If you’re just getting started with homebrewing, finding the appropriate homebrewing resources will go a long way to make this little hobby much less stressful.
As you embark on your journey in homebrewing, I thought it would be helpful calling out the best homebrewing resources that you can reference. Some of these helped get me started, others I rely on religiously, and others you have to take with a grain of salt.
Homebrewing Resources
You can find homebrewing resources in a number of different media options:
- Books
- Websites
- Podcasts
Let’s take a look at some of the key resources you’ll want to check out.
Homebrew Books
If this is your first endeavor into homebrewing, you absolutely should purchase The Complete Joy Of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian.
Not only will you get a complete history lesson on beer, which I learned a ton about, you’ll get a very good understanding of the entire beer making process.
The book is broken out into sections for the beginning brewer, intermediate brewing, and advanced brewer. Charlie will cover everything from extract brewing to all grain brewing, and all the little nuances in between.
If you’re going to start anywhere, start with the Complete Joy Of Homebrewing.
Relax. Don’t worry. Have a homebrew…
Honorable Mention
How To Brew – Everything You Need To Know To Brew Great Beer Every Time.
A great read by brewing legend John Palmer. If the Complete Joy Of Homebrewing is going to get you started, How To Brew is going to take it to the next level.
Homebrew Websites
By far the best website I’ve come across to date on homebrewing is Brulosophy.
Brulosophy has it all! Yes there’s information on different methods used in brewing, and they cover mashing, kegging, carbonation, etc.. But the highlight of their site, at least to me, is their projects. The site is known for conducting exBEERiments, where they’ll change a certain variable in the brewing process, and let tasters see if it has an impact on the beer. I’ve learned a lot from these guys.
Definitely a must read. Keep up the great work Marshall and team!
Honorable Mention
Any of the homebrewing forums. If you have a question on a particular topic, rest assured it’s been asked and answered on these forums. One word of caution… Be prepared for a wealth of opinions. Case in point, I’ve spent countless hours reading topics on these forums, only to come away more confused then when I started.
These are a few of the better forums I’ve come across.
Homebrew Podcasts
My new favorite way to learn about homebrewing, is to listen to Podcasts on my drive to and from work.
While there are quite a few different homebrewing podcasts available to download, the best and most entertaining I’ve come across is the Brulosophy podcast. That’s right, the same guy’s that bring you the Brulosophy website, have a podcast.
Each of their podcasts are about an hour in length, and they cover a variety of topics and experiments. One of my favorite topics is their Bru & Answer shows, where they respond to questions that their readers are asking. You’ll definitely learn a thing or two.
Honorable Mention
Brad Smith, the creator of BeerSmith software, has a podcast that covers a wealth of information. While not quite as entertaining as the Brulosophy dudes, you’ll walk away informed.
Brad has guests on his show, and they cover topics that range from fermenting to various beer styles to everything in between.
The Best Homebrewing Resources For Beginners
I’m just scratching the surface with these homebrewing resources for beginners, but these are the ones I seem to keep coming back to.
There are a number of great homebrewing websites out there that cover a multitude of topics, and there’s now way I could cover them all in this post. I’m sure you’ll come across these as part of your research.
Missing something? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll take a look.
Cheers…
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