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Running beertaps.com has been an interesting ride that was more involved than I thought it would be. But, it has been fun. Each new challenge has presented an interesting and useful solution.
For instance, when I was asked about the kegerator a customer just purchased, I realized that there probably are more people out there who have the same questions. So, I wrote a report and published it on the site. Then, I wrote an article to let everyone know that I wrote the report.
That’s about the time the second question came in about keeping beer lines clean. Then, about home brew recipes. So, I kept writing reports to help people and I kept writing articles to make people more aware.
It started out as a big gaggle of reports that I finally organized into a Learning Center that is now populated with great stuff. From Home Brew Tips and Tricks to DIY Home Bar Projects, I keep adding to the learning center. But, I’m always willing to hear what you want to know. I have a form for questions at http://www.beertaps.com/contact.html
But, the recent interactive is the forum I created. It’s easier than a report to write a simple answer. Some answers aren’t as involved as putting an entire article together with pictures and everything. So, I populated the forum with a few items. But, it’s new.
I’d love to see some people on there soon. Start some topics and get some feedback. How else do you expect a forum to get started?
http://brewdrinker.com/thepub/
Hope to see you there!
Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago. Add a comment
With all the right tools, equipment, supplies, hops, and tidbits included in homebrew kits… they are perfect for people to start brewing their own beer from the comfort of their own home. When starting out, you just want to first get to a point of brewing good tasting beer, and you can’t go wrong with a kit.
Before you go and run out to buy yourself a homebrew kit, you will need to consider your needs. So how much beer do you want to brew? How technical do you want to get? What flavored beer do you want? Etc… Then once you decide on all the important things, you will need a home beer brewing guide to teach you the essentials because quiet simply, the instructions that come with homebrew kits are useless at best. Then once you are well informed, it’s time to buy your kit, clean your equipment, brew your beer, and then drink it (in simple terms).
When you buy a brew kit, you can buy a variety of extracts and ingredients to get different flavors and aromas. At first it is advisable to stick to the basics, and then as you get more experienced, you may start to clone your favorite commercial beers, and even invent your own unique brew.
If you don’t think the all-extract kit is challenging enough for you or you suddenly feel the monotony of your beer, you could up your hobby to another level by getting a partial mash kit. Here, other grains are added throughout the processing stage and other materials are added to your kit. But this is where you would really learn to value your creation. Of course, the all-extract kit is still a personal creation but as you have nothing to do with the formulation, you can’t really call your beer your own. You would still taste the brand of the company that sold you your kit. But with the partial mash, you can start to pretend that you’re the first to discover your recipe, because in actuality you are.
The hops are what determine the bitterness of your brew. You can then add the hops later in intervals to give your mix the difference from your neighbor’s – who also has an all-extract kit – beer. To give you a better ambiance while pouring youself a drink, some kits even have a keg system instead of the usual bottles.
It doesn’t matter how far you want to take your home beer brewing hobby, but it is important to start with homebrew kits to get the hang off things as you learn. Take it one step at a time and before you know it, you will be brewing world class, award winning beer from the convenience of your home or garage, or wherever you choose to stage your home brewery.
Homebrew kits will help you get started and become proficient at brewing beer at home. Luke Porter is an enthusiast brewer who is happy to share the in’s and out’s of brewing kits available on the market today.
Posted 8 months, 4 weeks ago. Add a comment
At first, home beer brewing was illegal in America, before the laws changed and made America one of the top producing beer countries on the 90’s… and now we see the decline once again with the tough economic times forcing many companies out of business and into bankruptcy. This has of course led to more and more people drinking to drown their sorrows, so to speak, but many more are actually turning this lust for beer into a productive past time by starting their own home brewery… and what a way to go!
As was mentioned, American home brewing has been very flexible through time. Back in the old America, home brewing was already a part of colonial lives. Even famous personalities such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were home brew aficionados.
However, there was a time of prohibition that was devastating to the American population. Prohibition meant that it was illegal to brew your own beer, and heavy fines where placed on people who broke this law… and what a shame that was… some people even went to prison for having a home brewery! Can you imagine a life without beer? Everybody had to content with a watered down lifeless beer – well not really beer but something which was a very poor substitute for it. Nothing substantially alcoholic was allowed and few took efforts in making their drinks less alcoholic but tasty. Unfortunately the American people had to suffice and deal with prohibition. This then led to shop owners renaming all equipment so it couldn’t be associated with running home brewery and started selling it on the sly to hardcore supporters of brewing beer at home. This was quiet easy because the equipment is fairly standard, including buckets, hosing, pots, pans, and other tidbits. The situation varied from state to state. In some states, only those selling home brews were caught while in some, brewing for personal consumption also meant facing legal charges. Good thing those laws have been since relaxed and prohibition has truly been and gone!
