American home brewing adapts to the changes in the political and economic climates of the country. Back in the 90s, America had been the top producer of beer. However, with the global recession that is happening now, many companies are closing. Although of course, some argue that as the economy worsens, beer sells more – many get depressed and thus forget their economic woes through the messy route of drinking. Some people, instead of wasting precious money by raking the bars every night, adapt to the situation – and that is by turning towards home made beer.

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.

Before beer was allowed to be brewed at home, a change in law allowed people to make their own wine at home, but now people had to obtain a permit to brew beer at home… strange but true. Even though there were strict regulations, this breath of fresh air was welcomed by the home beer brewing community. One off this first home beer brewers was Charlie Papazian, and he took it to himself to start teaching others how to brew their own beer at home… it was tough going as for those that didn’t have a permit it was illegal, but Charlie kept the dream alive.

Over time, all the ridiculous rules about brewing beer at home were fully relaxed with Jimmy Carter signing an amendment in 1978 to allow home brewers the opportunity to brew up to 200 gallons of beer a year without any permits or other silly nuances. This then sparked interest far and wide for the American Home Brewer and really led the emergence of a beer nation like no other.

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

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Hobbies

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!