What were some misconceptions or misunderstandings that you had about homebrewing before you decided to start?

I prefer to share my beers with people. The best part of homebrewing is sharing, it's great to see the reaction when someone drinks your beer and is surprised by just how good it is! Great video Steve, cheers!!!

What a nice guy. He makes a video about homebrewing, addresses alcohol abuse and even offers to do what he can to help. Massive respect for even bringing up that topic. I love the videos and hope your channel goes far brother 👍

I would say a thermometer is essential starting equipment also.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about homebrewing isn't how expensive it might be, it's how PRECISE it has to be. Realistically, in the words of Charlie Papazian, Relaxe, Don't Worry, Have A Home Brew. Home brewing is INCREDIBLY forgiving. My first brewing experience was a 10% bourbon-barrel aged imperial porter. Including the purchase of a 2-gallon stainless brew kettle and a 1-gallon ingredient kit, it cost me less than 100 bucks. It never carbonated. Probably because I wasn't patient enough and didn't give a big beer enough time to bottle condition. I used the same kit to make 5-gallon batches for a year before upgrading to bigger equipment. You can make 1-5 gallon batches of great beer with 40 bucks worth of equipment for the rest of your life if you want to. Any investment beyond that is a WANT, not a NEED.

All great points on these misconceptions I hear a decent amount from non-brewing friends. The reality is anyone can make great beer at home! Thanks for sharing this info

Homebrew is so good once you get into the hobby you're hooked. Its fun making hard ciders as well the world is limitless.

we shop at the same store!

Thanks for tackling the issue of alcoholism and taking it seriously. I feel like a lot of homebrewers don't worry too much about it and beertubers most of the time paint the picture that homebrewing and drinking beer is just fun and no risk. There is definitely a risk in drinking and people need to be made aware of it. Your balanced view on the topic seems like a good way to handle this to me. Also hooray for sharing home brew. I love this hobby most when there's a bunch of people around me that tell me how great my beer is :)

The things that I love about homebrewing, not only is my beer 10x better than anything I can buy at the store, my DIY bug is running on overdrive! My Keezer is in the garage & I've had huge parties that migrate to my garage & stay there. 😄

All good points and all true, i recently returned to brewing after i stopped 30 yrs ago! Now I'm re-learning everything and I've learned more in the past 3 months than i ever knew due to the power of the Internet and people like yourself who share great tips and information. I'm also properly shocked at the level of choice available even to extract brewers, i want to get a fair bit of experience of proper fermentation and the add ons before I upgrade to either mini mash or all grain. Glad i returned to this, it's given me a lot of incentive to get better at it.

Agree 90%. Distilling is very easy to make safe. Every brewer needs a way to get rid of their beers that dont turn out, and its whiskey 😊

That chemicals in homebrew is very common. Some of my friends think that making your own beer is "dangerous".

Those 10 gallon batches go even faster to friends and family somehow. 🤔

One of the greatest things about homebrewing is the chance to share your creations with people you like. Couldn't agree more.

Steve this is great. But if I’m honest I never really considered your last point, but pleased you brought it up and opened the convo. And yes! Making folks happy with what you’ve created is such a good feeling - accomplishment. Be well.

Best thing about brewing in mainland Europe is that it's pretty uncommon so these misconceptions don't really exist!

Great points! My friends, family, and coworkers are always asking me to bring them bottles of my newest brew. Sharing my craft with them is one of my greatest joys!

Nice shirt. CH is proud. I went to this new to me brewery I found here. $37 for 3 tall cans. I immediately thought of that shirt. They were 32oz but still facepalmed after buying.

Thank you for making this video! There have been several friends over the years I've been brewing who want to try it and have a lot of the same questions you mentioned that I have to explain to them. And when I first started, the most fun was figuring out the brewing process and getting better at brewing. Since my process has become very consistent, I agree with you that the absolute best part is sharing my homebrew, especially to see the reactions of others when they realize that I brewed it at home with nothing more than a cooler, a brew pot, and a plastic bucket!

