DIY your next home brew with these expert tips!
During the pandemic, a lot of people discovered new hobbies to pass the time. While the sourdough trend got most of the attention, many people discovered another project: home brewing beer.
If you’ve ever tried brewing beer at home, you know it can range from fairly simple kits to a more elaborate (and pricey) DIY project. And for many beginners, they don’t know where to start.
We reached out to breweries all across the country and compiled this list of expert tips to help you learn how to brew beer at home.
1. Think beyond the kitchen
When brewing beer in your apartment, many renters probably immediately set up shop in or near the kitchen. Tom Young from Great Basin Brewing Company in Reno, NV, suggests a few other spots to consider:
“Place thermometers in corners and closets. Find spots that maintain ale temperatures at 65 to 70 (degrees Fahrenheit),” advises Young. “Lagers might be a winter-time project where cooler temperatures are needed. In a pinch, a bathtub or larger container partially filled with water may be a solution to keep the fermenting beer under control. You can always add a bit of cooler water to keep the fermentation temperature in check.”
2. Keep the temperature down with ice
“Fermentation temperature management is super crucial to making quality beer,” says Brian Morris, the Innovation Brewer at Deep Ellum Brewing Co. in Dallas, TX.
“Utilize yeast strains that are less susceptible to temperature fluctuations like certain Belgians or even the newer Kveik strains. You can also put your fermenter in a water bath and use frozen water bottles or ice packs to help keep the fermentation temperatures lower.”
3. Switch up your yeast
Depending on your setup, it’s hard to maintain the perfect temperature. Head brewer Nick Mesrobian from Roc Brewing Co. in Rochester, NY, has a simple solution:
“If temperate control is not possible, use more forgiving brewing yeast. Saison yeast and Kviek yeast are more forgiving yeast in fermentation with lack of temp control.”
4. Trust the process
Photo courtesy of Michael Oxton / Night Shift Brewing
You don’t have to brew a complex batch on your first try. Michael Oxton from Night Shift Brewing in Everett, MA, suggests starting simple and using the most basic recipe you can find.
“Get the minimum amount of needed equipment. Focus on process and sanitation. Don’t worry about how it comes out. Worry about how much you enjoy simply doing it. If the passion is there from the start, you’ll start upgrading quickly,” says Oxton. “Just be wary when the hobby takes over full rooms in your apartment. Suddenly, you own a brewery before you realize what happened.”
5. Go small with your full boil
Sterling Peet, the head brewer at Kettlerock Brewing in Peachtree Corners, GA, learned his craft homebrewing in limited spaces during college. He suggests this clever hack for making a mini-mash:
“Do a small volume mash boil by using only a portion of the water for your full boil. When the boil time is complete, cool down the boiling wort with cold tap water to make up the remainder of your total fermentation volume! Voila! You can use smaller pots and a smaller stove space.”
6. Invest in a good mash and boil
“The best tool for apartment brewing is an electric 2-in-1 system such as the mash and boil because it is both a mash tun, a kettle and powered by a regular wall outlet,” says Tyler Martell from Breakside Brewery in Portland, OR.
“To get the most bang for your buck from your grain (i.e. mash efficiency), mash rest for 30 minutes and then, recirculate an additional 30 minutes while maintaining mash rest temperature. To make cleaning after the brew day way easier, use a hop bag tied to the kettle handle to add your hop additions.”
7. Use a spunding valve when fermenting
Another piece of equipment essential for controlling fermentation temperatures comes from Mark Hurley from The Brew Hut in Aurora, CO:
“A creative and space-saving way to do that is to ferment under pressure using a spunding valve. These simple devices can be attached to a fermenter and serve as a way to brew ‘clean’ beer without taking up valuable space with a second fridge or other bulky gear.”
8. Don’t just set it and forget it
Brewing beer isn’t like throwing a brisket on a smoker. You need to pay careful attention to what you’re doing or you might make a huge mess.
Jack Hendler from Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, MA, says “The best advice I can give is honestly things NOT to do, based on missteps I took over the years — including do not overfill your fermenting jug because the yeast will explode everywhere. Don’t leave a brew unattended, otherwise, you may come back 10 minutes later to the entire mash drained out on the floor of your apartment. And be really really careful with glass equipment.”
9. Grow your own hops
Tom Waters from Backwoods Brewing Company in Carson, WA, has this solution that may help you cut down on your homebrewing costs:
“If you have the space, try growing some hops! Hops are very easy to grow and smell and look great. Plus, during harvest season, you can brew with them!”
10. Or, ask your local brewery for extras
If you don’t have a green thumb or the space to grow your own hops, you can try turning to the professionals.
Matt McCowan from Alter Brewing in Downers Grove, IL, advises home brewers to “Reach out to your local brewery for ingredients. We usually have tons of high-quality samples that will end up in the trash if not used.”
11. Don’t be afraid to fail
If at first, you don’t succeed, try again! Chances are your first batch isn’t going to go as planned. Don’t get discouraged and follow this advice from Justin at Five Boroughs Brewing Co. in Brooklyn, NY:
“Similar to cooking, brewing is an imperfect balance of science and shots in the dark. Regardless of how much you read up ahead of time, nothing will teach you more than just doing it and getting experience. Start small and don’t set your sights too high, prepare for the inevitable failures and enjoy the rewarding successes!”
Cheers!
You don’t need to live in one of America’s great beer cities to enjoy a cold one with your friends. In fact, the best beer in your town might be one that you homebrew yourself.
Listen to the experts about how to brew beer at home and you’ll be toasting to your success in no time.
Source: rent.com