Does it Make Sense to Brew Your Own Beer?

Making beer is a casual hobby for some and an intense passion for others. For those who don't make their own beer, it can seem like it is an expensive hobby that doesn't end up saving money on beer. Here are some great reasons to make your own beer anyway:

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As with Any Hobby, Home Beermaking Can Be Expensive and Time-Consuming

I have made my own beer since I was 19 years old (yes, I come from a place where that was the legal drinking age). I fell in love with the beers of The British Isles and the continent and turned to making my own when I couldn't find many of my favorites back home.

But does it really make sense to brew your own beer, especially in the United States where commercial beer is so cheap? I think it does and, as a beer lover, I think you will too. Here are five reasons why your own beer will be better than anything you can buy in the store.

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An Interesting History of Beer

Here's a concise timeline on the origins of beer. Very interesting that it likely pre-dated breadmaking. Now that's having your priorities in order!

Beer History

Why Make Beer?

I started making my own beer when I was around 20. After a summer spent backpacking around Europe with my then-boyfriend now-husband, I had fallen in love with many European brews but first and foremost, the English bitter.

Back home in Canada, there were few places to have real pints of bitter. There were a few local British-style pubs, but pints were exorbitantly expensive, even then. The beer stores carried a tiny selection of bitters but they never lived up to their potential. If I was going to enjoy English ale on a regular basis, I was going to have to make my own.

Beermaking, for me, was an addiction. It was an easy road from making a quick batch from a beer kit to buying extra equipment, roasting and grinding my own grains, and even growing my own hops. I was hooked. And soon, I was making beer styles from around the world.

Making my own beer gives me the same feeling as when I put up 50 quarts of tomatoes or dehydrate cherries. It's a step towards self-sustainability and another way that I can contribute to providing for my family the same way women have for a millenia. And where else can you get roasted cherry oatmeal stout?

A different direction beer recipe: Carla's Oat Brown Ale

It's always a great day when Charlie Papazian shares a new beer recipe! Enjoy!

A different direction beer recipe: Carla's Oat Brown Ale