Mugs of Beer

Putting Your Home Bar Together Easy

It’s extremely understandable that a beer enthusiast with home bar dreams might get a little out of hand. Of course, it’s a phenomenon that home bars are always quite unique and that should be your ultimate goal. But, you have to start somewhere first and then you have to know when to quit.

Your home bar needs more of you than anything else. But, you need a place to start and then you can start pouring your own personality into it. Let’s begin with the basics, discuss different ideas and then move on to how you can bring a bit of you to your own home bar.

The Bar

Of course, any conversation about a home bar would have to begin with the bar itself. Different types of bars normally begin with a wood décor. But, you can go with stone, marble, or leather as just a few ideas to start.

Of course, your stone or marble bar doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be framed with 2x4s and plywood. Then, cover with stone or marble veneer. Leather can be pasted on and then stylishly fastened with brass snaps. But, the wood look is the best.

Of course, you would still frame with 2x4s and plywood. But then, you want to add the nice looking finish of cedar or pine. Why use the ancient not-so-flattering wood paneling when you can have a great looking bar with the quality natural wood look of grooved paneling? No, I am not a salesperson.

You can panel the top as well. But then, add some style with trim. It’s easy and affordable just adding some trim to touch up the edges of your bar. Once the bar is ready, simply add a kegerator with a beer tap and some beer tap handles. Of course, you know what to do. Go with your favorite beer.

Décor

Starting with shelves to hold a collection of beer glasses is the first place I would go once the bar is in place. You can start collecting sets of beer mugs and glasses that represent different beer choices and different pub locations. People get real excited when they see their beer of choice on your walls or if you have a mug of an exotic bar half way around the world. Those are the types of things that start adding your personality to the bar.

Putting beer signs and mirrors on your walls is the next place for you to go. I once met a friend bartender of mine at his bar because we had plans. I arrived right on time because the beer distributor had just shown up to stock more beer in the bar. That’s the perfect time to get great stuff. I was offered a rare beer mirror that the distributor was told to send around with their drivers on deliveries and offer them as a promotion to different bars they serviced. The driver didn’t care who he was giving mirrors to and I ended up with one.

You may not have that kind of luck. But, everyone can look online for unique beer signs and mirrors that they can purchase to decorate their bar. You can start with a few just to get yourself going and then keep your ears and eyes open for opportunities.

Bar Accessories

Your bar is almost finished. But, it’s not quite ready for company yet. You have to add those types of things no one else has. It’s not as tricky as you might think. But, it does take some “good eye” action and be ready for the moment.

A Jagermeister machine is in just about every bar. But, I have rarely seen one in a home bar. Having a Jagermeister machine steps you up into the professional realm where your friends and family will really be impressed.

But, the hottest trend sweeping the nation right now is beer pong. Having a beer pong table with some great beer pong accessories will make for hours of fun when you have company over to your house. There will always be some people who won’t want to hang out in the bar. They’ll want to sit at the dining room table and talk. Well, let them. Have fun playing beer pong for hours while they talk politics on their stuffy bums.

Home bars aren’t necessarily hard to put together. A little planning and you can have an affordable home bar with very little effort. Then, start adding some of your personality to it so that it’s undeniably yours. Friends who didn’t think of it first will be very envious.

The Many Types of Beer to Choose From

So what do the pharaohs of ancient Egypt and modern-day fanatical football fans have in common? Why, they all love to drink beer of course!

Beer is the oldest recorded alcoholic beverage in history, with origins dating back to ancient times, even as far back as ancient Egypt. Beer has been the drink of choice of many people, for a very long time.

So what exactly is beer and how is it made? Beer is basically an alcoholic beverage made from fermented starches. It main ingredients consist of water, malted barley (or other starch sources like wheat, cassava, etc.), hops, and yeast. They are then fermented through a process called brewing. After brewing the beer is ready to be consumed, though further processes like aging and carbonation can be practiced to improve the taste and quality.

Throughout the years, many different types of beer have been created around the world. These types of beers can vary in things like flavor, color and aroma. Various different cultures have invented their own distinct take on this famous beverage.

