Why We Homebrew

     We home brew for a number of reasons, the first and foremost is that we brew to our tastes. Because we control the ingredients and the process we can brew to a set result, if we want more or less bitterness we lengthen or shorten the boil time and amount of hops. If we want a very clean taste we leave it on the yeast longer and control the temperature by brewing in a fridge and if we want a smoother taste we lager the brew for longer ( up to 8 months ).
     This allows us to tailor our beers and keep them properly, they don't sit in warehouses or trucks in the summer sun.
      We brew in small batches (23L), this makes it easy to experiment and pretty cheap, your not risking much usually maybe $30 - $50 depending on your grain, yeast and hop bill. By brewing this way and even splitting batches with different hops and yeast we are able to produce a large variety of tastes, alcohol content and body fullness/ mouth feel. For exaple at the moment we currently have 6 different Pale Ales, 2 IPA's, a Double IPA, 3 Meads 2 Saison and a Cider. All this from a home brew set up.
     All this helps to broaden our tastes and means that now the only reason we buy beer is to try new types on the market and when visiting craft breweries.
      We also brew for the fun of it and enjoy the social aspect of the various brew clubs, events and competitions that most local areas seem to have. For those willing to ask, advice and help is everywhere, home brew stores clubs and forums are only to willing to help sort out any problems and most will even demonstrate new techniques for you.
     Most clubs will have a full range of home brewers, from the kit and kilo people all the way through to the exclusive all grain people. Be aware there's always some who think that unless you brew all grain, grow your own barley and hops, brew in a fridge, culture your yeast and keg your beer in 300 year old oak barrels your not really brewing. I say let them have their ideas and we will just get on and brew and have fun.
     Enjoy your brewing we sure do.