1. Too Much, Too Soon
Trying to brew a difficult brew at first or aiming to make too much of it can lead to mistakes for any for any homebrewing beginners. Excited newcomers have a tendency of setting their goals high. This is okay but homebrewing is a craft that requires a lot of skill to completely master it— and you have to let your skills develop too. That’s actually part of the fun and where you learn the most about the practice.
As a beginner, you should begin with just a simple recipe and aim for a small quantity. Plan ahead and know which brewing equipment you’ll need. Don’t get into the process too fast. You will have a lot of time to brew the beer. The best thing is to start slow, perfect your technique and then proceed accordingly. Actually, patience is all that you need in this stage.
2. Ignoring All Important Sanitation and Cleaning
Proper sanitation and cleaning are one of the most important practices in homebrewing. Actually, good fermentation is the key to homebrewing and done incorrectly, it can go wrong and ruin your beer. Dirty hands, equipment, and surfaces can all contribute to the contamination of your beer with bacteria and bad ingredients that can ruin your beer. This will definitely happen if you do not clean your equipment and maintain proper sanitation.
Professional brewers usually clean their brewing surfaces and equipment before and throughout the entire brewing process. It is recommended that you buy a sanitizing or cleaning solution that is specifically designed for brewers. Damaged or scratched brewing materials need to be replaced as soon as possible as well, as they can harbor more bacteria. This really can’t be overlooked. You must absolutely clean all your equipment if you really want your batch to taste as you desire. Even the littlest contaminant can alter the overall clarity, color, and flavor of your beer.
3. Using Poor Quality Water
Water is actually the cheapest, simplest and most important ingredient used in homebrewing, yet many homebrewers still use plain tap water for their brewing.
Water actually determines the taste and quality of your final product. Tap water is not usually recommended as it contains dissolved solids, chlorine, and other undesirable contaminants that can greatly affect your beer’s flavor. Instead of tap water, most people prefer using spring water or another water that has passed through a De-Ionized filtration/reverse osmosis unit.
4. Failure to Follow Instructions
All experienced homebrewers have one thing in common – precision. While there’s some trial and error involved in homebrewing, you need to have a good understanding of the fundamentals of brewing before experimenting. Often, newcomers fail to make accurate measurements of their ingredients, typically as a result of impatience or simply failing to read instructions.
Extra sugar is one thing that can over carbonate your brew, and also expired ingredients can sour your beer. Whether you begin with a kit of ingredients or combine the ingredients individually, it’s wise to follow the recipe carefully and precisely.
In Conclusion
Remember anyone can make mistakes but practice makes perfect. If you want your homebrewing to succeed, you need to have patience, follow instructions, use the right ingredients, and finally understanding your limitations. Especially as a beginner, get the education you need to make this activity worthwhile, stay safe, and not waste unnecessary money. We found this site an invaluable resource for beginners: http://www.northshirebrewery.com/. Have fun and cheers!