Making the case: Why brewing your own beer is easier than you thought

It is estimated that 750,000 people in the United States brew beer from the comfort of their own homes; a number that has been growing at a steady clip of nearly 20% a year for the past five years, according to the American Homebrewers Association.

“People think brewing your own beer requires this huge undertaking. And while it’s true that you certainly can go all out with it,” said Russ Phillips, co-author of TwinBeer.com, “getting started in homebrewing really is so much easier than people think.”

There are two different ways to brew your own beer, commonly known as “extract brewing” and “all-grain brewing.” If you are new to brewing or are concerned about your budget or the space needed to brew, extract brewing is the way to begin. Extract brewing takes up very little real estate — you can brew a full five gallon batch of extract beer on your kitchen stove; it is easy to get started — pick up a complete brewing starter kit and ingredients for your first batch of beer and be brewing this afternoon; it is quite cost effective — the starter kit and ingredients for your first brew should cost you only about $100.

“Extract brewing is a great way to get started in homebrewing because the beer can be brewed on your kitchen stove and can ferment within a few square feet of room temperature floor space,” explained Gary Glass, director of the American Homebrewers Association.

After you have been sufficiently bitten by the homebrewing bug and never plan on looking back, you may be ready to take the plunge into all-grain brewing. All-grain brewing, when compared to extract however, is much more labor intensive, takes up much more room and puts a bigger dent in your wallet. To get started in all-grain brewing, you will need to invest a few hundred dollars on the equipment alone and, due to the fumes from the open gas burner you will need to have running for many hours straight, you will need to brew either outside on the deck, or install a stove fume hood in your basement; certainly a hefty undertaking. Nevertheless, if these factors are not outside your realm of possibility, all-grain brewing will produce higher quality beer; give you the option to play around with more beer styles and ingredients; and will feel much more like the real brewing experience.

Another thing to consider is how you plan to serve all of the beer you have begun brewing. Many homebrewers quickly tire of bottling each batch of their brew and learn to keg their beer. While the initial investment for kegs, refrigeration and gas cylinders can be expensive — it is possible to find used five gallon draft systems for around $200 and full pre-built kegerators for around $400 — if you are going to go the distance to brew your own and install a home bar, there is nothing more impressive than inviting friends over for fresh draught homebrew during the big game.

If you are thinking of trying to brew your own beer, you are in luck. There are many stores nearby where you can pick up everything you need to get started, from ingredients to starter kits, brew kettles, all-grain equipment, instruction and recipe books and even kegging equipment. For only the basics, check out Axis Natural Food Store in Auburn; otherwise, visit The Hop Shop in Gray; Kennebec Home Brew Supplies in Farmington; and Maine Brewing Supply in Portland.

About the Author: Luke Livingston, 24, is a graduate of Edward Little High School and Clark University who now resides in Portland, Maine; he is a freelance writer, an avid homebrewer, beer geek and the author of Maine’s largest beer blog, www.BlogAboutBeer.com. Luke can be reached at [email protected].