating bad ones.
Keep records of the preparation process so that you can duplicate good batches, and avoid repeating bad ones.
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The fermenter. It helps to mark one-gallon intervals.
The fermenter. It helps to mark one-gallon intervals.
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Home brewing can be a delicious hobby.
Home brewing can be a delicious hobby.

Since my arrival in America as a young man from Germany, I have been appalled at what passes for beer here. I’d have to agree with the guy who said that the reason Americans drink in dark, dingy bars is because they’re ashamed of their beer. The funny thing is that while American beer drinkers keep telling me how much they love hearty German beers, our country’s beer keeps getting lighter and lighter. Considering what you pay for the privilege of drinking this glorified water, it’s an outrage!

Now imported beer is more expensive and, unless you live near a city (which I don’t), it isn’t always easy to find. So I was left with two choices–I could give up beer or make my own. Because I like it entirely too much to give it up, I decided to teach myself to home brew beer. At first, I was put off by all the books and magazine articles I read. Home brewing beer seemed shrouded in mystique, involved too much rigmarole, and required a whole new language–what the heck is sparge, trub, or wort? Furthermore, who cares?

When I finally separated all the garbage from the useful information (no easy task), I discovered that you don’t have to be a half-crazed chemist to make a good beer. I can proudly say that during the 10 years I have been making beer at home, I have made good beer and I have made better beer. Never have I made bad beer. Okay, maybe it’s not authentic German beer, but my home brew tastes terrific, it’s cheap, and it’s easy. What more could anyone ask?

The Secret Formula

As far as I’m concerned, there are two things to remember when brewing: consistency and cleanliness. Cleanliness helps ensure consistency. Consistency means that every time you pop a cap, you can rely on the same satisfaction. It’s a simple philosophy but it works.

  • Published on Oct 1, 1992
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