Brewing your own beer is something that takes time. If you are thirsty and want a beer, then the time is not right to start mixing ingredients and waiting for the mix to be ready. In fact, from start to finish, brewing a beer may take weeks. It is because of this long process that brewing beer is such a voyage of discovery.

The first time you brew a beer you should not diverge from the instructions given with the kit. You need to work to a recipe – home brewing is one of the most exact sciences there is – and to stick to that recipe come hell or high water. If you vary from the instructions for even one small part of the process, the results are going to be undrinkable.

You can make changes to the process, but only after you have brewed a batch that tastes right. It is only at this point that you can trace the process and recognize where there is room for something to be changed. It may be with the addition of more hops, with the substitution of some hops for another ingredient, or something so minor that it would seem irrelevant. One way or the other, it is important to know the process before you try to change it.

Once you know what you are doing, the world is your oyster. Home brewing is a popular hobby, to the extent where people will attend conventions and sell their own brews and equipment. You may find, if your home brew is good enough, that it is commercially viable to start selling it.