Benefits of Brewing Your Own Beer

I love beer. Drinking a few bottles of good beer after a stressful workweek is one of the reasons why I am able to maintain a happy disposition in life. As a fan of both beer and cooking, about a decade ago I figured it was a natural progression to making my own beer.  Since then, home brewing has not only been a mere hobby for me, but a passion. When I take into account the many benefits home brewing can provide, it's not difficult to see why. I also have no qualms about recommending this wonderful hobby; if you need some convincing, here are several good reasons to take up home brewing.

It's a Rewarding Hobby
Being able to brew your own type of beer with its own unique flavors can give a home brewer a great sense of pride and accomplishment. The act of brewing your own beer also gives you that mad scientist feeling (or at least for me), not to mention the satisfaction that you feel every time your beer-guzzling friends rave about your concoction.

Better Quality For Your Beer
Home brewed beer, unlike commercial beers, doesn't have cheap additives. It's also typically all malt beer, giving it that full  bodied taste that you don't normally get from mass-marketed beers purchased from stores or bars. You can also use ingredients that are not normally used for commercial beers to add exotic or traditional flavors.

Cheaper Beer
Home brewed beer is cheaper than commercial beers. Home brew stores have been popping up all over the country and the internet for the past several decades, so you can get ingredients and brew 5 gallons at a lesser cost than the cheapest beer brand in your nearby store.  As the popularity of home brewing increases, it can only get better since the cost of malt and hops is bound to get cheaper.

Reduced Hangovers
A beer-drinking sesson doesn't have to provide you misery in the morning. Home brewed beer reduces the severity of hangovers due to high amounts of Vitamin B.  It's known that home brewed beer doesn't undergo pasteurization and filtering which can remove huge amounts of Vitamin B.  For that reason, beer that you brew yourself has more amounts of yeast with Vitamin B.

Improves Social Life
I've lost count of the good friends I've made and great conversations with strangers I've had because of my interest in beer and brewing.  Brewing in particular has led to some great friendships over the years.  I find that people who take up home brewing are always brimming with enthusiasm, either about their new hobby or about their old passion if they've been doing it for a while.  It seems every brewer is on a quest to find the perfect recipe, and rather than being secretive about their search, they usually bubble over with excitement when they talk about their journey. I don't have a scientific explanation for this--maybe it's the effect of the beer, but if you've spent any time around a home brewer, you know what I mean. I would also recommend joining a home brewing club. At best, you can persuade your friends to take up the same hobby.

Health Benefits
This is perhaps the best benefit of them all. While it's true that overdrinking can have grave consequences to your health, it's been scientifically proven that alcohol in moderation can improve it. Why? It's because of the high flavinoid content contained in dark beers. It's also generally true that a 12 oz serving of beer has fewer calories than 12 ounces of juice, milk or soda.

There you have it!  There's no doubt that home brewing has many benefits, and the best part is that you yourself can discover many others on your own.