A Brand New Flavor

Home brewing beer is a science. To get it right you need to be scientific in your approach, and it is often noted that science isn’t all about knowing everything. In fact, science by its very definition is about the fact that we do not, and cannot, know everything so we have to settle for finding out everything that we can and applying that knowledge as best we can. And that can be applied to home brewing, because brewing is a process that ensures you learn something new every time. The moment you stop learning is the moment it becomes a chore.

The brewing of flavored beers is a popular way to make home brewing more interesting. If you have never tasted a flavored beer, maybe now is the time to give it a go and see how enjoyable it can be – some of the more popular ones on the market are Belgian fruit beers which contain elements of cherry and raspberry. Technically, however, there are few limits to the fruits that you can add in the brewing process, and the effects that they can have on the taste.

That’s not to say that it will all be good. You have to make sure that what you are adding goes in at the right time, is added in the right form, and does not conflict with the other ingredients you have added. Finding the right mix is something that may take more than a few attempts. It’s not just a matter of trying new fruit flavors, either. The addition of spices or of other ingredients can turn out a fantastic beer, so it is worth continuing to experiment with different additions and seeing where they take you.

Tags: right time, home brewing beer, fruit flavors, All you need to know, Food and drink, A Brand New

It’s Not Just About Beer

The words “home brewing” send just about every mind off in the same direction. Beer, and probably fairly dark beer at that. But variety in home brewing isn’t just about making a drinkable lager, or amping up the darkness and producing a stout. In reality, there is a lot more you could be doing if you are prepared to diversify your portfolio (and, in some cases, invest in more equipment). It might not be advisable to try making hard liquor (the margin of error is narrower and getting it wrong could blind you) but there is more you can do.

A good change-up from beer is cider. It is, of course, an entirely different drink and some of the ingredients are completely changed. The most obvious is the central ingredient. Beer is made with hops, cider is usually made with apples. And indeed, for your first few efforts you should not make cider with anything else. Get the hang of apples and you can then look at brewing more interesting ciders – there is a fashion in a few countries right now for pear cider (otherwise known as “perry”), as well as other, sweeter flavors.

If you fancy an even bigger change, then it is possible to make wine at home too. Indeed, this is a pretty common practice in France. Even some of the wines on sale in stores close to you were not made from grapes grown in a giant vineyard – some of them are from true family businesses in California, France and elsewhere. Obviously, the fresher the grapes the more delicate the wine will be – but if you can grow your own or find good fresh ones nearby it is worth the effort.

Tags: Quebec cider, Food and drink, pear cider, Home Breewing Tips, Hospitality Recreation, true family

The Advantages Of Brewing At Home

There is an impression in many people’s minds that factory conditions are necessary in order to make something as complicated as beer. It is true that brewing a beer is not like cooking a meal – the skills involved in both overlap, but there are plenty of people who can do either one of the above, but are useless at the other. But factory conditions are not necessary, and you can brew your own beer at home and produce something worth drinking. Indeed, some of the more critically acclaimed beers available commercially were brewed in something that equates to a garden shed.

The advantage that home brewing has over purchasing ready-made beer commercially is that you are not limited by the choice on the shelves in front of you. Do you want this batch to be just a little darker? Do you want to flavor the next one? What flavor – banana? Plum? Apricot? Once you have the equipment, the world of beers opens up in front of you and you can be as bold or as conservative as you like.

Home brewing is not easy, and the chances are that even with a lot of preparation your first batch will be pretty close to rancid. Don’t despair if that is the case, the chances are that one of the many steps involved went a little bit wrong somehow. Retrace your steps and see if there was something you forgot. Try and work out what you can do next time to make sure it is right. Be a little more ambitious every time and before long, you will be producing beer that is the equal of, and then better than, that sold in any bar.

Tags: Food and drink, Hospitality Recreation, home brewing, little bit, Home Breewing Tips, American-style lager