Every brewer develops his/her own shortcuts and tricks based on the roadblocks and problems he/she encounters along the way. We recently published a solid set of beginner tips, but there’s always room for more. The great thing about homebrewing is that you keep learning as you go, and even experienced brewers can pick up new ideas.
Here are some tips I share with every budding brewer. They’ll help you make better beer and reduce stress at the same time.
1. Dressing Up Extract Brews
Most brewers start with malt extract rather than diving directly into all-grain brewing, and the quality of the kits and range of extracts have gotten much better over the years. Even though it’s pretty easy to make a good beer this way, you can really improve your beer with specialty grains like crystal malt or chocolate malt. Steeping the grains before the boil will add color and fresh malt flavor that will take your extract beers to the next level, without making the all-grain commitment.