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Every beer lover has a dream of starting up his or her own batch of special ale or lager. The reality is that home breweries are difficult to start, and require a fair amount of initial money and research investment. Also, knowing the right components and ingredients can only be half the battle. You need to make sure that you have carefully maintained the equipment so that nothing gets contaminated and the final product is actually drinkable. For a super beginner's brewing kit, you will need several key components and be willing to use your everyday cook and measure wear for some of the action. The perk of doing an all-inclusive system like this is that you can often save a lot of space. Hardcore home brewers have given up entire basements and spare bedrooms for all of their beloved gear, but with most beginners' kits, you don't need to expand the house just yet. One thing that you can't easily substitute is a fermentation jug that has a cap and air lock seal. These usually come in both glass and plastic materials. Glass may be more favorable because of the lack of contamination of plastic and the liquid. Plastic jugs are lighter, less expensive, and have been improved substantially to be suitable for at least the initial use. Another essential part is a mini auto-siphon and tubing. These parts can pump out air from a piping network. That way no air gets in to the vessel during fermentation because air causes oxidation that can cause the beer to spoil. If you splurge on anything, you should put it in the auto siphon. Most of these kits also contain special cleaners for your equipment. It is easy to overlook this component, but doing so will cost you a delicious tasting product. Breweries need to be kept at highly sterile conditions so that fermentation occurs properly. The best part of any kit is the actual ingredients that go into your beer. That can include everything from honey, spices, extracts, and fruits. Some beers also incorporate flavors such as toffee cookie and caramel. Of course, the most important ingredient is the actual yeast, barley, and hops. The yeast turns sugar into alcohol, so the barley mash is where the flavor and the sugar come from. Yeast also produces bubbles. Many people don't realize that yeast is actually alive and is contained in paper packages in its dormant phase. Once it is introduced to the sugary and barley mash, it activates and turns that substance into alcohol. Many professional breweries will have everything mentioned above, but in its commercial form. Often times, their formulation for the yeast, barley, and hops ratio is a trade secret that is closely guarded. A good idea is to start small and experiment with the less expensive kits before making that big commitment and purchasing something like a tall boy kettle. Are you looking for portland breweries? Contact the staff at McMenamins or visit http://www.mcmenamins.com for more information about things to do in the area.
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