Like the vast majority of new homebrewers, I was wearing blinkers, and I had my best set of rosy-tinted glasses on. All I wanted to do was make my own beer at home, so I started watching how the experts did it on YouTube. ‘How hard can it be?’ I thought to myself, ‘If they can do it, then so can I’. And yes, homebrewing can be very simple depending on what method you are using. But on the flip side for those using more advanced methods, it can be extremely complex. So today I’m going to go through the top 5 things I wish I’d known before I decided to get into home brewing.
#5 — The Pain Of Bottling
It wasn’t always this way, in the early days I used to find it somewhat therapeutic. But as the years have worn on and my body is not as supple and flexible as it once was it has become more of a chore and frankly a real killer of joy when it comes to racking the beer. So what are the alternatives?
Mini-Kegs — In the past I have used these 5L mini-kegs and they are great when you need to move your brew to a party or picnic, just fit it with a 16g gas bulb, there are several different models some come with a ball-lock cap and dip tube and can be dispensed through a ultratap beer tap, keg picnic tap or Pluto gun tap as well as other options.
Kegging — Kegging can be a game-changer and it is relatively simple to set up. It takes a fraction of the time to wash, sanitize and fill than bottling. Not to mention you can condition in the keg as well a more consistent carbonation level than bottling as well as far less chance of oxidation.
Canning — The procedure is fairly similar to bottling, with the exception that you seal the container with a Can Seamer and Lid rather than a Bottle Capper and Crown Cap. Simply fill the sanitized can with your finished beer, attach and seam the lid, and then purge the can with CO2.
#4 — Infections/Off-Flavours
Beer can get infected? Unfortunately, when I started brewing I never knew this was even a thing. ‘Isn’t this just the way it’s supposed to taste?’ I would convince myself it was nothing and ‘just the way homebrew tastes’. But unbeknownst to me my first few batches were either infected or were suffering from a variety of off-flavors
Phenols — Described as a kind of mix between band-aids and medicinal-type flavors. Phenols are created in beer by several causes, including certain strains of yeast/poor sanitation practices/sparging too hot, and even some chlorine-based sanitizers.
Fusel Alcohols — Sometimes when beer is fermented slightly too warm than what is ideal, it can produce what we term as ‘fusel alcohols’ which in a nutshell are longer chain alcohols that form in more humid environments. This flavour in the beer can sometimes but not always be eliminated with aging.
Diacetyl — Ever poured a beer, took a sip and thought to yourself ‘Why does this beer taste like pop-corn?’ A by-product of fermentation is diacetyl. It is produced and cleaned up by the yeast. Because yeast produces more during the beginning of fermentation, more diacetyl will be created during slow-starting fermentations. This means that a long start will result in a lot of production, which may be too much for the yeast to process.
For more information about this. Check out my 4-part series from 2021 about Homebrewing off-flavours
#3 — Sanitation
My first ever homebrew was an apple cider with store-bought apple juice, fermented inside an old 2.25L coke bottle, and an entire 7g packet of generic beer yeast (you can just imagine the trub). Zero sanitation was used and not surprisingly it got infected.
Not that I was aware and proudly showed off my first batch of ‘cider’ to anyone that would listen. Thank Fuck nobody actually tried any! Because we are (in the vast majority of cases) not operating in a sterile environment, the opportunity for contamination to take hold is very real, and as such sanitation is essential, as well as sanitizing your brewing gear.
The more overlooked aspect may be changing the brewing gear itself, as after a while equipment such as brew buckets, racking canes, stirring spoons, etc. can harbor dirt and grime and begin to look faded, this is a sure sign it’s time to invest in some new gear.
I go into this subject in a little more depth, check out the video here
#2 — (This one might seem a little odd, but…) Brewers Block — WTF is Brewers Block? Sounds like a 12-step alcohol withdrawal recovery community. But, No. You’d be wrong. Brewers Block is when you seem to have lost your passion for brewing and decide to step away from the hobby for a while, for whatever reason or perhaps life just gets in the way. As a dad and someone who works full-time with a mortgage and bills to pay, sometimes brew days can be few and far between and your enthusiasm for the hobby begins to wane. Luckily for me, it’s only ever been temporary.
#1 — Brewing Can Get Expensive!
Don’t get me wrong, it really isn’t that expensive to get started brewing your own beer at home. At a fundamental level you only really need 3 pieces of kit. A brew kettle, A fermentation vessel, and some bottles to put the beer into. But when you’ve been brewing for a while your Appetite For Fermentation can take off like a freight train.
Controlled Fermentation — Inkbirds, STC-1000s, Heat-Belts, RAPT temperature controllers the list goes on and on. The price can vary from relatively cheap to pretty expensive (SS Brewtech Glycol Chiller, I’m looking at you)
Kegging Equipment — There is more to kegging than just kegs, taps/towers and their accessories. Connectors, keg parts, disconnectors, couplings, co2 accessories are all a part of making your kegging set-up work
Brewing Equipment — As you progress in your homebrewing, you will more than likely want to step up your game. Be it a step-up in method (ie: all grain) which inevitably means a set-up in brewing equipment. With the introduction of all-in-one brewing systems such as the Grainfather, Brewmeister, and Robobrew/Brewzilla. The commercial brewing scene has effectively found its way into people’s homes, no more do people need to go from mashing pot/mash tun, to boiling kettle to fermenter. It’s now all done in one vessel.
Are you thinking about making your own beer, wine, and cider at home? Check out my YouTube channel and our FaceBook group and find out how!
Hi! My name is Mike, I create content for my two YouTube Channels and two FaceBook Groups. I’m a freelance writer, blog, and vlog creator. I’m passionate about homebrewing as well as writing for a large audience. If you enjoy my content and need an article/blog/press release or whatever. Come and check me out at Fiverr and Upwork!
