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Emily Kaiser

DIY beer: Two home brewers on how to get started

Micro-breweries Popularity Declines
A man showed off cascade hops at the Cambridge Brewing Company June 6, 2000 in Cambridge, MA.
Darren McCollester | Getty Images file

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Minnesota's beer scene has been booming in the last several year: Brewpubs, taprooms and the Surly bill have elevated craft beer across the metro.

Today we gave some love to the basement barley out there. Two guests joined MPR News' Tom Weber to discuss what's on the horizon in Minnesota's home-brewing scene and offer tips and suggestions for rookie brewers.

Tips for brewing your own beer

Never brewed before? Here are the basics from Samantha Haddow

Small batches allow you to use high-quality ingredients

You can go "full artist" with your batches, Dan Banks said. He once tried a cardamom English mild made by a home brewer.

Being able to purchase quality ingredients—like saffron or expensive coffee—makes your home brew unique without being cost prohibitive, a caller said. You can make different brews that bigger producers wouldn't sell because of the high costs of buying those ingredients in bulk.

Rookie mistakes can turn into happy accidents

People new to brewing are likely to make mistakes with consistent temperature, Haddow said. At the worst, you'll have a bad tasting beer, but other mistakes can lead to unexpected and delicious concoctions.

If you have trouble keeping room temperature down, try a Belgian style.

A caller wanted to know how he could brew beer in his condo. He said it's hard to control the temperature of the space to keep it ideal for the fermentation process. Banks recommended trying a Belgian style.

Some laws to keep in mind

1. You can't sell your homemade beers. 2. You are limited to producing 100 gallons in a household of one, 200 gallons if there are two adults in the home.

3. You can also try making wine and mead, but liquor is illegal.

Minneapolis tap water is good enough for your beer.

Banks and Haddow both recommended Minneapolis tap water. Banks recommended using a charcoal filter to get out some of the additives.

Want to grow your own hops too?

Banks recommended trying cascades and centennials. Those are Pacific Northwest hops that seem to do well in our climate.

Ready to move beyond extracts?

Once you feel comfortable making beer with the extracts, you can try mashing your own grains. Banks said it is more time consuming and requires additional equipment and attention to detail.

Places to shop

Midwest Supplies and Northern Brewer have brick-and-mortar stores in the Twin Cities to help you get started.