July Fermentation Friday - Advice for new brewers, "Brew it Your Way"

The Brew Dudes have laid down the gauntlet for Fermentation Friday this month. On the 25th we can all jump from site to site soaking in the advice of home brewers who have been there done that. Here is my contribution.

Theme: What one tip would you give a beginner homebrewer before they brew their first batch and why?

What a great topic. I think most home brewers could go on for hours. Though, if my experience tells me one thing it would have to be, "Brew it your way." Sure there are things you just shouldn't do, but, it really is all about learning. Everybody learns in a different way. You're first step might be to read a book or perhaps watch somebody brew. Maybe you'll follow the directions that came with a kit. These days you can even watch a DVD or a video on YouTube. Oh yeah there's also podcasts to listen to. I suppose you could even persuade somebody to help you via a Skype video conference or go old school internet and look for a newsgroup about brewing. Ok...a forum if you like more recent tech. Hey, my grandfather did it in a crock in the basement. How sanitary was that? Many people have been brewing for thousands of years. I hear it used to be a common chore in many households. It ain't rocket science. So get to it. There's more than one way to start brewing. Remember my one piece of advice. Do you're own thing. Why? Because you are your own brewer. Nothing should stand in the way of your first mistake. After all this mistake could be what will likely teach you to make great beer time and time again.