Our Favorite Videos About Brewing & Beer
This page is continually improving.
This page is not intended as a sole source of information about homebrewing but as a general reference for those interested in learning basic homebrewing.
We have attempted to present the right amount of information in the best possible format, but this is not about creating a quick read, nor a tome.
Brew - Innovate - Enjoy - Repeat
On the History of Beer
Beer is considered the oldest human-produced fermented beverage in history. Some even consider it the catalyst for human invention. There are tons of books and articles published about the History of Beer. If you want to learn more, check out Wikipedia. For our purposes and to deal with any myths or concerns, we will cite 4 points.
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Beer making has been going on for much longer than stainless steel, plastics, or modern sanitation, starting as early as 5,000 years ago. If they can make beer back then and through the ages, you can make beer now.
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Beer making until the early 1800's was generally done in small batches at home and often by the matron of the house. Beer brewing for general consumption is relatively new. So, again, you can do this.
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Modern equipment and techniques, even at their most basic, allow you to brew a much better product with fewer issues, if you keep in mind a few basic things, which we will teach you here.
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Unlike wine, beer was considered a beverage for the "common man," so keep it simple and fun. If you are stressing about your beer, you are missing the point.

Common Myths about Homebrewing...
Busted!!
I need to buy a lot of fancy, expensive equipment: NO
Your first homebrewing kit should be under $250 and include a recipe kit ($40 value).
All the equipment can be used again for subsequent batches.
It pays for itself in about 3 batches.
I need a lot of space (because I need tons of gear): AGAIN NO
You are good if you have an area of about 2x2 feet, big enough for a 7-gallon bucket.
I need to understand a lot of fancy "beer" terms: NO
Impress your friends with your great beer, not your Scrabble scores. If you know how to boil, stir, and pour...you have the basics. Telling time and reading a recipe are also key skills.
I need to know chemistry: NO
Only if you want to be a chemist.
People have been making beer for centuries under some pretty "primitive" conditions. Learn about sanitation and a few basic concepts and you and your beer will be fine.
What if I do something wrong? No one will die!
Those "sour beers" everyone is raving about, they are essentially "funky tasting" beer (aka "skunked" beer), from bacteria or mold infecting the beer during fermentation. With "sour beers," they introduce the bacteria on purpose. You would likely get yours due to sanitation issues. It may look/taste bad, but it is the same mold that grows on bread and is the basis for penicillin.
I'll get in trouble with Alcoholic Beverage Contro (ABC)l! NO
Well, unless you break one of 3 simple rules!
ABC is not concerned with small-batch homebrewers if they follow these simple rules. It is when the homebrewer stops following the rules, that ABC gets concerned.
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Do not make more than 200 gallons/yr for a household of 2 adults (that is a lot of beer)
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Do not sell or distribute your beer (aka make no $$ from it)
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Do not give it to anyone <21
If you want to get ahead of the ABC, DO the following, especially if you're in CA or NY:
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Keep a record of your brewing (brewing app or even just a notebook.)
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Make labels that include: beer name, ABV%, date brewed, date bottled, and location brewed
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If operating a kegerator or serving area, make a sign that says: "Only the host can pour beer. Note: Homebrewed beer is not regulated or .......
See our ABC section for all the fine print, legislation, and details.

Beer's Four Basic Ingredients...

WATER
How's the
water?
Beer, like people, is 98% water. So ensuring the highest quality water is key.
We are lucky here in the SF Bay Area, we have extremely pure water that contains the right chemical levels to produce excellent beer without major intervention, sometimes with water right out of the tap.
Note:
You might want to test your local water source. Avoid old corroded pipes and check the requirements of the beer you are making, too. Also avoid using distilled water, since it lacks key chemicals that beer needs to taste correct.

MALT
Where's my
sugar?
Malt's sole purpose is to provide simple sugars for the yeast to ferment into alcohol. It also imparts color and body.
Malt comes from grains that are harvested and then soaked, causing the grain to start to germinate (sprout). Shortly after starting to germinate, the germination is stopped short. The barely sprouted grain is then dried, creating a basic malt. This malt is then toasted in a kiln, like roasting coffee. The longer the grain is toasted, the darker it becomes and the deeper the color and flavor of the beer. Like coffee, malt has a "toast" scale (Lovibond), which tells you the color it will give the beer and the amount of residual sugar in the malt.
Note:
Changing the malt will change the color, taste, and amount of alcohol in your beer.
If you're in Alameda, CA, check out Admiral Maltings, one of a few floor malting facilities in the US. They give tours, sell small-batch grain, and have a tasting room. Check them out.
HOPS

Where's my bitterness?
Hops are about bitterness and aroma. They come in thousands of varietals and the varietal as well as how it is used in the brewing process determines the impact on the taste and smell of the beer.
IBUs (International Bittering Units) are the measure of the amount of bitterness (0-170) in a beer that is caused by the hops. Most beers are between 5-120. Each hop varietal has its own IBU. Like the Lovibond scale, this will tell you how bitter the hop will make your beer if it is added at the correct time in the recipe.
Check your recipe and follow the prescribed timing, it is important.
Hops added in the first 30+ mins of the boil are for bittering since more hop oils will be dissolved into the beer. Whereas, hops added in the last 0-15 mins are about aroma, since the oils do not dissolve, but remain more pungent.
Adding more hops after the "boil" is complete or leaving them in the beer for longer periods, will increase the bitterness of the beer. This is called dry-hopping and is the method of creating any IPA.
Note: Hops are in the same family as the marijuana plant.
YEAST

Where's my alcohol?
Yeast does all the real work. There is a saying: "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer." And it's true.
During fermentation, yeast consumes the malt-derived sugars and metabolizes them into CO2 and alcohol. The alcohol is trapped in the fermenting solution (aka beer), whereas the CO2 is allowed to vent off through an airlock.
Yeast comes in many different names and varieties, but only two types:
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ale yeasts (brighter taste with lower alcohol yield)
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lager yeasts (stronger taste with higher alcohol yields).
The amount of alcohol or ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is a calculated percentage, derived from taking 2 measurements and some basic division.
Experimenting with different types of yeasts can yield lots of different resulting beers.
Note:
If you find a yeast you like, try it on different recipes. Mastering the yeast is key to repetition and therefore, quality.
As we say: If you can read a recipe, tell time, boil water, and stir a pot, you can make good beer. If you have patience, you can make great beer!!