In tough economic times, we all look for ways to save money.
With gas prices going up constantly, the prices of everything just goes right on up with them. Unlike the government, we can't print up money so anything we can do to cut costs without giving up quality of life is a good move. And if quality of life includes having a nice tasting brew every so often, well then there is definitely something we can do and maybe you are already starting to do that is not only great fun but a very good cost cutting move for you.
The great thing about taking up home brewing that you get three great benefits all in one great hobby.
First you get a new passion in your life that will keep you busy and learning a side of beer making that you never knew could be so fascinating.
Second, you inherit an entire society of fascinating people who are zealots for this hobby and life style of home brewing. And finally, once you get set up with the equipment and learn the "ropes" of brewing your own beer at home, you can make beer that is 100 times better than anything you can get at the liquor store or in a restaurant. But you can make it for a tiny percentage of what you would pay for retail beer which is inferior to yours anyway.
The great thing about home brewing that in addition to all these benefits, it really is not difficult to learn how to make great beer right at home.
It will take some effort and a bit of study or coaching to learn how to use the equipment and what ingredients to buy and store. But because the ingredients are easy and abundant to get, you can set up to make literally gallons of beer for a very small investment. So on top of great fun, that’s just sensible economics.
One great way to get some help with this process and make it even more fun is to learn to make beer with a group of friends. You can split the costs and make it even more economical. And each of you can and pool your knowledge, your learning and your talents to make each batch of beer better than the last one. Because the process of brewing involves several steps, you need that patience and understanding of the process to do it right. And having friends in the process, each one can be watching for steps that need to be taken. Then when the beer enters the fermentation stage and what you all need is patience not to break into the beer and drink it before its time, you can be a support group to be willing to wait for it because you know how good it will be.
This support group can also be very helpful to be patient if that first batch of beer is not entirely perfect.
But you know there are ways to get better.
So by being faithful with your learning, joining with other beer brewing lovers around your town, you can and will get better quickly. But the other value of working together with good friends is that you can eventually get a feel for how much beer you will make with each batch and how much each of you will use in a period of time. Then you can time the brewing sessions so you may even have multiple batches in various stages of completion and coming into use at just the right times so you never have to go to the liquor store again. You will have taken control of this one part of your economy by making your own beer so it's a cost you can control, unlike gasoline.
Have you checked the latest commercials about commercial beers?
Chances are you have come across adverts for full bodied beers. Full-bodied beers are the choice of many beer lovers and the connoisseurs and breweries respond by offering only the best tasting beers and the ones that are full-bodied. There is something about this characteristic for beers, and this is what beer lovers want.
So what exactly is this kind of characteristic?
In the world of beer making, this means having that complex character, with better head retention and that there is better taste. This kind of characterization for the beer can be achieved by effectively raising the gravity of the beer yet without sacrificing the fermentation process. The beer can also be enhanced by simply adding more sugar or by adding up some more protein.
Now, this kind of characterization for beer is important, and this is what you should aim for if you would like to try your hands as well in home brewing. In ensuring that your home brew will be known for this characteristic, you may want to follow the four suggestions below.
• It is best to add the caramelized and the roasted malts. The key in making a beer deliver that enhanced mouth feel lies in the dextrins. And these dextrins are present in the caramelized and the roasted malts.
• You can also add up on the un-malted grains. These kinds of grains are known for their high concentration of proteins. And these proteins are best known for its contribution to a better mouth feel for brews. But be sure in making use of the proteins for your home brews. Large amounts of proteins may also affect the clarity of the beers that you are making. For this reason it is recommended that these proteins should only be used with the darker beers or the cloudy drinks.
• The other trick in making the beer full bodied is by utilizing the right temperature. To be specific, a higher temperature should be selected during the process of mashing. When you use a higher temperature during this stage of home brewing, there will be a reduced effect of the beta amylase and as such there will be larger amounts of sugar in your beers. And finally;
• When you want to have a full bodied home brew, the recommendation by many is to use the low attenuation yeast strain. If you use this for home brewing, then this will only consume a small amount of complex sugar. And the end result will be a high final gravity- which means that home brew is more full bodied.
The suggested attenuation that can be considered should not go beyond 70 percent and higher than that can be problematic for the home brew.
Now in making your first batch of home brew, do consider all these four tips and you can never go wrong. At the end of the brewing session, you can definitely say to your friends that your brew can compete with the commercial ones.
