My fourth batch of home brew beer is almost ready; it’s been in the bottle for almost two weeks.

At this stage in the game, I feel that I’ve learned enough to have a fairly complete understanding of the process. I’m no longer reading directions at every step, or worrying about missing or screwing something up. I’ve come to the realization that its actually pretty hard to do something that will actually cause the batch to fail.

A few things I’ve learned:

• People have been making beer for thousands of years, long before exact measuring or laboratory grade sanitizing chemicals. As long as common sense is used, it will turn out fine. If the beer were to become contaminated, it would not carbonate and would smell like a dorm refrigerator.
• As long as you use enough base fermentables (barley, wheat, etc), some hops, and a good yeast you will get decent beer. Mixing and matching those ingredients is of course the key to being a good brewer.
• There are a few tools that make the job a LOT easier that you will not find in most starter kits.
  • Having a good boil pot and large spoon to stir your beer with is essential. Make sure the pot fits on the stove!
  • A hydrometer is very handy to tell what the alcohol content of your beer is, and to tell when its done.
  • A copper coil (heat exchanger) for cooling the wort is pretty much essential; without it the process will take a lot longer. You can’t add the yeast until your wort has cooled below 80 degreed Fahrenheit or so.

Most of this is mentioned in various books and guides, but it is mixed in with many other recommendations. If I had followed all of the suggestions I read, I would easily have spent hundreds more dollars than necessary. And of course, you’re mileage may vary.