Thanks for bringing up point #5, that's my biggest concern. Also I've noticed (not you) but a lot of people on youtube brewing beer have beer bellies and I worry about the long term health effects of being overweight. It's also scary I see posts online of people selling all their gear because of "health issues" and having to quit the hobby. Also apparently when you have a kid you will likely not brew for a few years.

As an experienced all-grain home brewer, the most common misconception I hear from non-brewers is that homebrew is rocket fuel! They don't seem to realize that we have complete control over strength, purely by regulating the amount of base malt/brewing sugar used. Just like the pros!

There is joy and satisfaction in making your own brew and greater joy when other people drink and are amazed how well home brew can be. I can never go back to Bud! There was a creative and artistic talent I tapped into years ago when I made wine that I didn’t know was there. That in itself makes it worth it for me. Speaking of wine waiting a few weeks to drink beer is nothing. When I made wine it would be months and even years in a bottle before the wine peaked. Good video!

First of all, I love your channel and the way the info is presented This video is excellent as well. I couldn’t agree more with all 5 points! I’ve been brewing for 20 years this year and I’m knocking at the door of 60 years old. I started with 5 gallon batches and now I brew 1-2.5 gallon batches and only 5 gallons if I’m brewing for an event. I brew more than ever now and I drink less than I have at any time in my life. I have however known one brewer with a drinking issue. He did get help and as a result gave up the hobby. He did admit to me that he had an issue prior to getting into brewing and that Homebrewing just gave him another excuse to drink. So, I was really glad that you offered your help on that last point. Responsible behavior and moderation should be considered as part of this hobby.

My biggest concer when I started brewing was the beer would go off before I could drink it. I think the first 3 brews were drunk in a weekend. Soon put that worry to bed.

Great video. Also, especially offering to help those who may imbibe too much of their own product.

Definitely can be a fine line when it comes to alcohol consumption...

5 gallon batch of beer usually lasts me 4-5 weeks and I make in 10 gallon batches at a time which keeps me in beer cheaply

Where I live it’s very expensive to buy alcohol, so making it is great workaround

On point 5, I can attest; I've been homebrewing for more than 25 years now. There's very few batches that I've drank more than a handful of pints of; the rest has been shared at parties, events, and competitions. I will note, that for testing a new recipe or doing something wildly experimental, 1 or 2 gallon batches can be done, but for almost the same effort, a 5 gallon or larger batch will be better overall; not for the aspect of aging or anything like that but simply put, if you make a great beer but only have 1 gallon of it, you'll be kicking yourself that you dont have more to have for a while. Or to share and prove that you made such a great beer ;)

the best all grain ive made started as a 50lb bag of barley i malted dried and toasted myself!!

Excellent! And yes, every time I brew, my neighbors drink most of it. Also, sometimes I brew a 5 gallon batch but split it in 2 fermenters and pitch different yeasts, making two beers in smaller quantities.

Giving away your beer is definitely the biggest "cost" to homebrewing

Great video! I myself have gotten Brewdemon's one gallon home brew kit to dabble in home brewing just like you say. Mainly because porters and stouts are my kind of beer, but the commercial selection for them is lacking, so I decided, " Screw it, I'll learn to do it myself." I've made two batches with extracts already and have learned a lot, and soon I'm going to try making my own worts from recipes online. Wish me luck!

Great video. My reason for not starting yet is I'm not sure about room temp.

Home brewers don’t have to worry about costs for tons of grain and bushels of hops, so, homebrewers can use top of the line ingredients. It’s actually easy to make a superior beer with some experience. You covered these things well..and the pride of making something great yourself can’t be underestimated! Ppl don’t pursue hobbies because they won’t take time or effort..there are many things in brewing to hold your interest..chemistry, biology, physics, food, the process, the results..

One perspective that you may not be aware of: In California, there is a 50 gallon water limit per day before water prices spike (this will be going down to 35 gallons a day in a few years). The cost of water has become a big issue - especially when you don't live in an apartment and have to also water your yard/plants in what is fundamentally is a desert.

A fantastic explanation of Pt#5. I brew 20 gallon batches. But share with at least 6 to 10 people regularly.

