Want to make my own beer?!
How to make a fruit beer for personal use, where to buy high grade yeast to make the alcohol.
I am legal age, I have a hobby for beer tasting ( Find the best beer!)
And this is all for personal use and with friends, which I think is legal from where I live if I don't distill the drink to add alcohol rating. My goal is GOOD tasting beer, not high alcohol rating beer, something we can enjoy around a fireplace.
I want Qaulity
Answers:
As suggested, go to your friendly neighborhood brewing supply store. They'll have everything you need to get brewing, often as a package deal. If there is no store nearby use an online store (Northern Brewer is very good). If there is a homebrewing club nearby, join it; you'll meet lots of people who can help you out and who share your love of beer.
My tips to get started:
1. Get a copy of John Palmer's "How to Brew". It will walk you through everything that you are going to need. Don't buy your equipment or ingredients until you've read through it.
2. Start with "extract" recipes (as opposed to "all-grain"). In the beginning you want to learn how to make beer, not create the next Sam Adams Longshot. Learn your process with a couple of straightforward batches.
3. The most important thing to concentrate on is Sanitation. Clean everything that will come in contact with your beer (I use PBW), rinse it, then sanitize it (I use StarSan). 2 steps. Always.
4. The second most important thing is fermentation. As you start learning more about brewing, focus on fermentation temperature control and yeast pitching rates.
5. When you're ready to start experimenting, get a copy of Ray Daniels' "Designing Great Beers" It will give you insight into the effects of various ingredients.
6. Listen to Brew Strong on the Brewing Network. It's a very informative show dedicated to making us better brewers. Past shows are available as podcasts and are definitely worth listening to.
Have fun! It's a great hobby!
Go to a brewer store that sells all of that. They'll have books, food grade buckets and all the information you'll need there. I make my own beer once in awhile, always turns out really well AND has a really high alcohol content.
