Homebrewing For Beginners

Get started with our quick-fire guide to the basics of making beer at home.

Successful homebrewing begins with sanitised gear (Star San, £18, beerhawk. co.uk) and, for newcomers, a beer-making kit. The majority of these come with a full recipe and ingredients, including malt extract. Start by boiling this in water to create ‘wort’ (basically, unfermented beer), then add hops. These add flavouring and can be thrown in at various points in the boil. Hops used at the start add bitterness, while hops added later enhance aroma.