Beer is generally classified into two types or styles based on the yeast used for fermentation. These two types are ales, which uses top-fermenting yeast, and lagers which are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast. These yeast give the beer their own unique characteristics, which can affect how the beer looks and tastes.

Ales along with using top-fermenting yeast, are fermented at a warmer temperature than lagers. They’re fermented at about 15 to 23 C, 60 to 75 F and usually take a shorter amount of time to ferment. Ales tend to have a stronger more pronounced taste as well as a fuller body. Ales can also have a somewhat nutty or fruity taste that are the result of the warmer fermentation temperatures.

Some common varieties of ales include:

Pale ale – Pales ales are ales that use pale malts, usually barley. They all tend to have similar characteristics, such as a strong hop taste and low to medium malt levels, though many countries have their own versions of pale ale like the English Bitter, Saison, and India Pale Ale each with their own slight variations.

Porter- A porter is a dark ale ranging from dark brown to black in color. It was originally created in the 1700′s in Britain. A combination of three different kinds of ale, it was very popular among the porters of old London, hence the name. It was made from roasted malt barley giving it a rich aroma and full body.

Stout- Stout is a dark ale derived from porter. Like a porter it has a very dark coloring. This results from roasting the malted barley, used for brewing, until black. Irish dry stout like Guinness or Murphy’s are known for their bitter, roasted taste. The ale’s black color topped with distinctive creamy head gives it it’s nickname the “priest’s collar” and goes well with oysters.

The other type of beer are lagers. The word lager is derived from a German word “lagern”. “Lagern” translated means “to store” and alludes to a time when brewers used to store beer in caves to ferment in cooler temperature.

Lagers are made with bottom-fermenting yeast at temperatures ranging from 8 to15 degrees C or 46 to 59 degrees F. At these cooler temperatures, the beer will generally take a longer time to ferment. Lagers are known generally be lighter in color than ales. They also have a distinctively clean and crisp taste that makes them very popular to the masses. They also tend to have a lower alcohol content than ales and are best served cold.

Some beers categorized as lagers are:

Pilsner- Considered the most popular type of beer in the world. Pilsners are generally light yellow to golden in color and usually well balanced in flavor, with a clean, crisp taste.

American style lagers- The common, mass produced type of beer in America is a type of pilsen. Light in color and flavor, it is also high in carbonation.

Bock- Bock is a dark lager originating from Germany. It’s high in alcohol and malt making it a strong, full-bodied beer.

There are many more kinds of beers, each with their own distinct style and taste. There are enough choices to satisfy just about anyone’s taste.

Beer has been around since even before people could write! With so many kinds of beer to choice from, and even more being invented all the time, there is no doubt that beer will be here to stay.

About the Author
Lee Dobbins writes for http://beer-making.leisure-webzone.com where you can learn more about beer making procedures and supplies.

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The Many Types of Beer to Choose From

The History Of American Home Brewing

Over the years, American home brewing has changed with the times. It used to be illegal to brew beer at home, then America was the top producer of beer worldwide, and now the recession has hit hard forcing many companies to shut shop. Now we all know as times get tough, people turn to the bottle for comfort… but the brutality off the recession has forced many people to reconsider their chosen drinking hole and replace it with a rewarding and extremely tasty hobby that goes by the name of “home beer brewing”.

Over time there has been lot’s of change in the American Home Brewing scene. Once upon a time, greats such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington participated in brewing their own beer… and they absolutely loved it! Through their guidance, many people were passionate about making their own beer at home.

However, there was a time of prohibition that was devastating to the American population. Prohibition meant that it was illegal to brew your own beer, and heavy fines where placed on people who broke this law… and what a shame that was… some people even went to prison for having a home brewery! Can you imagine a life without beer? Unfortunately the American people had to suffice and deal with prohibition. This then led to shop owners renaming all equipment so it couldn’t be associated with running home brewery and started selling it on the sly to hardcore supporters of brewing beer at home. This was quiet easy because the equipment is fairly standard, including buckets, hosing, pots, pans, and other tidbits. The only problem that did arise was a lack off ingredients, so any beer that was brewed tasted the same, no variation, just BEER! This didn’t stop people from brewing their own beer, but it was frowned upon, and there were serious legal reprocutions if you were caught… this kept the sapping and selling of home brewed to a minimum, with people happy to keep brewing for personal consumption only.

