Best Resources To Brew Beer At Home In Sacramento

Microbrews are continuing to gain popularity as beer enthusiasts desire new and unique flavors of beer. Sacramento is blessed with a number of local craft breweries and markets that carry some of the best local and international beers. However, some beer enthusiasts prefer to take matters into their own hands and become home brew masters. If you are looking to start brewing your own beer at home, here are four of the best resources in Sacramento.

The Original Homebrew Outlet
5528 Auburn Blvd., Suite 1
Sacramento, CA 95841
(916) 348-6322
www.ehomebrew.com

The Original Homebrew Outlet in Sacramento has a wealth of brewing supplies and is the ideal spot to pick up a starter kit if you are just getting into brewing your own beer. Seasoned brewers note that you should plan on $150 to $200 for your equipment and first batch of five-gallon beer. The prices are reasonable and the staff is very knowledgeable as well.

You might recognize Brew Ferment Distill, often referred to as BFD, from its original location on Broadway and 36th Street. Opened in 2010, it quickly outgrew the 1,100-square-foot shop and, earlier this year, relocated to the new facility on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Now offering customers 4,100 square feet of home-brewing supplies, Brew Ferment Distill is one of the largest shops in the region. With supplies for everything from brewing your own beer to making wine, cheese and charcuterie, BFD is a "must-visit" store in Sacramento.

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The Brewmeister has two locations in the greater Sacramento region – Folsom and Roseville. The Brewmeister has everything for all levels of brewer, from the brand new home brewer to the expert looking to restock. The Brewmeister is not limited to just beer-making supplies either, and has a wealth of supplies for wine making as well. The Brewmeister offers classes on both beer and wine making, but for something really unique, look to host an off-site custom brewing experience for you and your friends.

Woodland Homebrew Supply
175 W. Main St.
Woodland, CA 95695
(530) 668-4677
www.blackdragonbrew.com

If you live in West Sacramento or the Davis area, you may want to check out Woodland Homebrew Supply, which is directly linked with Black Dragon Brewery in Woodland. Black Dragon Brewery offers home-brewing classes most of the year, except during the summer months as it heats the brewery too much. Classes are taught by Jason Brecaff, the brewmaster and owner of Black Dragon Brewery. He's a graduate of the American Brewers Guild and has been home brewing for over 13 years, working and teaching in the industry for eight years. Classes are usually the first Saturday of each month and alternate between instructional all-grain brewing and instructional extract brewing.

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Erin De Santiago is a freelance travel and food/wine writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. She is a regional membership coordinator for the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) and writes for a number of publications in addition to publishing her own blogs. She has traveled to over 40 countries on five continents in search of the best food and wine around the globe. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.