My First Beer

In April 2013, I was able to brew my first beer. I was surprised how easy this actually was. Once you have steps to follow and have the right equipment, home brewing can be relatively easy. I brewed a Blonde Ale Pilsner,  which I purchased from Love2Brew as a starter kit. I added Strawberry syrup at the bottle stage to create a beer I called "Strawberry Blonde Pale Ale."

To my surprise, everyone who tried my first brew loved it. That has given me a lot of confidence, and the desire to get started on my second batch. While talking to other home brewers, I received several tips. I learned of one gallon kits from Northern Brewer and Brooklyn Brew Shop. I have selected Brooklyn Brew Shop's "Chocolate Maple Porter" to be my second brew.  I purchased this kit for only $15 from the Brooklyn Brewery website. This brew is described as; "Thick, rich, creamy, and just a little sweet, our Chocolate Maple Porter gets its dark chocolate flavor from a handful of Chocolate Malt. The addition of maple syrup at the end of the boil makes for a smooth and creamy flavor."

After doing a little more research online I realized that many craft breweries also post their beer recipes, so you can try your hand at making these beers yourself. While they don't sell the kits, the ingredients are easy to find online.

  

This picture is during the bottling stage after 3 weeks of fermentation.