Mr. Brown can Brew can You?

My primary fermentation
(6 gallon conical fermenter)

A 6 gallon glass carboy
used for secondary fermentation

I think everyone has the ability to brew a fine ale, even Dr. Seuss.  About two years ago I took up the hobby of home-brewing.  I had been interested for years but became inspired after meeting a coworker's husband who had been doing it for a while (Thanks Jason).  After “assisting” him with a batch I got the feel of it and tried my own.  In actuality, I sat around drinking beer while watching him scramble around the kitchen with his brewing equipment.  The process is incredibly simple and takes only a couple of hours of your time.  The initial investment into equipment can be as small as a 5 gallon bucket with lid, simple plastic tubing, a large kitchen pot and refillable bottles, though most people will quickly upgrade after starting.  There are hundreds of little things you can do to improve your brew along with a plethora of ingredient additives to make your brew unique.  There are different yeasts, grains, hop varieties and malt extracts that can be used in various combinations.  The possibilities are nearly limitless.  If however, you are slightly less adventurous, there are pre-made kits and recipes at nearly every homebrew supply store.  I normally work from a kit, though I do sometimes venture out on an experiment or two.

There are numerous websites and books about home brewing and rather than bore you with details, here is a link for the basics written far better than I ever could (see link).  Most brewing kits have step-by-step instructions and every home brew supply store that I have ever been to has always been helpful with any questions I have had.

I’ll include some pictures of my brewing equipment.  Stay tuned for reviews of my upcoming pumpkin brew That we just bottled.

Me bottling beer and reusing a Corona bottle

My capper. Works excellent.