Brew Your Own Dorm-Room Beer

In my four years here at UConn, there is a legend I've heard more than once. It seems that a couple of times a year someone will turn to me at a party and begin telling a story about a guy that lived on their floor last year who knew someone that brewed their own beer in their dorm room.

Most of the time, this amateur-brewmaster is an old high school friend that goes to another college, usually out of state. And if you're like me, you've probably always assumed it was nothing more than a story. But if I've learned anything in my senior year, it's that this legend is completely true - well, that and how to brew beer under my desk.

There's something about this legend that keeps it alive from semester to semester and decade to decade. I've come to the conclusion that there is a certain devilish-cool factor to dorm room brewing that keeps these stories, whether true or false, alive. In the end, it was the intriguing nature of these stories that made me give it a try.

Brewing your own beer really isn't as hard as most people assume. If you're able to wash dishes and read a thermometer, you can brew beer anywhere.

Brewing:

I used to assume that it would be impossible to brew beer in my dorm because I had no way to continually cook or heat the wort (beer pre-fermentation). Luckily, you really only need to be able to cook the wort for about 30 to 45 minutes, which is easy to do in a UConn dorm since most have kitchens in the basement or first floor. Once you've cooked the ingredients together, you simply have to find a dark place in your room to store the fermenting beer for two or three weeks. While it sits under your desk (or in your closet) the yeast will be hard at work converting the sugars in your wort into beer. For the first few days, you may hear the brew bubbling a bit as excess air escapes from the fermentation vessel.

My roommate's initial objection to my dorm-brewing project was a concern that the yeast might smell bad. But if your equipment is good, it will keep any funky smells in the fermentation vessel and out of the air in your room.

Brewing beer really is quite simple. The only real tough part is maintaining the temperature and keeping the equipment clean. But if you live in one of the modern dorms (South, Charter Oak, Hilltop) temperature control isn't really a problem since they all have central air and heating, and ale is best brewed at room temperature. If your building doesn't have a good climate control system, you can regulate the temperature fairly well by opening and closing windows. And as far as keeping the brewing equipment clean, most homebrew supply stores sell special sanitizing powder made specifically for cleaning brewing equipment.

Logistics:

In the Mansfield area, there are two places where you can easily purchase brewing equipment and supplies. The closest store is Champlion's General Store, located about five minutes from campus on Old Mill Court, near the intersection of South Eagleville Road and Route 32. The second homebrew supply store is Zok's Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies, located about 20 minutes from campus on North Street in Willimantic, just a few blocks away from Willi Brew.

Both Zok's and Champlion have friendly and helpful staff that can help you find the equipment kits and ingredients you'll need to get brewing.

Legality:

Under federal law, any adult may brew 100 gallons of beer per year. In terms of UConn policies, there is nothing in the Student Code, University Policy on Alcohol and other Drugs or the ResLife housing contract that expressly or indirectly forbids the production of any type of alcohol in a dorm room. The only real restriction on your dorm-brewing activities is the amount of alcohol you're allowed to have. As a general rule, homebrew kits will make approximately 48 bottles of beer, which is exactly the legal limit for a four-person (who are 21 or older) apartment or suite on campus.

Cost:

Depending on the brand you buy, the equipment kit will cost between $50 and $100. My kit, the True Brew equipment kit, cost $98 with tax and my first set of ingredients. I'd highly recommend the True Brew kit - it includes everything you need: primary and secondary fermenting vessel, thermometer, tubing, bottling equipment and cleaning tools. After the initial expense, each ingredient kit will cost about $30. These kits really are the best way to go when you're first starting out. Once you have a good grasp on the process of brewing, then it'll be easier to create your own recipes.

Dorm-brewing is really the way to go if you're living on a budget, too. The equipment seems like it may be rather expensive, but take a look at how the numbers break down. One batch of dorm-brew will make about 48 bottles of beer, or two cases. To buy the same amount of Sam Adams would cost you about $75, give or take a bit depending on your package store. With each ingredient kit costing approximately $30, two brews is enough to pay for the equipment and after that you're saving $45 with every brew.

Advice From A Graduating Dorm-Brewmaster:

Get a few of your buddies together over the summer and give this a try. Try to get a good grasp on the process before you come back to campus because there's a little less room for error in the dorm. As a graduating senior, this is something I wish I had done sooner. Dorm-brewing really is a fun hobby, and heck, there really is nothing like throwing a party and serving beer that you made with your own two hands.

Contact Timothy Bleasdale at

Timothy.Bleasdale@UConn.edu.