Home-brewing beer a time-consuming, but rewarding process ...

OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- So, you enjoy beer and you've heard about a new law which will allow for home brewing of beer in Mississippi.

Don't think, however, that you're going to decide to brew up a batch on Thursday to drink over the weekend.

Brewing beer is a time-consuming process which can take a month or longer from start to finish. According to www.beersmith.com, in some cases beer doesn't reach peak flavor for several months, although it is normally drinkable after a month.

Paul Blacksmith, owner of Crooked Letter Brewing in Ocean Springs, started his path to becoming a professional brewer when he began home brewing about 10 years ago.

"Home brewing normally trickles down from friend to friend," Blacksmith said. "That's how we got started -- a longtime friend introduced us to it. Techniques, recipes and knowledge are usually handed down by friends."

According the American Homebrewers Association, there are four basic steps in brewing beer:

? Brewing: 2 hours

? Fermentation: 2 weeks

? Bottle Your Beer: 1 hour

? Bottle Conditioning (allows beer to carbonate): 2-4 weeks

Although homebrewers use a wide variety of ingredients to make beer, the most commonly used ingredients include malt, malt extract, hops, yeast, and water. Ingredients cost between $25 - $45, depending on the style of beer being brewed.

Beginner brewing kits which provide all the equipment and directions necessary for home brewing can be purchased from a number of retailers. The prices typically range from $75 - $150 -- although more expensive kits are available for those who plan to become serious homebrewers.

Blacksmith strongly recommends beginners use a kit to get started. He said most kits come with "grain to glass" instructions.

"You definitely want to follow one of these recipes if you're a beginner," he said. He also strongly encourages beginners to seek out the advice of an experienced home brewer.

More information on home brewing and brewing kits can be found at www.homebrewersassociation.org.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/03/homebrewing_beer_a_time-consum.html

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