{"id":8645,"date":"2018-01-31T21:46:23","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T01:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=8645"},"modified":"2018-01-31T21:46:23","modified_gmt":"2018-02-01T01:46:23","slug":"hop-madness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/hop-madness\/","title":{"rendered":"Hop Madness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Homebrewing offers tasty and creative outlet for boomers<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1980 there were 80 craft breweries in the United States. Today, over 5,300 dot our sudsy landscape. Even small towns and villages often sport a wee brewhouse where locals gather to quaff artisan beer.<\/p>\n

\"\"There\u2019s never been a better time to hoist flavorful brews that are the polar opposite of the watery libations that have dominated our domestic beer world for decades.<\/p>\n

So what triggered the shift from quantity to quality?<\/p>\n

Homebrewers.<\/p>\n

In 1979 a Federal law was enacted permitting brewing at home. States vary on exactly how much is allowed; in Virginia it\u2019s 200 gallons annually for a two adult household. That\u2019s about 2,000 bottles.<\/p>\n

But please, don\u2019t go there unless you\u2019re sharing.<\/p>\n

With such dramatic growth many nascent brewers began to realize, \u201cHey, my stuff tastes pretty good. Maybe I should go commercial\u201d which they did in droves resulting in today\u2019s commercial craft beer ascendancy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a classic example of free enterprise coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit being unleashed by market opportunity.<\/p>\n

There are now 1.2 million homebrewers scattered across all 50 states with new adherents joining the hop army daily. A growing number of hobby brewers are baby boomers looking for a creative outlet for their newly available spare time.<\/p>\n

It also offers the sociability inherent in a local community of homebrewers. A double your pleasure double your fun success story.<\/p>\n

Getting started
\n<\/strong>Open a bottle of today\u2019s craft beer and the furthest thing from most folks mind is, \u201cI bet I could make something this tasty.\u201d Well here\u2019s a shocker. You can.<\/p>\n

Homebrewing has advanced to the degree that producing a beer that will win friends and influence people is not only easy but fun and rewarding. Google the term Homebrewing and you\u2019ll get 6.8 million results. You won\u2019t be wandering in a brewer\u2019s desert in your quest for a good, personally made beer.<\/p>\n

Added to that level of support are homebrew shops, online suppliers and local clubs that thrive by assuring good beer is as easy to make as using a church key. If you can successfully bake a box of brownies, you can craft a beer you\u2019ll be proud of.<\/p>\n

As you launch your career as a brewmaster be sure to sip before your guzzle. In the beginning it\u2019s recommended you start with easy extract malt kits and later migrate to all-grain brewing. These initial recipes are stovetop renditions made with syrup-like malt extract rather than barley.<\/p>\n

\"\"As with any endeavor, the complexity of brewing at home ranges from easy to complex. At the high end of the game expensive equipment and personally created recipes come into play.<\/p>\n

But your basic equipment kit and ingredients can cost less than a $150. This will include a brew pot, fermenter, tools, bottling gear and ingredients. After producing extract beers you\u2019ll be tempted to branch out to partial-grain and then all-grain brewing.<\/p>\n

Let \u201cslow, slow catch monkey\u201d be your mantra.<\/p>\n

Enough said. Let\u2019s get brewing!<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Making it happen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your beer career will likely start at your keyboard. Google Homebrewing then stand back and watch the hops fly. Your choices for equipment and ready-to-make kits is seemingly endless. Here are few digital and brick and mortar options to help you achieve successful lift off.<\/p>\n