Ugh. The whole COVID thing has really got us all down. We used to be able to freely go to bottle shops and fondle dusty bottles imported from deepest, darkest Europe, or even San Diego (pronounced, “SAN DEE AH GO”). We could sidle up next to complete strangers in bars and breweries and try wacky new beers we’ve never heard of, fresh from the tanks. Now we’re lucky if we can get a growler while standing in line wearing a face diaper. Alas.

There is hope, though! For those with a little patience and gumption, fresh and wondrous beers can still be had. Even better, YOU can make them AT HOME!

That’s right, THIS is the moment you become a HOMEBREWER!

Don’t you dare close this article! Come back here right now. Read this! You can do it! I promise!

What do you need, at a minimum, to homebrew?

  • A stove (for inside brewing) or a gas burner (to be used outside)
  • A pot, preferably 5 gal or bigger, but you can do with smaller (3 gal minimum)
  • A bottling bucket
  • Some tubing
  • Some bottles, some caps, and a capper
  • Ingredients/recipe

That’s really all you need. Can you add to that gear list? Of course! That’s part of the fun of homebrewing, building up your rig until it looks like the Millennium Falcon. But you can get by with the stuff above.

What I didn’t add to that list was a book. These days, books are on the edge of necessity, sadly. You can probably find all you need on the good ol’ interwebs, but I have to say part of what makes me all teary eyed about brewing is thinking about to my early days, where I would read a Sam Calgione book or a Randy Mosher book, trying to figure out how to do my own mash instead of relying on extract, or learning how to build a mash tun, or learning brew math. There’s something to be said for having that guide, in your hand, written by someone who has trodden that road before, and has conveniently laid it out for you. If you’re going on this journey, it’s your journey, so do it as you like, but I’d recommend getting a book.

You can ferment beer in a bucket! Who knew?

There are tons of book options out there, so do your thing. If I had to pick one, I would say starting with Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher would be your best bet. Yes, it’s a little on the advanced side, but it’s probably the one book that will take you the farthest in learning to brew and learning about beer in general.

Back to the point, you can make awesome beer at home. You just need the will and the stuff. There are tons of homebrew suppliers around. Carrboro’s Fifth Season is fantastic, and they have people on staff that can answer questions for you. Bull City is in Durham and also a great resource. But, as above, the interwebs abound with options if you’re not down with the in-person shopping still/yet.

This isn’t the article for telling you how to brew at home. This is just the pep talk to convince you that you can brew at home. Once you decide to take that first step, you’re on your way to making some memorable beer right at your own home. Don’t let Covid grind you down and take away ALL of your joy. Make some beer, make some joy, and tell COVID to suck it.

 

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