In 1935, the law was improvised a bit. Home wine making was allowed without taxes but to brew beer, the interested party must first secure permits and comply with regulations. But despite the heavy regulations, some beer advocates pooled their efforts to promote home brewing. One of the greats in the field, Charlie Papazian first entered the scenario during this time and taught home brewing classes. However, government maintained that unregulated home brewing was still unlawful as any type of brewing could still be employed by moonshiners.
But thankfully, in 1978, Jimmy Carter rescued the doomed souls of beer loving Americans and signed Senate Amendment 3534 allowing households to brew their own beer as long as they don’t go beyond 200 gallons a year. After the lifting of the prohibition on alcoholic beverages, it was home brew beer enthusiasts who worked hard to revive the brewing industry. Today, there are over 1,463 breweries in the United States, a much improved American home brewing state.
American Home Brewing is happening and booming today, so naturally it’s time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a home brew. For those still not up to scratch with home brewing beer, follow the link to discover more!
categories: american home brewing,history of home brewing,home brewing,beer brewing,wine brewing,prohibition,beer,wine,america,history,legislation,hobby
If you brew your own beer, or would like to start this great hobby… you need to acquaint yourself with the home beer brewing equipment that you will require. There are kits and tools of the trade for all skill levels, it’s just a matter of picking the right ones.
It is advisable for you to ask someone who works at the shop to help you if you need clarifications regarding home brewing products. Some kits will allow you to brew a small batch such as 5 gallons, and others will allow you to brew much larger batches (for the more experienced)… so before you start buying equipment willy nilly, decide on how much beer you would like to brew and that will determine what equipment you will need.
When buying buckets for fermentation, make sure they are specifically designed to ferment your wort into drinkable beer. A fermentation bucket will include an airlock as not to let any air in that can spoil your unfermented beer. Moving along, some fermentation buckets come with a spigot, whilst others don’t. If you happen to have a fermentation bucket without a spigot, then simply buy a bottling bucket that has a spigot for ease of use. A spigot allows easier transfer of beer into the bottles on bottling day.
Extra supplies that you might need include a siphon to transfer your beer to the bottling bucket, and then into the bottles. For bottling, you will also need bottle caps and a sturdy capper to properly seal your bottles.
Grains, malt extracts and yeast are also essential because they are basically the source of your beer. How would you produce beer without them? Similarly, if you want to add flavor to your home brew beer you need to put in flavorings and spices such as licorice stick, spruce essence and dried ginger root. Aside from these, hops such as Cascade Leaf Hops can also be used to add taste to your home made beer.
To control the temperature of your beer and therefore improve its quality and consistency, you need a thermometer that gives an accurate measurement. In addition, you should include a hydrometer in your list of beer making must-haves because this instrument keeps track of the beer wort’s density rather than water density. By doing so, the hydrometer is able to determine if the beer is fermented enough for bottling.
Cleaning all your equipment before brewing and bottling is an essential task, so make sure that you also purchase all the necessary sanitizing liquids.
In sum, brewing your own beer can be a whole lot of fun… but before you can engage in it you must know the 101 on home brew supplies.
If you desire to home brew beer, then you must have the proper home brewery supplies and equipment. Miss out on these and you will have a random set off things good for nada!
Home brewing is something which has been popular for many years. Still, many are resolute that convenience is best for them and continue to drink only beer that they have paid for at a liquor store or at a bar. However, the thing about that kind of convenience is that you pay for it every time. It may not be much at the time, but add it up over a years worth of parties, games, dinners and nights out and it starts to amount to a lot.
The issue of paying an upfront sum for beer brewing supplies puts a lot of people off getting involved with it. They calculate that they could have a few nights at their local bar for the same cost and think to themselves that it would be a lot less effort to do so too. However, look at the situation beyond just a few weeks ahead and you’ll see that home brewing is a much better option. After the initial amount that you pay for the kit and supplies, which is little more than the cost of a few crates anyway, you’ll have the potential to make enough beer to see you through the next couple of months.
