We have all heard the common belief that if you want something done right, you should do two things. One, do it right the first time and two, do it yourself. This is what homebrewing is all about.

Home Brewing Art & Science

Here at The Homebrew Academy, the science and art of homebrewing merge into one. Homebrewing does not come easy. There is a learning curve that everyone experiences when beginning to brew their first batch of beer. It is inevitable that your first batch of beer, cider, or mead will have some flaws in it.

That learning curve is minimized with helpful content all throughout the site. With a strong sense of community, education & online courses, guides to brewing your first beer at home, homebrew recipes, reviews on homebrewing gear, homebrewing tips, and combining beer and food, the help is here for everyone.

Community

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines community as “the people with common interests living in a particular area.” The sense of community with homebrewers is what drew me to this hobby about six years ago. Strangers helping each other out and assisting with otherwise impossible tasks makes me know I have chosen my hobby well.

It is through this real-life community that Homebrew Academy thrives. The vision of a homebrewer sitting down to create his/her first homebrew recipe is pretty magical. It makes me think that in a day and age when many people do not see eye-to-eye with many topics, the communal sharing of ideas and techniques keeps me energized as a homebrewer. It is through what others may seeming consider to be “just beer” actually brings people together. It is through this togetherness that fosters great hope.

Homebrew Academy wishes to be a place where people can learn more about this great hobby. In return, then go out and express to others their findings about a particular beer or homebrewing technique. It is through this give-and-take that the message of community lives on with homebrewing.

Education & Online Courses

These online homebrewing courses are designed for people who want to learn more about this incredible hobby. There courses help homebrewers perfect their skills of brewing their best batch of beer possible. One course that is offered through Homebrew Academy is entitled “Beer Tasting Mastery.” In this 4-week course there are three objectives: improve your beer vocabulary, recognize the subtle flavors and aromas that beers offer, and identify off-flavors in beer.

The other course is “Call it Your Own.” This is a step-by-step course that allows homebrewers to create their very own recipes. Recipe development should not be overlooked. It is through recipe development that the beer can start the eventual process from being a grain to being a delicious brewed beer at home. Call it Your Own allows home brewers to learn the perfect combinations of malts, hops, and yeast that all contribute to that mouthwatering beer that you can craft in your own home.

Guides to Brewing Beer at Home

So you have finally made the decision that you want to start making beer…. AWESOME! This is such a good move on your part. Now where do you begin? Do we start with a easy setup like a Homebrew Kit, or maybe and Ingredients Kit?

This is the usual course of events that transpire in the minds of many eager and energetic homebrewers. Homebrew Academy offers the much-needed guidance that all homebrewers need. Like most things in the world, people need to learn about before jumping into it with both feet. Helpful tips are included for new homebrewers to guide them prior to making their first batch of delicious homebrew.

Homebrew Academy also offers advice to homebrewers who have reached that next phase of their hobby. Advanced homebrewers are always looking for guidance to take their process of making beer to the next level.

Is moving from extract brewing to all-grain brewing right for me right now? Is there a recipe out there for a thirst-quenching Pale Ale?

How about growing Hops?

Homebrew Academy has the answers to those questions and even brewing that elusive Helium Beer.

Really dedicated and passionate home-brewers can follow along with The Homebrew Challenge here. Brewing all 99 beer styles in 99 weeks.

Beer Brewing Education

Beer education is paramount when it comes to homebrewing. From learning the language of  home brewing, to techniques, to knowing why American brewers call their latest Kolsch a Kolsch-style is a part of the beer education at Homebrew Academy. Taking a look throughout time and different cultures, we find one commonality, beer.

Beer was discovered, not invented.

It has been a staple since the beginning of time. This beer making education that so many of us are interested in has shaped us as the brewers we are today. Looking at it from a much smaller, more localized scale, beer education is prominent in even ordinary things such as the hops, yeast, and malt that we all use in our beers. Becoming familiar with the lineage of a specific hop can lead to a really awesome beer. Learning about the similarities of a certain hop leads us to pairing it with another hop that complements is flavor and aroma.

How to make Beer at home education is always evolving and changing. And that is a good thing.

Training to become a professional beer judge also really helps dial in your own brewing techniques.

Home Brewing Equipment:

The home brewing industry is filled with great companies making outstanding products to make our brew day easier and easier. Over the past several years, home brewers have seen a spike in innovation from these companies.

Everything from fancy growlers and all-in-one brewing machines are available to use at the touch of our fingers. Also:

 

These new products need real people to review them and in-return write about these products. This offers homebrewers really sound advice as to what to look for and what to stay away from when considering a large purchase. Instead of searching through numerous websites, Homebrew Academy is a one-stop site that gives much worthy and valuable information.

Let’s face it, when making these small and large purchases, we all want real-world real-people to give us the good, the bad, and the ugly about our new homebrewing equipment.

Combining Beer and Food

Beer and food have been synonymous with each other for years. Whether it’s at a ball game eating hot dogs and drinking beer, or complying recipes for a homebrew and five-course dinner; beer and food just go together. Homebrew Academy at times has articles that provide real recipes and experiences of mixing beer with food. Whether it be pickling vegetables with a Rosemary IPA, using an Oktoberfest for a spicy chili, or what food pairs best with your Belgian Triple, Homebrew Academy has you covered.

Summary

Overall, the Homebrew Academy knows that learning how to make beer is, and should be fun.

We don’t take ourselves too seriously, however, we are seriously geeky about producing delicious beer.

Homebrew Academy looks to take the knowledge that our writers have and produce sound, quality content to help foster the love of brewing and beer to the many thousands of homebrewers out there in the world today. It is through the shared knowledge of the time-tested question; “How to Make Beer?” that we can guarantee that our bottles and kegs will never be empty – at least not for long.

As the now retired leader of the American Homebrewers Association once said, “Relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew.”

These words never seemed to be more valuable when considering the sense of community that homebrewers have fostered for years and will for many years to come.