Keep calm and make homebrew beer

Warning The Haynes Beer Manual could change your life.

Most books about home brewing tell readers how to make beers at home, which are not only the same as they drink in a pub but will be cheaper. 

The Haynes Beer Manual is much more than that, not only does it describe beer from its earliest days but it is intended to give the reader the skills to produce beers which surpass commercial creations. And yes they could be cheaper than a beer from a pub, but that’s not the point. 

Becoming a home brewer is to become part of a growing movement which embraces men and women, the younger streetwise as well as those who might be older and more sedate. 

Some might secretly want to turn a hobby into a profession others might be professionals piloting new beers at home while others are brewing to entertain themselves and their friends.

In the United States home brewing is a seriously cool hobby for tens of thousands of people, most towns have at least one home brewing club and there is annual convention where thousands of different beers can be tasted. And the signs are that something similar could be happening here. It has never been easier.

Brewing your first brew at home is the first step on a journey which will bring you new friends and take you to different places. Beer is a social lubricant which fires people’s imaginations and conversations.

Brewers, be they humble creators of beer at home or those who work for commercial concerns love to talk, swap ideas and recipes. 

Home brewing with the help of the Haynes Beer Manual is easy, fun and very rewarding and you end up with the beer to drink. 

Anyone can do it. You don’t need lots of equipment to make quality beer. If you can open a can of soup and heat it, then you can make beer. 

It’s not going to cost you lots. A basic kit, with everything you need can be found around £30-£40.

And you first brew will be done in next to no time.  From start to finish and depending on the beer, it will take about three to four weeks to make your first beer. 

Brewing: two hours; fermentation: 10 days; bottling: one hour, a cask would be even quicker; conditioning: two weeks and the time to drink a glass – well that that all depends on your thirst.

So buy the book now and you could be enjoying a glass of your own brew with you Christmas dinner. 

Buy it as a present and you could be drinking your own beer by the end of January. 

Tim Hampson

Author Haynes Beer Manual