Hey Everyone! So I'm really interested in starting to brew my own beer, but I have a bunch of questions and would greatly appreciate everyone's tips on how to get started. What was the first beer you attempted brewing? any critical suggestions for my first time brewing? (I know sanitation is a HUGE point of importance). Any and all help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
This is from this year so far. http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/recomended-materials-for-beginners.72840/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/homebrew-novice.79446/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/just-another-noob-recipe-recommendations.78667/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/want-to-get-into-homebrewing-what-to-get-and-tips.76666/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/homebrewing-where-to-start.70838/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/absolute-noob-here.56172/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/how-do-i-start-homebrewing.62630/#post-853379 http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/absolute-beginner.22189/ http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...ewing-where-to-shop-online.49108/#post-632027 http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/start-up-cost-for-home-brewing.43242/#post-544831 http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/best-beer-to-brew-for-a-first-timer.82162/#post-1228253tt http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/first-attempt-at-homebrew.103200/#post-1513648 http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/help-a-noob.102983/ Read: How to Brew, by John Palmer http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html If you are still interested, then buy the book. Usually it is the other way around, but the book is more up to date than the site. Also check out The Joy of Homebrewing. Beer advocate also has a decent search feature for whatever else you are looking for Or you can just post a question on the forum. Then when you are ready for recipe info: Listen for free to The Brewing Network's Jamil Show podcasts on iTunes. They are broken down by style, but they all have good information in them. Some of the shows are much more than just style guidelines and recipe information. You can buy the book "brewing Classic Styles" by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer Then if you need more in depth information there is also: Brew Strong podcasts for free on iTunes A subscription to Zymurgy and/or Brew Your Own magazine
Read "How to Brew". I just got into home brewing last year and that book is awesome, and will save you from mistakes. As far as brewing tips: 1) if you can boil down to your final beer amount vs adding water to your wort later. 2) pinch enough yeast. Whether making a yeast starter, or two packs of yeast. 3) keep track of your gravity with a hydrometer 4) take lots of notes and have fun! It's a great hobby and its very fun when you drink your own beer! Good luck feel free to bm me with any questions. I'm no expert but I have done several successful batches.
I did a Black Butte clone for my first one. I would suggest to use a kit/clone recipe first so you can focus on the steps you need to take rather than recipe formulation. Start with classic styles rather than sours or a RIS aged on cherries. Any question you have has been asked already. If you have a question google it and a ton of info will pop up. Don't get impatient, relax. If the beer looks funny/weird don't panic. It is most likely ok. Pay attention and take notes. Most importantly: HAVE FUN!!
Lots of recent stuff on this topic, read the links scurvy311's suggests above. I haven't posted in the others, so I will throw something out on this one. Don't try to do your brewday mid week after dinner. Find a Saturday when you have the whole day off, no plans, no one coming over for dinner. Start in the morning and if you finish in 3 hours, great, 5 hours fine, 8 hours you still got it done. Having never brewed before you will be all over the place, and it can easily drag out forever. I thought I could do my 2nd brew after work one night until it went a lot longer than brew #1 and I was up past midnight. Had another batch go wrong on all levels on a much later batch of Brown Ale and was up until after midnight again. Good luck.
I keep adding the most recent post to the list. It is starting to look like I am being "dickish", but every time these come up someone adds something new and great. I could reference jbakajust1 in this one. It's great to know that. I got caught after school one day early on. That's something I would have liked to know 13 years ago.
I hear ya. Brewday frequently takes 5+ hours, but now that I'm all grain, it essentially NEVER takes less than four. I've had them run as long as 8 hours when things didn't go well. And yes, every thread in your list has contained a lot of good info. It's not dickish to quote any or all of those past threads.