I first got interested in the Joshua Weissman saison but felt it was impossible for me to brew it, then on a mead channel I saw a basic brown ale recipe, CS Steading, first 2 were blah but 3rd was pretty good! Now had the confidence to try the saison, another success ! Moved up from 1 gallon to 3 gallons, made a smash, made a RIS and now have another brown ale fermenting. Next will be a pseudo lager from this channel and then and then! Game changer piece of equipment: Immersion Chiller, 3 gallons from 100*C to 25*C in 10 minutes !! I’m at $250 CAD total investment for equip and I don’t “need” more (yeah right!)

I think it may be because they've heard me cussing in my backyard.

Another reason it’s easier than ever are sites like Brewer’s Friend..you can enter in a mash calculation and play w all the numbers for free. I remember pages of calculations when John Palmer’s book came out, my mash tun has a dead space of a gallon, I couldn’t figure out how to compensate, now, you can just change parameters in the Brewers Friend software to use strike water volume..

Good stuff Steve... I'm one who has invested quite heavily in my homebrew hobby. I recently did the math. I've been homebrewing for about 10 years now. Assuming I would have purchased about half the beer I produced over that time I saved enough to pay for my equipment after about 4 years of homebrewing. At least that's what I tell my wife anyway :-) Also... Buying ingredients is bulk is a HUGE money saver. My typical Hefeweizen batch costs me about $15 per 5 gallon batch.

The two best beers I have had in my life were (1) at the brewery tap of Thwaites and (2) a friends all grain home brew. Both had a very fresh taste, with multiple flavours, rather than one averaged out flavour. I aspire to achieving the same quality myself.

I did extract in the 90s and never moved into all grain because I was intimidated. And honestly, once I started all grain about a year ago it’s not that hard. Once you understand the additional steps it just takes longer. ;-)

One of the misconceptions I have is that it will be really messy? How bad is the clean up? Doing it in a dedicated space is one thing, your videos have your brewing in your kitchen. Is it a wreck when you're done? Thanks for the shout out about alcoholism!! Less stigma and more help I always say!

First, Love the shirt! I refuse to justify breweries pushing the envelope on crazy priced 4 packs from $18 to $40! I simply will not pay it and it will sit on the shelf and go old if everyone agrees not to pay stupid prices for beer at those prices. If it was something with a high cost I could see it but we are talking 4 to 8% IPAs and like brews. #4 I hadn't heard before although I do know people new to brewing are concerned they may poison themselves which I do hear from time to time. As for #5 I kind of joke about that to some degree as I tell people all the time I can't humanly drink the amount of beer I brew and I do give away a ton to friends, and local people I meet all the time. Will be giving away some of my Apple Peach Mango cider to a local taco shop this weekend.

7:10 Fun fact, the methanol in distillation is the same story. The only danger is if you drink a significant portion of the first few ounces of the run because methanol is much more volatile than the flavor compounds (or most of them) and ethanol that you're distilling for. It's super easy to safely discard those first bits and truthfully you wouldn't like the taste of them anyway. But even if you did add them to your batch, they'd still be diluted enough in a bottle that at most you might just have a rougher hangover the next day if you drank a lot of it.

Love the shirt!

You forget that everybody starting out will soon get GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrom. Happened to me. I could have bought so much beer for the money. But it would not be as fun, interesting and rewarding.

stocking my fridge at the point of the video of us being alcoholics.LOL

I don't know about 48 bottles in a 5 gallon batch. I average 52-53

You answered one of my questions so now the only question is, how do you fit the apartments in your fermenter?😁

Hello from the bottom of Australia, winter here Oh and it's cold, I am brewing pressurized Lager from grain to keg to glass in 11 days and it is better than any commercial Megaswill out there, for starters I'm using proper Lager yeast, like Saflager W-34/70, 100% grain and no adjuncts and a thing megaswill doesn't have, flavor hops like German Hallertau 15 mins before the end of the boil, most megaswill has no hop flavor, down here a box of 24 cans of beer, costs around $50, some are as low as $40, I buy my ingredients in bulk and I crunched the numbers and it costs me, the equivalate grains, hops, yeast and electricity to boil which is about $1.50 all up $7.00 for 24 cans, as opposed to paying $40 to $50, yes it is highly taxed down here because as you know we are all drunks 😂 ....cheers 🍺

In my experience here in Brazil, your homebrews are going to be far superior to what's readily available at the supermarket. Only specialized stores sell the best beers and they cost a metric fuckton.

