Beer has been brewed for thousands of years— going back to the days of the Egyptians. Beer became a staple in the Middle Ages when people began to live in cities where close quarters and poor sanitation made clean water difficult to find. The alcohol in beer actually made it safer to drink than plain water!

Although brewers basically combine barley, water, hops, sugar, and yeast to make beer, it's not just a matter of mixing the right amount of each ingredient to produce beer. A complex series of biochemical reactions must take place to convert barley to fermentable sugars, and to allow yeast to live and multiply, converting those sugars to alcohol. You can successfully brew beer at home by:

• Using a beer kit, such as those found below from Mr. Beer
  
• Using a beer machine

Beer making kits and beer machines are a great introduction to home brewing. They make the process less complicated, quicker, and much less expensive.

There are 5 main ingredients in beer: barley, water, hops, sugar, and yeast. Water and sugar are pretty self-explanatory, but you might be less familiar with the other 3 ingredients that are more complex.

Malted Barley: Barley is the seed of a grain that looks a lot like wheat. Before barley can be used to make beer, it must be malted, which involves a natural conversion process. First, the barley must be allowed to germinate, or start to sprout. At this point it is called green malt. Like all seeds, the barley contains nutrients that can sustain the growing seed until it can produce its own nutrients using photosynthesis. During the germination process, enzymes released by the plant convert these nutrients (which are starches) into sugars that can feed the plant while it grows. The key to the malting process is to stop the germination of the barley at a point when the sugar-producing enzymes are present but most of the starch is still unconverted. Eventually, these enzymes will produce the sugars that will feed the yeast to make the alcohol in the beer. After this natural process has released the enzymes, the green malt is dried by gradually raising the temperature.

Hops: The hops used to make beer are the flower of the hop vine, which is a member of the hemp family. Hops are closely related to another member of the hemp family that you may have heard of — cannabis, or marijuana, although hops do not have the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana. Hops contain acids, which give beer its bitterness, as well as oils that give beer some of its flavor and aroma. Adding hops to beer also inhibits the formation of certain bacteria that can spoil the beer.

Yeast: Yeast is the single-celled micro-organism that is responsible for creating the alcohol and carbon dioxide found in beer. There are many different kinds of yeasts used to make beer; and just as the yeast in a sourdough starter gives sourdough bread its distinctive flavor, different types of beer yeast help to give beer its various tastes. There are two main categories of beer yeast: ale yeast and lager yeast. Ale yeast is top fermenting, meaning it rises near the surface of the beer during fermentation, and typically prefers to ferment at temperatures around 70 F (21 C). Lager yeasts are bottom fermenting. They ferment more slowly and prefer colder temperatures, around 50 F (10 C).

Beer has been brewed for thousands of years— from the ancient Egyptians through the Middle Ages and of course, modern times. Long ago, the alcohol in beer actually made the water safer to drink, but today, we drink beer because we like it! You've come to the right site if you're interested in giving home beer making a try. Many brewmeisters prefer the convenience and cost savings of buying a Beer Machine or making beer from a Mr. Beer kit. With all the varieties of beer you can make with a kit, your tastebuds will never get bored! This website provides information, resources, and links to help you with the best home beer making methods. And if you like root beer, and hard cider, you'll find kits to make those beverages, too. Please drink responsibly by finding an inexpensive breathalyzer for sale here. Cheers!