by Jonathan List

Created on: January 05, 2010   Last Updated: January 06, 2010

A home brew article might read, "When your O.G. reads around 1.174-1.180, you can stop adding sparge water to the lauter tun."  If you are an average Joe, you will say, "That's great." Then quietly put the book down, drive to your local brewery and buy some pre-made beverages.  Let us say that you're a little more determined than the average person.  

Let us say that you understand all the jargon of brewing, and you want to make a non-kit brew, which usually means a whole-grain beverage.  You start looking into it and discover that you will probably be spending $200 - $500 on equipment that you only vaguely understand.

Wow.

Kits are an awesome and affordable way to begin home brewing.  Most people have very little experience with fermentation and brewing in general, so a kit that sets the stage and allows for easy creation is often the best way to get started.  When you buy a kit, you get specific instructions, and even some short-cuts that allow you to spend less on equipment.  You don't need to worry about learning how to measure specific ingredients, you don't need to worry about getting the right grains at the right prices.  You just need to spend a little time cleaning your cookware and brewing your beer.

Should someone who is serious about home brew stay with kits for more than one attempt?  Yes, until a certain comfort level is reached, kits are the way to go.  If you buy something that is supposed to taste like a bottle of Sam Adams, but keeps tasting like a European Stout, you need to figure out what you are doing wrong.  With a kit, there is very little variability in the ingredients.   You will always have the exact same ingredients, which should produce a consistent beer.  I have known people who have brewed the same kit, but continually did something wrong and produces a beer that was only passably drinkable.  They may have not cleaned something right, or perhaps they did not keep the boiling temperature in the correct range.  

These are mistakes best made with inexpensive kits, not a delicate and complicated recipe.

When an amateur brewer has achieved success with a kit, he or she should move on to making modifications to those kits.  Change the hops, or add in some different malt.  Never be afraid to make something over again and again until you are happy with the results!

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