Hughes' Views & News

Here’s a quick and dirty update on my first home brewing project.

I have now consumed two bottles of my first batch of home brew, and I have to say I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. A picture of the first bottle I opened is shown here.

My very first bottle of home-brewed beer!

For this batch I simply used a Brewer’s Best ingredient kit for imperial pale ale, with one modification. My friend Keith Houck, who has been home brewing for more than 20 years, recommended that I add some dry leaf hops during the final week of fermentation. So, I added a half ounce of Cascade hops. The result is a brew that has a very sharp taste of hops.

Is it anywhere near as good as the best beers I have ever tasted? No, it is not. Is it better than many of the beers you will find in most grocery stores? Yes, it is. So, for my very first effort at home brewing, I’m pretty pleased.

For my next batch of home brew, I’m planning to ditch the ingredient kit altogether and brew from scratch. Just need to decide what style to make and find a good recipe.

Suggestions, anyone?