Home Brew: How to get started

I have been asked by friends and colleagues how to get started home brewing.  The simplicity of it all may surprise you.  Here are the basic, and I mean very basic, steps to take if you would like to start into this venture of home brewing.  I will expand on each of these steps, and add some more complicated ones, in later posts, but this should provide you with a place to get started.

One of Denver's finest home brew stores

1.  Find a good, local home brew store.  An easy place to start is by doing a Google Maps search of 'home brewing supplies.'  This should bring up a couple different stores in your local area.  The store that I personally use is The Brew Hut.  Read some reviews, take a trip to the store or ask some local brewers for suggestions.  It pays to find a well stocked store that is both friendly and helpful.

The very basic of kits

2.  Buy the initial set up.  If you are just starting, there are prepackaged kits that will include everything from a primary (used for the initial fermentation) to a bottle capper.  These typically run in the $100 range and can be purchased from your local store or online.  You can easily spend $500 on a 'basic' setup if you would like to purchase glass carboys and nicer equipment, it all depends on what your budget is.  Make sure you have a decent 20 quart (at least) pot at home for the brewing process.  It's always best if you have a pot that you only use for your wort, but if you are just starting and are not too serious about maximizing flavor, you can get away with that soup pot under the sink.

A sample of an ingredient kit

3.  Buy the ingredients.  For your first brew I would keep this as simple as possible.  Many stores have prepackaged kits that will include all the ingredients and the directions for making the brew.  I would suggest staying away from lagers at first because they are a little more difficult than ales.  Choose a style that you know you will enjoy and have some experience with.  If you have been a fan of ales, then go with an ale.  This will provide you with a chance to compare home brews to commercial brews.

A home brew in the process of fermenting

4.  Create your brew.  Follow the directions for the materials you bought, wait a couple weeks, and enjoy!  A typical 5 gal batch will produce somewhere around 45 bottles (12 oz) of beer.  There is always some waste throughout the brewing process so won't get a full 5 gallons, but you can get pretty close if you are careful (and like yeast).

Enjoy your delicious creation

Home brewing is a fairly simple process in itself.  There really are not too many steps involved for a basic brew, and the results may just surprise you.  I would like to add two notes to the brewing process.  The first is most important:  Sanitize!  Make sure you buy a good sanitizer and use it.  If you aren't sure about something, then sanitize it again.  The second is to bring a friend.  There are certain steps of the brewing process that are much easier if you have some help.

I hope you enjoy!

- Colorado Brewer

P.S.  Don't forget to pick up some beer to drink when you are brewing! SANITIZE!

Coming up: Tour de Fat: Denver, Colorado

Tour de Fat is coming to Denver, Colorado this weekend, Saturday September 11th!  Probably the most fun you will ever have at a free event, though donations are encouraged.  With 13 stops throughout the country the Tour de Fat is an amazing event hosted by the New Belgium Brewing Company (based out of Fort Collins, Colorado).  This all day event will take place at the City Park in downtown Denver.  For more details check out New Belgium's site.

For those new to the Tour, the first thing to know is that the Tour was created to promote the healthy living practice of bike riding!  Though there will be beer, the main focus is on having fun while being healthy.  Bring your favorite bike (or rent one if you're behind the times) and dress up as... while... anything you want (disclaimer: this is a family event and costumes should probably be appropriate).

Throughout the day you will be provided with just the right amount of beer to keep you moving.  This isn't a get as wasted as you can event, its a come support healthy living, drink some beer and have fun while doing it.  With New Belgium, one of the top micro breweries in the country, you can be sure to have quality refreshments for all different taste buds.

If you are a Denver resident and enjoy bike events, be sure to check out Bike Denver's site for other news and events.  Hope to see you there!

- Colorado Brewer

Beer Festivals. What to know before you go.

To those new to beer festivals, or even those with experience, there are some tips and tricks that you can use to make your time tasting some of the best brews in the world more enjoyable (though that may be hard to believe).  Here are a couple ideas for you to try out at your next festival, such as the Great American Beer Festival!  Please, check the rules and regulations of your particular beer festival before you plan, though many festivals are similar, some may not allow certain things.

Eat before you go.  This may sound like common sense to some people, or complete blasphemy to others, but I find it to be a great idea.  This will help you to taste as many beers as possible instead of just pounding down as many one ounce cups as you can.  If your just going for some fun and would like to pound those ouncers, I have never been to a beer festival where someone was not able to drink to their hearts content.  Besides, I don't know anyone who likes paying $5.00 for a hot dog.

Pretzel Necklace.  Bring one, they are a must have.  A good pretzel necklace is invaluable, unless you don't like pretzels, then I would suggest using mini donuts or something along those lines.  When I make them I use normal sized pretzels; these seem to be the easiest to eat and they keep the necklace light  Since you ate before you left, these will be a great snack throughout the event.

Can on a necklace.  Though not necessary I have found this to be a fun and sometimes useful accessory.  Just take your favorite can of beer, remove the top and string!  This new accessory may provide a great place for your tasting cup (depending on the beer festival), cigarettes, cell phone or other small item.

Wet hand wipes.  These may or may not be helpful depending on the venue of the festival.  Most festivals provide cup rinse stations and full bathrooms for clean up.  Throughout the day or night beer will, unfortunately, spill and your tasting cup will become sticky.  Since the rinse stations and bathrooms can be hard to find or difficult to get to just to clean your cup, the hand wipes are a great backup.  Sometimes a quick wipe can take care of the little detail that makes a world of difference.

I hope you enjoy these simple and easy ideas, I will see you at the next festival; and please remember, don't drink and drive.

- Colorado Brewer

Great American Beer Festival!

What better topic for a first posting than the holy grail of all beer festivals, the GABF (that's 'Great American Beer Festival' if your a little slow). I will admit that last year (2009) was the first time that I have had the privilege of attending this most excellent event, and there is no real way for me to describe it.  The hundreds of breweries represented, the thousands of brews being poured off taps, the tens of thousands of people converging on the rare and hard to find brews.  It truly is a magical place, and this year is looking to be even better than last!  Check them out here: GABF for more information.

Hope to see you there!

- Colorado Brewer

Brew lovers (and likers) welcome!

Colorado Brewer here! I am starting this blog to share my brew experiences with you. Living in Colorado for the last 10 years; touring and tasting many different brews, I want to share my experiences. I started home brewing in 2007 to provide myself and friends with some new and unique brews. From brewery tours to the best brews available to tips and tricks with your own home brewing, I will bring the information to you and hopefully be able to suggest some new and interesting ideas.

I hope you enjoy my blog here, and if you have any questions, please to not hesitate to post a comment!