As well as the initial costs, some people are put off home brewing because it sounds like a lot of effort. It must be better to just let the breweries take care of all of the behind the scenes stuff for us, right? Well, yes, the breweries are there to make your life easier, but think of it this way – it’s like eating out at a restaurant all of time compared to cooking at home yourself. At first restaurant food seems better than anything you could possibly cook yourself, but, with a little practice, you soon develop your own recipes that are superior. It’s exactly the same with beer brewing.
Beer brewing supplies are easily sourced. Most larger towns will have a specialist store that stocks the required equipment and ingredients, but don’t worry if your town doesn’t as there are plenty of suppliers on the internet. In fact, buying via the internet may be the best option anyway as the prices tend to be lower. You can find out exactly what you need by doing a bit of online research. There are various beer brewing forums that are full of like-minded beer lovers who will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.
Beer brewing supplies come with instructions if you have never brewed beer at home before, it is worth following these closely to make sure you do not miss out an important step. The best way to learn how to do something right is to keep doing it and get the technique down. Eventually you will start amending it yourself as you experiment and find out what suits you. You’ll soon be viewing it less like hard work and more like fun!
Luke Porter is a home brewing beer enthusiast, and an expert author. You are invited to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home by reading his latest book, “Home Beer Brewing Secrets” – available online today!
by Luke Porter
The word “beer” is often used as a generic noun to describe a cold refreshing beverage. However, for those with more than a passing interest in the drink, a single word is far from sufficient to describe it.
In fact, world of beer gives you a multitude of options. The amount of differing characteristics that can be found is surprising, with most people having a favorite type even if they are not aware of it. You’d be surprised at how a pilsner can differ from a porter, or how a stout stands out from a cider.
The method of brewing tends to be somewhat similar for most commercially produced beers. However, the names given to different styles of beer generally reflect individual characteristics of the product, such as where it originated. Taste, appearance and aroma are just some of the qualities that make different beers unique.
Below are some of the most popular types of beer available…
Lager: Some of the most popular types of beer are lagers. Incorporated within this type of beer are American styles such as double pilsner, all-malt and ‘light’ beers. Popular international choices include Czech, European, Japanese and German lagers.
Ale: American amber, brown ale, porter, strong, sour and wild ales are also common American beers. Also falling under the category of “Ales” are Chile Beer, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian and French ales, English, German, Irish, Finnish, Scottish and Russian ales.
Cider: While not an official beer, cider is still enjoyed by many beer drinkers. Cider brewed from traditional English farms is a particular favorite of many.
Hybrids: Combining different beer styles or ingredients create this “experimental” beer. Berbed, smoked, fruit and vegetable beer and spiced beer are all types of hybrids.
You’re missing out if you haven’t tried at least the types of beer listed above. If you’re a beer drinker, you’re likely loyal to a tried and true brand, but remember that variety is the spice of life. There is a world of options available to you, so try something new next time you’re in a beer drinking mood.
Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago. 1 comment
by Annie Phelan
Making homemade wine can a great hobby and a lot of fun to boot. There is nothing like the feeling of opening your own wine and knowing that what you created surpasses many of the high priced winery wines. However, while making wine may be fun, there is a bit of a learning curve.
There are some important things you need to have a real comprehension of before you begin making homemade wine. Learning the basics from websites, experts and books is a great way to begin your wine making. You can find the equipment needed at many places like online retailers and at specialty shops that cater to brewers.
Utilizing a wine kit is most likely the best way to begin making wine at home. These kits make it easier for beginners to succeed.
While it might be a good idea to use quality equipment for wine making it is more important to use top notch ingredients. The higher the quality of ingredients the better your wine will taste, but fear not, if you are on a budget you can still make wine from juice concentrate!
Different wine varietals will take a different time to process, but usually the time span is anywhere between eight and ten weeks. It is essential that you do not spoil your wine by drinking it too early, wine tastes better the longer it ages.
To find tasty recipes for homemade wine you can look in all places like websites and books and find recipes for wine from cherry wine to pinot grigio. A great idea for your wine is to give it as gifts and tailor the taste for that person. For a wine lover, nothing is better as a gift than some personalized wine.
Your packaging for your homemade wine can be just as important as the taste. The bottle shape and color, the kind of cork you use, and what you put on your wine label all give it that special something. The wine label, in fact, is the most important way to personalize your wine.
