A homebrew is an alcoholic beverage such as beer or wine that has been made at home.http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=homebrew Some homebrewers make their beer or wine on a regular basis entering their work into contests such as the American Homebrewers Association National Homebrew Competition, while others do it has a hobby or make it for special occasions and holidays.

Homebrewing alcoholic beverages was legalized by former President Jimmy Carter in 1978 when he signed H.R. 1337. Once it was signed the American Homebrewers Association or AHA was founded by Charlie Papazian and Charlie Matzen in December 1978. Ten years later in May 1988, congress announced that May 7th would be National Home Brew Day. There are three states that have not legalized homebrewing. They are Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma.http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/lets-brew/history-of-homebrewing

The supplies needed for making beer at home are available across the web as well in specialty stores through out the United States. The supplies come in kits or can be bought separately from sites like Midwest Brewing, Monster Brew and Home Brew Heaven.

Basic Ingredients

• Malt Extract is made for home brewing to eliminate the mashing process done by commercial breweries. It is made from malted barley or wheat.

• Malt Not all recipes will call for both malt extract and malts but they can be added for different types of beer such as pale ales, porters and stouts.

• Hops is used to add balance, flavor and aroma to the beer. It comes in forms such as whole flowers, or pellets. The effect it has on the beer will vary depending on when in the brewing process it is added..

• Yeast takes the sugars from the malt extract or malt and turns them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. There are two different classes of yeasts commonly used in home brewing—ale and lager.

• Water makes up ninety to ninety-five percent of the beer.http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/lets-brew/get-schooled/get-started/basic-ingredients

Equipment that is needed includes a handbook and or instruction DVD to assist in making the beer or wine, 6.5 gallon bottling bucket with spigot for filling the empty bottles, 6.5 gallon fermenter and lid (it is recommended to get one that is predrilled with a grummet), a cleanser for cleaning and sanitizing the equipment, a hydrometer will be needed to help determine alcohol level, a double handled capper to snugly place the caps on the bottles, a thermometer to be sure the water is at the proper temperature before adding hops, malt etc., an airlock to keep air out of the fermenter, forty-eight 12 ounce empty beer bottles and bottle caps.http://www.midwestsupplies.com/homebrewing-equipment.html?gclid=CIf32K327KICFQc55wodHCf7Qg