In 1935, the law was improvised a bit. Home wine making was allowed without taxes but to brew beer, the interested party must first secure permits and comply with regulations. But despite the heavy regulations, some beer advocates pooled their efforts to promote home brewing. One of the greats in the field, Charlie Papazian first entered the scenario during this time and taught home brewing classes. However, government maintained that unregulated home brewing was still unlawful as any type of brewing could still be employed by moonshiners.

But thankfully, in 1978, Jimmy Carter rescued the doomed souls of beer loving Americans and signed Senate Amendment 3534 allowing households to brew their own beer as long as they don’t go beyond 200 gallons a year. After the lifting of the prohibition on alcoholic beverages, it was home brew beer enthusiasts who worked hard to revive the brewing industry. Today, there are over 1,463 breweries in the United States, a much improved American home brewing state.

American Home Brewing is alive and well today, so of-course it’s time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a home brew. For those still not up to speed with home brewing beer, follow the link to learn more!

Like Beer? Brew Your Own!

Home brewing is something which has been popular for many years. Still, those of us for whom convenience is the issue may find that we would much rather go to the liquor store and pay to enjoy beer brewed by companies who have done it for years, with equipment suitable for mass production. However, as with everything else in life, convenience costs. As insignificant as the additional cost can seem at the time, it certainly becomes significant over the course of a years worth of sports games, parties and nights out.

Paying for your own beer brewing supplies may not seem to make sense at first, as you will think to yourself that you could have a few nights worth of drinking for the same price and not have to go to the effort of ensuring that your brew tastes like it is supposed to. However, look at the situation beyond just a few weeks ahead and you’ll see that home brewing is a much better option. After the initial amount that you pay for the kit and supplies, which is little more than the cost of a few crates anyway, you’ll have the potential to make enough beer to see you through the next couple of months.

As well as the initial costs, some people are put off home brewing because it sounds like a lot of effort. It must be better to just let the breweries take care of all of the behind the scenes stuff for us, right? Well, of course it is, but then again you could think of it this way – you can eat in a restaurant every night of the year, but you’ll save money and develop a skill if you cook your own meals. The longer you keep practising, the better your beer will get, and before too long you will have your own recipe which will be customisable to give you the taste you want every time.

As for the supplies you need, these can be found easily enough. In most towns you will find a store which has the necessary equipment and the right ingredients, and if you are not so lucky you will certainly find them on the Internet, often at a lower price. You can find out exactly what you need by doing a bit of online research. There are various beer brewing forums that are full of like-minded beer lovers who will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Beer brewing supplies come with instructions if you have never brewed beer at home before, it is worth following these closely to make sure you do not miss out an important step. The best way to learn how to do something right is to keep doing it and get the technique down. Once you have the basics learnt, you can then start deviating from the standard processes in order to make your own special recipes. Brewing your own beer may sound like too much hassle but its really worth the effort.

Luke Porter is a home brewing beer enthusiast, and an expert author. You are invited to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home by reading his latest book, “Home Beer Brewing Secrets” – available online today!

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The Best Beer Is The One You Brew Yourself…

Home Beer Brewing is not only great fun but very rewarding. You can make it simply by following the basic instructions in the kit or branch out using different recipes as you gain more experience. With the right kit the process is made so easy with good consistent results.

A home beer brewing kit is a great gift idea for people that are looking to get involved with brewing beer as a hobby. A kit will provide them with everything they need to get started with, including all the equipment and supplies… such as extract, yeast, bottles, and other important gear.

Some Tips For You:

One – you will need some where in your home or shed that gives you enough room to work, including a good work bench and a sink area for washing and cleaning and drying. One very important fact is that all your equipment and bottles need to be sterilized.

Two – the right temperature is essential for the wort to properly react with the yeast, and then ferment to provide great tasting beer. If the temperature is too low or too high, you will have problems!

