Have you got some spare room in your basement or a big part of your garage that’s just laying empty? You’ve probably been thinking about what to do with it. There’re tons of options, from a library for all of your books to a home gym. But let’s take a look at a more fun idea – something that’s really every man’s fantasy. Have you thought about making a brewery in your own home? Imagine how awesome it would be to relax after a long day, with a bottle of your own, painstakingly brewed beer. Of course, creating your own brewery isn’t as easy as bathroom design, nor is it cheap. However, we can help you save a few bucks while crafting your delicious brewsky. Scroll down for some tips on building in-house breweries on a budget!
Do your research
Let’s face it, you’ve probably never thought that much about the process of brewing beer. While the tales of making excellent scotch and wine have been passed around bars for decades, in-house beer breweries are a relatively new thing. That’s why it’s important you don’t go into this endeavor without the necessary knowledge. So, we recommend doing plenty of research about the brewing process before you start making any investments. In fact, the first thing you’ll need to buy is a book about brewing. There are a lot of them out there, and you’ll need to read as many as you can. You’ll need to know the process of brewing extremely well in theory, before you start building in-house breweries on a budget.
Speaking of which – you’ll also need to find out what kind of equipment you’ll be needing. As with everything today, there are plenty of online tutorials, videos, and guides. However, when it comes to choosing your equipment you may want some help from professionals. We recommend taking a look at some of the various available brewing kits. You can buy them online, and those will have all the essential equipment you’ll need for your first brew. Just make sure you’re buying from a respectable homebrew supplier.
Plan your time and space
Okay, we need you to realize something very important before you start building one of those in-house breweries on a budget. Simply put, you’ll need to manage your time more efficiently than you have before, if you’re going to do this. Brewing is a hobby that can be time-consuming, and you’ll need to make a tight brewing schedule and stick to it. This is important for your budget as well. Basically, if you don’t plan out your time well, you might ruin an entire batch of ingredients and throw away money needlessly.
Also, we’d be remiss not telling you that, quite simply, brewing can take up a surprising amount of space. Once you’ve decided on what equipment you’ll be getting, definitely make sure to plan out where everything will go. This is when you’ll realize the importance of doing inventory. So, clean out your basement or garage, and make a floor plan of your future home brewery.
Equipment for in-house breweries on a budget
Okay, so you’ve read up on brewing, and you’ve planned where and when you’re going to do it. Great! Now we’re moving on to the nitty-gritty of building in-house breweries on a budget. Or, more specifically – the equipment. Here’s some advice – for your first batch of homebrewed beer, start small. We know you’ve read articles online that urge you to buy some premium equipment. But you’ll see, in the beginning, there’s a lot of stuff you’ll be able to snag from your kitchen.
Start simple
So, for example, if you’re buying a brewing kit – you want to stay away from anything that says ‘all grain’ or ‘partial mash’. Those will require more advanced knowledge and some more complicated techniques. But what equipment will you need exactly? Aside from the ingredients, your first brew will require:
- Brewing pot – basically, you’ll need a large pot, because that’s where the entire boiling process will take place. Just make sure it’s not rusty, that it’s clean, and that it’s at least 3 gallons.
- Vermonter – this is usually a large plastic bucket. This is where the wort will ferment into beer over time.
- Heat source – It goes without saying, you’ll need a heat source big enough to heat up that large pot we mentioned. A kitchen stove might work for smaller amounts at first, but that’ll quickly run its course.
- Bottles – Obviously, you’ll need bottles and bottle caps.
- Tubing and siphon – Trust us, you don’t want to be pouring the wort and beer from container to container, and then pouring it into bottles by hand. You’re bound to spill something, and we don’t want that. So, get some tubing and a siphon like a true gentleman.
Other tips for brewing on a budget
Congrats, you’re on your way to building one of the best possible in-house breweries on a budget! You’ve even brewed your first batch (don’t worry, you’ll get better at it)! But now, let’s look at this a bit more long-term. How can you save money in the long run while brewing beer?
First of all, if you brew frequently, you’ll see the cost of yeast isn’t that small. So make sure you plan to reuse your yeast instead of starting over every time. Also, when it comes to ingredients like wheat and hops – make sure you buy them in bulk. You’ll save a ton of money that way. And speaking of hops, here’s a pro tip: buy hops from last year’s harvest. If they’re housed by the retailer in proper storage, they’re just as good, but you’ll buy them cheaper.
We hope we’ve been of some assistance to you with making one of the finest in-house breweries on a budget. If you follow our tips, you’ll be sipping your homemade beer in no time at all!