BROWNSTONE MICRO BREWERY
Interested in beer brewing?
Are you interested in starting your own home brew? Here’s some things to note before you make your decision to get started!
HOME BREWED BEER
Pros
We’ve created a list below of some pros of brewing your own beer and the many benefits of producing your own home brew.
- You can make amazing beer specific to your own liking. When it comes to brewing your own beer there is a great amount of freedom and variety, from lager or ale to stouts and pilsners. View our unique selection of craft beers available at Brownstone Micro Brewery.
- Save money. If done right, making bulk beer at home can save you dollars per glass!
- You don’t need much equipment to get started. You can pick up a homebrew starter kit from your local brew supplies shop.
- You’ll discover a whole new community of passionate brewers which could develop into a whole new range of friends. Not to mention it’s a fun hobby too!
- Enjoy the health benefits of beer. Yes, you read that right! Naturally fermented beer contains high amounts of probiotics that can improve the number of good bacteria in the stomach.
- Satisfaction! There are a few steps involved but once you’ve perfected it the feeling is very satisfying…and you’re rewarded with a beer in the end!
HOME BREWED BEER
CONS
Although there are multiple pros of brewing your own beer, there are also a few cons you need to take into consideration.
- It can be dangerous. Probably not a word you’d expect to be associated with beer making but if not done right there can be some risks involved. The actual brew itself can make you unwell if your ingredient ratios are incorrect. Also, if the beer is bottled up too early before the fermentation process is entirely complete, this can cause over carbonation which can result in the glass beer bottles to explode due to the build-up of pressure.
- The whole process can be quite time consuming, and the most difficult part is waiting for your beer to come of age. From start to finish you’re looking at about 5 weeks! Although, the beer is drinkable after a few weeks, to meet the favourable flavour you will want to wait at least 5 weeks. We’ve broken down the timeline for brewing beer below:
- Brew Day: 4 to 4 1/2 Hours
- Primary Fermentation: 1 Week
- Secondary Fermentation: 2 Weeks
- Time in the Bottles: 2 Weeks to Max 1 Year
- Total Time from Brew Day to Drinking: 5 Weeks Minimum
- It might not taste very good. After all your hard work at the end of the day your beer might just not taste very nice. With practice comes perfect so don’t be disheartened if your first batch isn’t the winner. At almost every step of the brewing process, you could contaminate your beer, so it’s important to pay attention each step of the way.
- Cost of Ingredients. Aside from yeast, malt extract is the most expensive ingredient that you will need to buy in order to brew your own beer. Yes, if done right you can save money but if you have multiple failed attempts… it may not be the case.
- If you’re going to do it, do it in a big batch! Brewing a smaller batch of beer results in roughly the same time commitment as a larger batch. Steps like bottling and heating up the water may save you time, however the overall process won’t drastically vary in time.
If home brewing doesn’t sound like the right thing for you then maybe leave the brew making to the professionals and leave the brew drinking to you! Kick back and try out a few of our boutique house brewed craft beers at Brownstone Micro Brewery!
