Advanced Homebrewing: Making beer like the big guys

Enough of the beginning and intermediate levels of homebrewing- it is time to get down to business and brew a batch of beer like an expert. Homebrewing kits with their cans of malt extract and dry yeast are fine for rookies, but you want to brew beer using an all- malt process and monitor for quality every step of the way. How, then, does the home brewing hobby distinguish the men from the boys?

At the advanced level, homebrewers typically resort to:
-All Grain Brewing: Most of us agree that all- malt beer is the most pure and the most true to intentions. All- grain brewing is considered the most advanced level of homebrewing because it involves using raw barley and then mashing and sparging it as you prepare it for the brewing cycle. Besides barley, some advanced homebrewers may want to add wheat , rye, and other grains to the process in order to produce a more distinct flavor.

-Advanced equipment: This usually includes purchasing a mash tun, sparging equipment (needed for the all- grain process), wort chillers, kegging systems, etc. Some of this advanced equipment improves the quality of the finished product. Other advanced equipment is intended for convenience. Whatever category it falls under, advanced equipment is usually the next step as the homebrewer continues to look for ways to perfect the homebrewing craft.


With advanced homebrewing, the processes requires a little closer attention than it does at the beginning and intermediate levels. Sparging and mashing, for instance, require that the homebrewer pay close attention to the temperature and the elapsed time from beginning to end. An accurate thermometer is essential, and the advanced homebrewer will also need some extra saucepans and other equipment to complete the process.
Advanced homebrewing isn’t necessarily more difficult than beginner and intermediate homebrewing. Sparging takes a little more time, but the rest of the process is similar. Also, one pleasant surprise to advanced homebrewers is that the product not only tastes better, it is more convenient than before. This, of course, is due to the changes to the process described above. Wort chillers, for example, actually speed up the homebrewing process by cooling the beer down at a quick pace. The faster the beer is cooled down, the sooner the homebrewer can pitch the yeast and complete the process.
Once the homebrewer has mastered the skills necessary for advanced brewing, it is doubtful he/she will ever return to the beer kits and processes used by the less experienced homebrewer. The quality of the finished product and the greater control that the advanced homebrewer has over the brewing process make the efforts required at the advanced level worth the time and patience. A better glass or brew awaits the advanced home brewer and once this level is achieved, there is really no reason to ever go back to basics.