When you are a member of a group that does beer tasting, your home made brews are just as important as the ones you buy at the shop. The great thing about this group is you can get together just as much as you like at any time, you don’t need a special occasion. You also have the added pleasure of knowing the people who enjoy the same things you do, and who can tell you about their favorite new brew. So you might as well get together and taste beer.
Virtual beer tasting might sound like virtual fun, but you will find that it is anything but. If that doesn’t work for you, then there is virtual beer tasting. (You may even forget that youre collecting as you enjoy some shared visual experience, laugh at each other, and share a common taste experience.) You can get a taste of whatever you like, no matter what kind of brew it is. Just use the proper container.
There are beer makers, like Mr Beer and Widener, who make some very nice, hand crafted beers that are easy to drink and make great gifts. Some of these are even year round and sell to those who enjoy drinking light beers, or they are available for drinking on the go. This kind of brew would be perfect for a picnic, outdoor BBQ, social gathering, etc. It is also nice to serve these in your own home. If you want to have a few varieties of these on hand, you can always have a couple different vessels that are made for fermenting.
For many brewers, getting together for home brew beer tasting can be a yearly ritual. You can make beer as often as you like, or drink your favorite varieties within a certain time period. Many brewers make a wide variety of these, so they can always be certain to have something there for their patrons. One way to ensure that you have enough stock of whatever brew you make is to buy small kegs or cases, and then have enough kegs or cases to stock up on to your needs. This way, you can always have an assortment of these available for both annual events, as well as to serve at home.
For example, if you are brewing a regular six-pack, you will need about eight pounds of grain for the process. Of course, this will depend upon the particular beer you are making, but for most light lagers and wheat beers, you should be fine. The grain should be purchased when it is still in its pellet form, not when it is in its whole form. The pellet form will keep the yeast and bacteria from proliferating while the grain can provide the body of the beer you desire.
Brewing your own beer provides many benefits besides providing you with a delicious product. For one thing, you can use whatever flavor of grain you choose, since nearly every type of grain will produce a delicious result when used in the proper proportion. Additionally, it will help if you can boil your grains before you add them to the brew. Boiling allows the natural flavors from the grains to penetrate the liquid, giving you richer flavors from start to finish. You can choose whether to leave the grains in the brew after boiling, letting them steep, or you can boil them and then extract the brew. This method also gives you more control over the end product, as well as the resulting alcohol level.