The wine label will give one the overall impression of the wine. Wine labels are used for logos, the name of the wine and putting personal messages on the bottle that is used as a gift. Sounds like so much fun!
About the Author:
Annie Phelan writes articles about making wine and how to package your wine using
personalized wine labels. Visit
Wine Labels World for more instruction regarding personalizing your wine and creative packaging.
Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago. Add a comment
by Luke Porter
Making your own alcoholic drinks is something that everyone should. Not only is it fun, but it doesn’t take up much time or space. Most of the ’scientific’ part of the process can be conducted on a standard home stove by following a set of simple instructions. With just a couple of hours work, you could have 4-5 gallons of home brew to look forward to.
Are you interested in home brewing? Maybe you have already followed up that interest and have already brewed some alcoholic beverages at your own home. Either way, you may want to consider joining a home brew club. There will more than likely be a home brew club near you and, if you live in a well populated area, you may even have specialist ones for beer, wine or spirit drinks.
Many times people follow directions for so long they tend to ignore the possibility there are other ways of doing things. Different methods and different ingredients can be used to achieve a whole range of different results. By joining a home brew club, you will access to the successful methods and ingredients that other home brewers have come across. The associations are designed for this type of sharing as well as gathering and sharing their finished products as well as discussing potential legal issues surrounding the home brewing industry.
You will be able to ask questions to more experienced brewers and run ideas past them to see if they think a particular technique will work before you try it yourself. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.
Though competition is intense amongst experienced home brewers, newcomers are welcomed with open arms. Sharing knowledge and experience is part of the home brew club culture. Whether it be beer, wine or spirits that you want to improve your knowledge on, someone will be there to lend a helping hand.
A few times a year, you will probably find that regional competitions get organized, at which home brewers from a particular area have their best work judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!
Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago. Add a comment
by Luke Porter
Typically, people make small home brews, and so if you are planning on making a large home brew, then there are several pointers that you are absolutely going to want to take into consideration.
Making a large home brew is ideal if you are planning to have a big party or if you have lots of storage space which would be otherwise wasted. If either of these apply to you then you have no excuse for not making a large batch of your favorite home brew beer! For any other reasons you would probably be best just to stick with making smaller more frequent brews.
The first thing that you are going to want to think about when you are planning on making a large home brew is the fact that it is going to take a lot more time and effort. So if you do not have a lot extra of all of these, then perhaps you should just reconsider.
Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. After all, you can quite easily make a small home brew right in a tiny kitchen, however when it comes to a larger one you may have difficulty if you do not have enough room for everything.
Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.
You basically have 2 options should you unfortunately not have the required amount of space available to you; either you should stick to making smaller brews so that you have more free space to work with, or find a friend or family members home during those one or two times that you need to make an especially large brew.
Having found your space to brew your large batch of beer, all that remains is the actual brewing of it. The only thing to keep in mind is to ensure that all ingredients are increased in equal measures.
Posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago. Add a comment
by Luke Porter
Making beer at home is something that every true beer lover should try at some point. It is actually not that difficult of a process, and it is not expensive either.
So, how do you make beer at home? We will cover the main steps below. It really is that simple that you can learn the basic process involved in just 5 minutes.
Making beer at home requires you to only really follow a few steps. The first is to get yourself a beer kit, which is a kit that includes all of the different tools and materials that you are going to need to make the beer.
Having got yourself a beer kit, you next need to obtain the 4 main ingredients of beer – water, yeast, hops and malt. Water is the most abundant ingredient in any style of beer. Malt is short for malted barley and is a type of grain which has been soaked in water and then dried out. Hops balance out the sweetness by adding a degree of bitterness and also add a distinctive aroma to the finished brew. Yeast is the catalyst which makes it all happen.
The next thing that you need to do is add all of the ingredients together using the beer kit, and there are usually instructions that come with each different beer kit because each kit usually has some different aspects to it.
You can even add your own decided flavors to the beer if you like, however you just want to make sure beforehand that you know what you are doing so that you do not use too much or too little and end up ruining the beer.
Even if you do make a mistake, you can just throw that batch out and make a new one, as practice is going to be the only way that you will be able to learn. After doing a few trial batches, most people master the art of brewing their own beer. When you do, and realize just how fresh tasty home brewed beer is, you will wonder why you took so long to get involved.
Posted 9 months, 4 weeks ago. Add a comment
