Why I Homebrew (And 7 good reasons why you should too!)

The hobby of home brewing has exploded over the past decade. According to the American Home Brewers Association there are 1.2 million home brewers in America, and 2/3 of them began brewing after 2005. Every year more and more people of all ages and backgrounds are diving into the hobby. I’ve been brewing since the day I turned 21 (I’m not joking, I got a starter kit for my 21st birthday) and have loved every second of it. I’m not going to provide step-by-step instructions or technical information about brewing, because I don’t claim to be a home brew expert. Plus, there are loads of great resources on the Internet that can address any technical questions you may have. I am, however, going to share a few reasons why I enjoy brewing and address some concerns you may have about breaking in to the home brew scene.

1.  It’s Cheaper Than Buying Beer From the Store
After the initial start up cost, which can start as low as $100 for the equipment, you can buy the ingredients you need to make a 5-gallon batch of beer for around $30. That price may vary depending on the amount of hops, grain, type of yeast, etc you end up using, but $30 is a safe estimate. If my math serves me correctly, $30 will get you 5 gallons of beer, which comes out to be around 52 bottles of beer at 60 cents per bottle. Much cheaper than store bought beer, right?

2.  Homebrewed Beer is FRESH
Have you ever wondered how long the beer at the store has been on the shelf? How many times the beer has changed temperature since being brewed? How much sunlight has the beer been exposed to?  Yeah, me too. All of these factors play a role in how fresh your beer is. When you brew your own beer at home, all of these factors are under your control.

3.  Brewing Your Own Beer Is Good for the Environment
Sure, Stone Brewing makes phenomenal beer and Six Point’s beers are to die for, but have you ever considered the environmental impact of choosing to drink non-local beer? The carbon footprint from transporting ingredients to a brewery then transporting that beer across the country can actually add up. Home brewing gives you numerous opportunities to reduce your impact on the earth. First, you are able to reuse bottles instead of throwing them away. I’m still using many of the same bottles I started with 4 years ago, and some home brewers even choose to keg their beer, eliminating the need for glass bottles all together. Many brewers even find creative ways to utilize their old grains such as composting or turning them in to healthy dog treats.

4.  It’s Fun and Rewarding
Imagine sharing your latest creation with your family, your friends, or that special someone you are trying to impress. Brewing your own beer can be extremely rewarding as well as educational. It’s fun to critique and compare craft beers, but actually understanding the ingredients and subtleties of the brewing process raises your appreciation to a new level.

5.  The Homebrew Community is Very Welcoming
The home brew community is extremely supportive and non-competitive. When people discover a great recipe or technique, they share it immediately. There are numerous online forums, YouTube videos, neighborhood home brew groups, and local home brew stores that will take the time to answer any question you might have, no matter how silly it may seem. There is very little competition between home brewers, and everyone wants you to be able to brew as well as they do.

6.  Worried About the Time?
Many new home brewers are concerned about the time commitment that goes in to brewing. Any given batch takes about 4 weeks until it’s ready to drink, (again this may be more or less depending on your style of beer). As a beginner, you’ll only spend about 2 days actually working on your beer; one day brewing and one day bottling. The rest of your time is spent waiting (which can be the hardest part). I’m able to knock my brew day out in about 6 hours and bottling is far less than that. So, of the 4 weeks you’re waiting, you’re only spending about 8-9 hours on home brewing.

7.  Worried About Space?  Don’t Be.
Taking up home brewing means collecting new equipment, gizmos, and gadgets that often sit unused for a while. A garage or a basement would easily store all of the things needed for brewing a batch of beer. However, brewing can be as simple as you want it to be, and space should not be a constraint. I’ve brewed batches on two-burner stove in a 400 sq. foot studio in Manhattan as well as a dedicated “brewing garage” with an impressive set up that included multiple turkey fryers and a 10-gallon kettle. At the end of the day, both beers turned out great. There’s no right or wrong way to brew.

Final Advice
·  If you’re truly interested in brewing your own beer, I would suggest asking a home-brewing friend if you can help them on their next brew day. This will give you a better idea if you are ready to make the time and financial commitment to pursue brewing. I would then go to your local home brew store and simply ask how they recommend you get started.

·  You’ll find that every single home brewer approaches brewing just a little differently, and sometimes their advice may seem conflicting, but this is 100% normal.  There are about 4-5 ways of approaching every step of the brewing process, and more often than not, the beer turns out great regardless.

·  Some home brewers take brewing REALLY seriously and at times the process can seem daunting, however it can be as simple as you want it to be so don’t get caught up in the intricacies too much at first.

Think you’re ready to take the next step? Feel free to contact me at langgordon@gmail.com with any questions or check out the resources below. Have fun and happy National Homebrew Day!

·  http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/

·  http://www.homebrewtalk.com/

·  http://byo.com/