If you’re interested in starting a new hobby that will be fun to try and will leave you with a great product to enjoy at the end, then home brewing of your own alcohol might be a great option for you. However, this activity does take a little planning and forethought before jumping right in and getting started.

To help you with these beginning steps, here are three things to know before brewing your own alcohol at home. 

Make Cleanliness Your Top Priority

Just like with all other food preparation, Erin Huffstetler, a contributor to The Spruce Eats, shares that the most important thing to keep in mind while you’re attempting to brew your own beer or spirits at home is that your kitchen or workspace needs to be very, very clean. 

This means having all of the necessary cleaning supplies on hand, such as bleach, sanitizing sprays, and dishwashing liquid. In this regard, learning about a site like The Cleaning Collective, which is known for delivering such supplies could prove advantageous. When you have the essential cleaners, make sure to clean all of your brewing equipment thoroughly, as well as your kitchen countertops, before you begin.

By keeping your kitchen and all of your equipment and supplies spotless while you’re preparing your drinks, you’ll ensure that you don’t wind up with any unwanted bacteria entering into your drinks. If you were to get bad bacteria into your drinks, you could wind up getting sick from drinking them and won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

You Don’t Need The Fanciest Equipment

While you may have seen pictures or videos of commercial brewing companies and all of the equipment they have, when brewing at home, you don’t need nearly this amount of equipment or even the fanciest or newest equipment in order to make something delicious.

According to HomeBrewing.org, some of the most important items to have as you trying home brewing are a fermenter with a lid, a siphon, a way to bottle your drinks, and cleaning equipment. While you can get equipment that’s meant for more commercial uses, like a brewery chiller or buckets that hold larger quantities, you really don’t need these things when you’re just starting out to see if you like brewing your own alcohol at home.  

It Won’t Be Ready For Weeks

Although you might feel very excited about trying your first product once you’ve decided to try brewing your own alcohol, Trent Hamm, a contributor to The Simple Dollar, shares that you’ll usually have to wait a few weeks before your alcohol is actually going to be ready. The time that you’ll need to wait will depend on what it is you’ve brewed and how long that specific alcoholic beverage needs to ferment. So if you’re wanting to share your creation at a specific event, make sure you start brewing it well in advance. 

If you’re wanting to try your hand at brewing your own alcohol at home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how this can safely be done.

Infographic Provided By Steel & O’Brien