Hey guys! I've been a huge craft beer drinker for about 6 years now and I'm really interested in Home Brewing. I'm trying to learn more about the craft behind craft beers and eventually down the road maybe try to open up a business. Any thoughts of what books to start reading? I also was thinking of taking a Brewers class at American Brewers Guild, If you have any opinions on that too that would be much appreciated! I'm all about learning and I'm open to all what anyone has to say! Cheers! And thanks again! - Greg
"How to Brew" by John Palmer is a good book to start with. It covers almost everything that you need to know to get started with brewing. Some topics are covered in more detail than others. There definitely is tons more to learn once you read his book, but it will get you to more or less understand how to make good beer without getting all scientific about it (it has it's share of that too, however). Other than that, there are plenty of great resources out there. BYO magazine and Zymurgy magazine are both informative. A quick google search will also pull up a bunch of web resources such as blogs and forums. As for taking a course in brewing. What's your intention behind starting to brew? Hobby? Possible career? If it's just a hobby then I wouldn't go through a program unless you have both money and time to waste. If you are looking for a career then finishing a reputable program is a must unless you have professional brewery experience. Taking a single class might be worthwhile for a hobbyist, but a full program in brewing is overkill unless you are rich with a bunch of time on your hands.
Crafting beer at home isn't like baking or cooking so much, not that you said that but I hear a lot of people equate it to such things. Homebrewing, imo, is because you love the art of making what you love, it is your baby, every new and repeat batch is exciting because you look forward to enjoying and sharing your baby with friends and the world, friendly competition with other homebrewers and maybe the world. Its about learning and sharing. Every subtle nuance in your favorite beer was placed there by the brew master for you and a lot of them get excited when you pick out those little difference that makes their beer stand out among the fray. You'll be able to feel that joy when your friends wait weeks maybe months or years for your batches of fresh brew to produce and you'll be proud to have been a part of that because they easily could have gone elsewhere. Have fun with it above all else and remember to make mistakes because it's the only way to learn, business comes later. Again just my opinion but i hope it rocks your world as it did mine.
That, and my wife doesn't give me a hard time for hanging around on my front porch drinking beer all day on a brew day
Thanks for the link and the post Beer_Stan! Thinking about starting to home brew and just being able to go through the process is getting me excited to start! Thanks for your reply sczaplicki! I'm looking eventually down the road to open a local brewery, but haven'y thought much of it since I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. I do have money from the Army to take classes, so I might take the classes anyways, just wanted to get different opinions about it and to see if anyone else has taken classes
Welcome to the home brew club! There are some good books out there, but for me, nothing is better than homebrewtalk.com Great community of beer brewers and drinkers.
It's really a great book. It was the first book I bought and read when I started brewing. I've read the whole book twice and I still refer back to it sometimes. The author has made the first edition free to read and print online. Here's the URL - http://www.howtobrew.com/
Just a heads up to OP that while most of the stuff in the free online edition is good to get you started, a decent portion is outdated and corrected in future editions. Not trying to discourage you from checking it out, but just letting you know in advance. It's still a good resource nonetheless and it's what I used before I bought the current edition.
Also, I forgot to mention, Brewstrong Podcasts by the Brewing Network are probably one of the best current resources out there. They even did quite a few episodes on opening your own brewery.
"How to Brew" online is a great starter, but as another reply mentioned has been updated in print editions. I also keep Papazian's "Joy of Homebrewing" handy-it's a great bathroom reader. When it comes down to it, get a little background information and then just take the plunge. Mucking around with a basic kit will teach you a ton, and you'll either end up with a surprisingly good beer or a pretty good story.
Learn to make top quality beers consistently. Then think about working in a brewery to see how beer is made in that setting. Then think about a brewery of your own. If you can't wait that many years, hire an experienced pro brewer.
Thanks for all your posts guys! I actually just found a brewing supply store close to my apartment. I'll be starting with a Brewers Kit and I also got the book The Complete Joy of Home Brewing 3rd Edition. Also signed up for Home Brew Talk! Cheers!
