WINEWORKS
Home Brew Specialists

When money starts to get tight we have found that this means more and more people want to brew beer at home. Its probably that they the first thought is I need to save some money and I am not prepared to cut down on drinking. If I brew beer at home and don’t go to the pub I can save up to 70% and I can still drink the same amount. They are definitely right but the thing they don’t realise at the time is they will actually really enjoy doing it and it will become a form of relaxation and a great hobby. The real bonus is it will have an end reward as well.

In the 60’s the Chancellor of the Exchequer the late Reginald Maudling legalised making beer at home. This really set up the business for the future as previously it was only wine making that was possible in the home. More and more people started to look at it and thought I will have a go but at the time there were not many good products which were available from shops. This would all change in the late 70’s and it is no coincidence that this is linked to recession. When time get hard people naturally look at ways of saving money and this is one excellent way. When times are good and the economy is booming people do not brew at home as much. They have got lots of money in their pockets and there is plenty of overtime on offer. This also means they have little time to make the wine or beer and they always seem to have plenty of money to be able to afford to buy it in the pubs and supermarkets.

To brew beer at home you really don’t need a lot of equipment or to spend a fortune.

You will need a 25 litre bucket and lid made of food grade material to do your initial fermentation in. You will need a barrel or some bottles to transfer the fermented beer to allow it to mature and clear. A hydrometer which will tell you the alcohol strength and when it’s finished fermenting would be a bonus. You will need some steriliser to clean all that comes into contact with the beer and prevent infections and that’s about all you need to successfully brew beer at home.

The likely cost will be around twenty to forty five pounds depending on whether you need a barrel or not although you can spend considerably more than this if you enjoy it and want to take the hobby further than this. To brew at home can be really cheap and good fun.