Three – refrigerated beer is great beer. Just make sure you cool the beer that has properly fermented and carbonated, don’t cool beer to early otherwise it might end up bad to taste.

Making your own beer, complete with your own label is very rewarding and with the right equipment, setting up your own home beer brewery is not hard at all. You need to invest a little time and effort to learn how to create the perfectly brewed beer and a little money to invest in your first equipment but then you will be able to brew a good tasting beer

Are you serious about starting your own Home Beer Brewing? Then check out the website below, you will find all the information you need to get you started as well as good practical tips and recipes. Have fun, Cheers.

The home brewing beer ultimate guide is your one stop shop of brewing beer at home. One chapter is fully committed to showing you the ins and outs off brew kits, so you are always one step ahead off the home beer brewing practice!

What Supplies Do You Need When Brewing Beer At Home?

If you are into brewing your own beer, then you need home brew supplies and lots of them. Although many shops offer a variety of products on home brewing, you still have to discern which among the many homebrew kits fit what you need.

The first thing that you need to know is how much beer do you actually want to produce? If you want to make around five gallons of beer then your brewing kit must be able to yield this amount. There are brewing kits that would give you this and there are those that won’t. Thus, when purchasing home brew supplies, make sure that you read the details attached to the items. It is also advisable for you to ask someone who works at the shop to help you if you need clarifications regarding home brewing products.

Some equipment that you will require include a fermentation bucket, bottling bucket, plastic hose, airlock, brewing kettle, airlock, and other relevant items for both brew day and bottling day. Just remember that these items need to be used for brewing alone… this means that you should not use your brewing kettle to make spaghetti Bolognese the night after you brew your beer, as doing so will contaminate your equipment and spoil your beer when you try to brew a new batch in the future.

Furthermore, yo will need to transfer the wort from your fermenting vessel into your bottling bucket if you don’t have an all-in-one model. Your best bet is to use an automatic siphon system as it is more hygienic and you have less chance of spoiling your beer. Other than that, you will also require the right caps and a capper to get those caps onto the bottles.

Grains, malt extracts and yeast are also essential because they are basically the source of your beer. How would you produce beer without them? Similarly, if you want to add flavor to your home brew beer you need to put in flavorings and spices such as licorice stick, spruce essence and dried ginger root. Aside from these, hops such as Cascade Leaf Hops can also be used to add taste to your home made beer.

A couple of other essential items to have in our home brewing kit is a thermometer and hydrometer. The best thermometer is one that sticks to your fermentation bucket from the outside, allowing you to check on the beer’s temperature as you go through the fermentation process. The hydrometer is of-course to determine your freshly brewed beer’s alcoholic content.

Cleaning all your equipment before brewing and bottling is an essential task, so make sure that you also purchase all the necessary sanitizing liquids.

In sum, brewing your own beer can be a whole lot of fun… but before you can engage in it you must know the 101 on home brew supplies.

If you want to home brew beer, then you must have the proper home brewery supplies and equipment. Miss out on these and you will have a random set off things good for nada!

Brewing Your Own Beer : Bigger May Be Better

Typically, people make small home brews, and so if you are planning on making a large home brew, then there are several pointers that you are absolutely going to want to take into consideration.

Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. Should these circumstances not apply to you then you are probably better off sticking with smaller, more frequent, brews as you may end up with an unacceptable amount of wastage.

As with most other things in life, the bigger you want something to be, the more time and effort it takes. The same principle applies to home brewing. Therefore, make sure that you have the basic processed down to an art before making a large brew to avoid wasting your time and efforts.

Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. After all, you can quite easily make a small home brew right in a tiny kitchen, however when it comes to a larger one you may have difficulty if you do not have enough room for everything.

Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.

You basically have 2 options should you unfortunately not have the required amount of space available to you; either you make a series of smaller brews one after the other, or you give a fellow beer lover a percentage of the finished product in return for them giving you the use of their kitchen.

In terms of the actual brewing process, it is exactly the same to make a large brew as it is to make a small one. Just make sure that you increase the quantities of the ingredients in equal measures.

