If you are interested in beer beyond just having a couple drinks from time to time, you might decide to take up a homebrew project. After all, what better what to get to know the ins and outs of beer than to brew it yourself? Not only will this provide you with a thorough beer education, but it will also leave you with something unique to drink when all is said and done.
There is certainly a lot of educational ground to cover if you’d like to get started brewing your own beer – more than we can fit in this article – but we’d like to quickly touch on the basics of setting up your home brewing lab equipment.
Getting Started Simply
It’s tempting when getting into the world of homebrew to throw a bunch of money at the project, buying all of the latest and greatest gear on the market. Don’t fall into that trap. For one thing, you don’t know if you are going to like this hobby, even if you are excited about it at the moment. Also, you don’t yet know if you’ll have time for it, or if you will enjoy the results of your work. With that in mind, do your best to keep it simple – and cheap – at the start. There will always be more expensive gear to buy later if you really get into it, but don’t rush to that stage just yet.
The Right Thermometer
Measuring temperatures accurately is one of the most important capabilities in your lab. You’ll find that you need to measure temperatures regularly, so you don’t want to be doubting the accuracy of your thermometer. Fortunately, you can purchase a quality lab thermometer for a relatively modest price.
The Right Scale
Just as is the case with temperature, you also need to be able to measure weights accurately as you prepare your materials. You’ll want a quality scale that is capable of measuring in grams. For supreme accuracy you’ll probably want to opt for a digital scale, although that option will be a little more expensive. To save money, look for a good counterbalance scale.
A Variety of Other Supplies
It seems that the list of various tools and pieces of equipment you need to homebrew properly just keeps going and going. The exact list of what you need to acquire will depend on the specific process you are going to use and the level of accuracy you wish to achieve. Fortunately, most of the items that you can use in this process are relatively affordable. Some potential shopping targets include a triple-scale hydrometer, 50-mL plastic tubes, test tube rack, coors plate, spray bottle, and more.
Taking on the challenge of a homebrew project is no small feat, but it can be tremendously rewarding when the final product works out just right. Take your time developing a proper lab space so your efforts are not wasted as a result of an insufficient workspace and the wrong equipment. Good luck!
