| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | She advised starting with brewing from ready |
| There has to be a beginning to all interests. | | | | prepared home brew kits as this was the most |
| Homebrew is no exception. | | | | simple way to start yet taught the must do practises |
| Active in the beer world for over a decade I have | | | | of cleaning and fermentation. They also had a ready |
| witnessed many price rises happen, most commonly | | | | to go homebrew bundle which contained all the tools |
| twice a year regardless of any government added | | | | needed and a high price beer kit. This was starting to |
| taxation. Prices have risen by almost 53% over the | | | | sound simple... |
| past 10 years in the UK. Imported beers are now | | | | The beginners kit contained a primary fermenter |
| being produced under license in huge breweries and | | | | bucket, a pressure barrel, a racking cane (syphon), |
| the expense of running a licensed premise has | | | | hydrometer, thermometer, airlock, a choice of gas |
| increased due to many causes along with rises in | | | | systems, sterilising powder and a free choice of beer |
| utility bills, rateable values and the minimum wage. | | | | kit from the shops premium range with the |
| Undoubtedly it is the end user of the beer that | | | | ingredients capable of making 40 UK pints of ale. |
| atones the bill. | | | | After that she went through the full instructions of |
| The other day when spending what seemed like a | | | | brewing with the equipment in sufficient detail, |
| small budget deficit for a round of drinks with | | | | including using the hydrometer and thermometer and |
| colleagues I thought to myself 'this is wrong - lagers | | | | the option of bottling. An highly complex spiel on |
| made out of rubbish...'. | | | | water then started but the little that did not go over |
| This was the dawning, the dawning of something | | | | my head was very beneficial. |
| incredibly good. | | | | I was sold but concerned about the re-usability of |
| The next afternoon I went to my local homebrew | | | | the supplied items in the kit particularly the pressure |
| shop. I walked through the doorway to be | | | | barrel - how many times can I us it ? The shop |
| confronted with an massive selection of plastic | | | | assistant claimed that they prided themselves on the |
| barrels, buckets, tins of 'ale kits' and stands of | | | | quality of the products they sell and that despite the |
| packets of malts - all sorts of grains, additives, head | | | | barrel being known as as a budget barrel it will |
| retention mixes. The list never ends. In other words I | | | | undoubtedly last for years (of which it has along side |
| felt as though I really had stepped out of my depth. | | | | the other barrels I have since acquired). |
| The shop was full of customers. There were people | | | | OK, I have developed my hobby into All Grain |
| enquiring about mash tuns, hop strainers and hop | | | | brewing and still use all the original products from the |
| utilisation. I felt small and nearly ran out of the store | | | | starter kit. I enjoy going out to my local bars and |
| with my newly gained bundle of homebrew | | | | sampling the wide variety of beers and ales available |
| befuddlement. Then I was collared... | | | | with the nose of a connoisseur. Many of my friends |
| "What can we do for you sir ?" | | | | have now been infected by the homebrew bug and |
| I hesitated - to be truthful I did not know where to | | | | we enjoy many an merry night tasting each other's |
| commence on the basis I had no clue the processes | | | | brews. |
| of home brewing. | | | | Finally... |
| "I want to make my own beers" I stated | | | | I really have to champion the homebrew shop. It is |
| "unfortunately I no nothing of the homebrew | | | | daunting to firstly enter in there with little or no |
| process." | | | | knowledge but the service you will get is without |
| There was a slight pause and I assumed that the | | | | exception superb. Obviously - these people are |
| woman was cursing my lack of research into brewing. | | | | heavily involved in the hobby themselves without a |
| I was incorrect. | | | | doubt and they are there to make sales. |
| "One moment" she reassuringly interjected and | | | | If you are thinking about making home brew beer |
| disappeared into the back of the shop returning | | | | for yourself then take the plunge. It is not costly and |
| almost immediately with a handful of instructional | | | | quite refreshing to consider that the ale you are |
| guides. "I will give you these pamphlets on the | | | | drinking costs only about 20-30 pence per pint. The |
| common main ways of making beers." These | | | | other day I visited a bar and was charged £3 for a |
| contained easy to follow information on home | | | | pint of lager. It hurt that this cost the equivalent of |
| brewing from beer kits, malt extract brewing and all | | | | ten pints of my own brew. |
| grain brewing. | | | | |