Cleveland’s Best Happy Hours

Lolita – I went with my sister and we ordered the mac and cheese and The Lolita Burger. I have to say it is the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted. 5-6:30 pm and 9:30 pm to close Tuesday through Thursday; 5-6 pm and 10:30 p. to close Saturday. 4-6:30 pm. Sunday Lolita is one of Michael Symon’s (of the food network) first restraints. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is only $2 and there are several dishes for only $5

Lincoln Park Pub – This is a Tremont staple. Very down to earth. Tacos $1.25; Mexican beers, $2.25; margaritas, $3.25 Taco Tuesdays, 3 p.m.-midnight. The Tacos are made on homemade taco shells. If you like very hot food try the morning after tacos.

Momocho From 5-6:30 p.m. daily they have half off taquitos and margaritas plus a great deal on Tecate. Momocho is one of the hippest restraints in Ohio City. The place can get busy so come early.

Blind Pig – Pizza and wings for $5; 23 oz. beers $2.50, 4-9pm daily. The pizzas are pretty big for $5, big enough for two people at least. The beer special includes imports. They have plenty of very large flat screen TV’s to watch the game on.

Light Bistro -4:30-7 p.m. daily, Cocktails starting at $3. Food plates are $5. This is one of the Best Restaurants in Ohio. It is nice to be able to stop in for an after hour bite, but it seams a better idea to go for dinner.

Liquid – 4-8 daily. 1/2 off drinks and bottled beers. Nice place to grab a beer and the food is very good and easy on the budget. The beer selection is impressive.

The Flying Fig – Happy Hour: Tuesday – Friday between 5PM and 7:30PM Season Food Specials for happy hour. The Fig provides wine-oriented cuisine utilizing the finest ingredients available, sourced locally whenever possible. Beers start at $2

The Benefits Of Joining A Home Brew Club

Making your own alcoholic drinks can be fun and challenging at the same time, and will not take up a lot of time or space. Most of the ‘scientific’ part of the process can be conducted on a standard home stove by following a set of simple instructions. With just a couple of hours work, you could have 4-5 gallons of home brew to look forward to.

Those getting into the hobby of home brewing their own alcoholic beverages may want to consider joining a home brew club, geared toward the type of home brew in which they are the most interested. Whether your beverage of choice is beer, wine or grain alcohol, and regardless of where in the country you reside, there is going to be a home brew club to match your interest.

Though it is best to start off by simply following the instructions that accompany your home brew kit, do not ignore the experimental way of doing things for too long. As people become more experienced in home brewing, they may try different methods or different ingredients and often willingly share these findings with other members of their home brew club. The sharing of information and tips is just half of the home brew club equation though, the other half being the sharing amongst members of each others finished products.

By joining a home brew club, you can get many new ideas and can ask questions of your own, finding out if a technique will work before you try it. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.

Many members of a home brew club are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience, despite the intense competition of brewing the best. Whether it be beer, wine or spirits that you want to improve your knowledge on, someone will be there to lend a helping hand.

Many times a home brew club will have local competitions where members can enter their brews to be judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!

Having A Party? Try Making A Large Home Brew

Typically, people make small home brews, and so if you are planning on making a large home brew, then there are several pointers that you are absolutely going to want to take into consideration.

Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. Should these circumstances not apply to you then you are probably better off sticking with smaller, more frequent, brews as you may end up with an unacceptable amount of wastage.

The first thing that you are going to want to think about when you are planning on making a large home brew is the fact that it is going to take a lot more time and effort. Therefore, make sure that you have the basic processed down to an art before making a large brew to avoid wasting your time and efforts.

Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. After all, you can quite easily make a small home brew right in a tiny kitchen, however when it comes to a larger one you may have difficulty if you do not have enough room for everything.

Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.

If you do not have sufficient space in your kitchen, then there are basically two options that you have; either you make a series of smaller brews one after the other, or you give a fellow beer lover a percentage of the finished product in return for them giving you the use of their kitchen.

Having found your space to brew your large batch of beer, all that remains is the actual brewing of it. The only thing to keep in mind is to ensure that all ingredients are increased in equal measures.