Brewing beer at home can be a lot of fun. You get to make the recipe, then brewing time and temperature are all up to you. But brewing beer can also be a challenge. Even with simple recipes, there are still mistakes that brewers make when brewing at home. In this blog post, we will explore the most common mistakes when brewing beer at home.

Lack of Cleanliness

This is possibly the most common issue facing home brewing. When brewing your beer at home, you must ensure the area and all equipment are sanitized and pristinely cleaned. Even the slightest contaminants can alter the brewing process or the flavor of your beer.

Following a Bad Recipe

Brewers also sometimes mess up the recipe they’re using, either because the recipe itself is in some way deficient or because the ingredients they are using are not the best quality. Using water that includes impurities or additives, for example, can make a big difference when creating your brew.

Limited Space

Another brewing mistake home brewers make is brewing in too small of a space. Although not all brewing equipment takes up as much room as others, many pieces require some elbow room to work properly.

Lack of Patience

A brewing process can take anywhere from two days to a few weeks. If you’re brewing beer at home, it’s important not to rush the brewing process and cut corners for your brew time or temperature to decrease. Time is of the essence when brewing!

Equipment Failure or Malfunctioning Equipment

Brewing equipment can malfunction at any point during the process. Often, this occurs because a homebrewer is working with lower-quality equipment or is trying to take shortcuts in the process.

Fluctuating Temperatures

The yeast in your homebrew needs time to convert the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. For this to happen, choose a place in your home that remains at a steady temperature with few fluctuations. The garage is a popular storage area, but the space also includes swings in temperature which could alter the fermentation process.

Stale or Expired Ingredients

Frequently, home brewing recipes call for specialty grains that aren’t easily available to the average consumer. Be sure to verify if these ingredients are fresh or not. The brewing process goes smoother when brewers know (and follow) all of their grain’s requirements, fermentability levels, and expiration dates.

Brewing your own beer at home can be a fun and rewarding process, but there are some common mistakes you should avoid. At Infusion Spiral, we encourage brewers to try something new. The Infusion Spiral system creates unique and repeatable new flavors for breweries and home brewers. Visit our website to order supplies, compare flavor options, or learn more about our products.