Tips for Homebrewers
If you’re reading this, you probably already know how to homebrew so these tips are more for how to present your beers to the public. We all love homebrewed beers. They’re exploratory, creative, inventive, and overall a great hobby. It’s a great way to meet new people who share a common interest. With National Homebrew Day on Saturday, May 07, and the festival season underway, I have a few tips for homebrewers. Whether you share just with your friends, pour at a festival, or are at the edge of operating on a larger level here are the tips.
Sharing with Friends
If you want honest feedback, tell them so and be able to accept the bad things they have to say. We usually don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, but if we’re given permission to be honest without the fear of hurting feelings, we’ll be more open to tell the truth. Instead of a, “It’s pretty good.” we’ll be more likely to suggest adding more hops or less mint in the next batch.
Be receptive of constructive criticism. Maybe your friends aren’t into beer as much as you are, but they still have valid opinions (if they didn’t, why are you sharing your beer with them?).
Bring enough for everyone. If you are going to a party with a lot of people, maybe skip bringing your beer if you don’t have enough. Try not to make people feel left out.
Get your beers on Untappd. Your friends may be a little biased, but, hey, those first few 5 star ratings will help you in the long run.
Pouring at a Festival
Get your social media set up. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter – we want to see you succeed and want to follow you for updates.
Have a QR code or link to your beers on Untappd. Make it easy for us to rate your beers!
Business cards are like $10 for 500 on VistaPrint, so why not buy a pack to hand out? Don’t forget to put your social media channels on them.
Snacks are great to hand out at festivals and something I see more commonly at homebrew festivals than big beer fests. Pretzel necklaces, boiled peanuts, bread made from spent grains, all good festival snacks!
Talk, talk, talk! Talk to everyone who’s trying your beers. The more people you talk with, the more support you will get maybe leading to something bigger than homebrewing.
Have fun with it! Make your table the party everyone wants to attend. Themes are fun, too! With so many breweries and homebrewers at festivals, make a way to stand out.
Handing out free stuff like buttons, magnets, and stickers is always a hit!
Operating at a Larger Level
You should have your Untappd and other social media set up, but now it’s time for your website. You can set up sites relatively easily or get a friend to help. Keep it simple to start and when you’re ready hire someone to make it look awesome.
Share your beers with bloggers (I’ll take some!) and local media to promote your beers and business plan.
Share your beers with local breweries to get some professional thoughts on quality and to build a relationship with the community. It may seem counterproductive, but our beer community is very welcoming and encouraging of new breweries. Local breweries are going to be extremely helpful in figuring out laws, licensing, and other matters about which you may not have thought.
Accept that it’s going to take a long time to open a brewery, if that’s your goal. Most of the time is waiting on state and federal approval. Don’t get frustrated, though. We’re still thirsty, so keep on keeping on!
Overall Tips
Attend homebrewer meetings. There are several groups in Kansas City that meet up once a month. They’re fun, informative, and you will make friends and connections that will help you in the long run.
Be confident in your beers! Not everyone is going to love what you make, but as long as you’re confident and are willing to learn, you can only get better.
From buying your ingredients to drinking your beer, just have fun and if it’s not fun anymore, maybe a new hobby is what you need.
Homebrewing Clubs:
- Johnson County Brewing Society – Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month in Overland Park, KS
- Kansas City Bier Meisters – Meets on the 3rd Friday of the month in Kansas City, MO
- Lawrence Brewers – Meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month in Lawrence, KS
- Missouri Mashers – Meets on the 4th Thursday of the month in North Kansas City, MO
- ZZ Hops – Meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in Lee’s Summit, MO
Homebrewing Stores:
- Apex Brew Wares – Independence
- Bacchus & Barleycorn – Shawnee
- Brew Lab – Old Downtown Overland Park
- Grain to Glass – North Kansas City
- Grains and Taps – Lee’s Summit
- Homebrew Pro Shoppe – Olathe