Thanks for the content Apt!

5 gallons sounds like a lot, but its 2 cases

Some great Points!

Thanks, man... we appreciate it a lot ^^

Why did I start homebrewing? I didn't want to spend $17.99 plus tax & deposit for a 12 pack of Long Trail I am getting flavors out of my bottles that I will never ever get from a store I am making my brews for less than $10.00 a case Less than $6.00 a 12 pack and less than $3.00 a 6 pack Long Trail Guess what you can with your 12 packs

I'm my book 5 gallon really not that much it only 48 bottles give or take

Your 2nd point is a roundabout way of saying as you get to know ingredients better, the better you get at brewing beer you personally want to drink, commercial considerations be damned. I make salt cured meats, cheeses and beer. As I tell an aspiring person in any of those who wants to start, in the end, these things were being done before they knew what science even was. Your instincts will tell you not to eat or drink something that's gone bad, but even a basic working knowledge of science is all you need to make it much better.

Yeah but I don’t have any friends so I have to drink it all myself.

Great tips. Thanks. But BEST OF ALL. THANK YOU BEING THERE IF ANYONE NEEDS HELP. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO SAID IF YOU NEED HELP YOU WERE THERE. #STAYSAFE #PHILLYPHILLY 🇺🇸

Very intresting cheers👍

I do a 175lts every 3 days. My problem is too many friends.

I don’t know how many times I had this statement directed at me: “You make your own beer? How long does it take.” Of course the answer is, “it depends.”

True fan here

Thank you for sharing!!!!

80 -100 bucks for 5G batch! that’s gotta be like a lactose NEIPA hop bomb, cuz I make a saison for like as low as 35-40, cheaper if reuse yeast dregs

Can you recommend any books for getting started on home brewing?

I need that shirt!!! Classic

Before I started home brewing I was convinced I didn’t understand the process and never would. How wrong was I! Now I’m 1 year in and I’ve made 18 batches of all-grain. My advice for beginners: read / watch KZfaq videos, get stuck in and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Most importantly RDWHAHB

I try to share beer but it’s a pain to fill a bottle from the tap, I don’t own a fancy bottle filler yet, but soon. occasionally I’ll have a buddy or two stop by to have a few, for the most part I’ll crush a 5 gallon keg 😂😂 👍🏻👍🏻🍺🍺

I wouldn't go for american brewing their own beer why because it tastes awful. Some in Britain have managed it and it tastes quite good. and some small brewers turn out out some really good stuff but some well left alone is the answer. Its a question of watching what the locals are drinking then follow suite.

Need that shirt

Damn are ingredients so expensive in the US? According to Brewfather my most expensive brew yet has been €1.13 per bottled liter (right around 3 longnecks, so €0.38 per bottle). Was around 3 gal with 70+ grams of Citra and Galaxy.

beer brewing is our history

I agree with all your points but you did say something that is t entirely correct, in regards to “distillation”. Distillation. Does not “create” toxic chemicals, distillation does not “create” anything it’s a process of separation everything that is separated out during distillation was created during fermentation. So distilling 5 gals of an 8% mash will result a couple ounces (if that) coming out of the still first and yes it’s toxic however the exact same amount of methanol is present in an 8% beer distillation does not create it distillation gives the opportunity to remove it. It’s created during fermentation and in a beer, cider or wine it stays in the product and is consumed while in a distillate it runs out first as the still is heating and discarded and not consumed.

2:10... you should adjust your cost per bottle to include shrinkage, things like learning curve mistakes and accidentally ruined batches, or those that might turn out undrinkable. Point is, that first batch is probably going to cost more than .50 - 2.00 per bottle. not terribly expensive, i agree, it just seems like you are negating one point to make another point. cheers!

shh don't tell my wife that

Its the space for me, and the WAF (Wife approval factor). If I had a garden I'd be right on it.

Death before smedium tee shirts.

I drink, therefore I brew.