Live Simple Live Free: Brewing Beer on the road

As a vagabond, of course  a lot of my time would be spent on the road but just because I am on the road, doesn't mean I can't do some of the same hobbies I did at home. I wouldn't let being on the road stop you from doing some things like home brewing. Personally, I live a simple life like a monk so it is only natural that I took up brewing my own beer. As most beer drinkers know, some of the best beers have been brewed by monks over the years. If you haven't tried the beer from the Trappist monks, you really should do that. So, with all the extra time I have,  I craft beer for myself and it saves a lot of money over buying beer.

For all those of you who haven't ever tried to do a home brew but always wanted to try, you should start with a prepackaged product. Much like baking a cake, how many people start by baking out from scratch versus buying a boxed cake? I started home brewing this way. I even started baking bread by using bread machine with a boxed bread mix. I learned the basics and then went to the next level. He are the basic steps to getting started with your on the road home brew.

1. Beer craft instructions
There are several rules you need to know about crafting a beer like sanitation, operating some of the measuring equipment, and selecting ingredients just to name a few. Select a good craft manual to help you out with the details. It will make a good reference each time you brew a batch.

2. Home brewing kit
These kits will have most of the equipment you need to to brew. You will need to add a 20 quart stainless steel stock pot.

3. Beer ingredients package
These kits come complete with every ingredient prepackaged along with specific instructions for this type of brew.

4. Water
I am careful of the water that I use and if I think it isn't good, I will use bottled spring water. Otherwise, in some areas they have spring water available to make some interesting brews.

5. Sip a cold one underneath the shade tree
This is my favorite step. After everything is done and fermenting, I can sip a cold one underneath the shade tree.

Well, it only takes about an hour to brew the wort and it takes 2-3 weeks for fermentation. The beer really should be in the bottles for 6weeks to 2 months. If you just can't wait, the beer will be carbonated a week after you bottle it. It is best to leave it for at least 6 weeks. You can decide for yourself by drinking one a week for the first 6 weeks to see the difference.

Don't let living in an RV and cooking outside stop you from brewing your own beer. Start with a kit and a package of ingredients. Once you get more experienced in the process, experiment with different recipes to hone your craft. You can even dry camp in a Walmart parking lot where your supplies like ice and water are right there to buy. Cook your wort inside and get it into the fermentation bucket before heading on to your destination. Remember to secure the bucket before you travel. If you want to try and beat those Trappist Monks at brewing, you need to learn the tricks to brewing your own beer. What ingredients to use and some tricks can be found in a craft book. Either way, enjoy your craft and your results.