Home brewing is indeed growing in popularity, and as long as there are men who loves to drink beer it's best to assume that brewing at home will maintain its popularity. But what really makes home brewing sticks? Well there are a number of reasons why this activity continues to attract hordes of men and women. If you've moved on with brewing 6 to 8 gallon-recipes, a larger pot would do the job. A ceramic on steel pot or a home canning pot is also a good option, given of course that the ceramic isn t chipped. Otherwise, it's best to settle with a stainless steel pot. An aluminum pot is by far the least preferable as it absorbs the flavors of the brew. Now if you are just new in home brewing and would like to play with specialty grains, then start with the crystal malt. You can never go wrong with these grains since these are known for mild flavor. Cara-Pils. Now these types of specialty grains can be quite tricky. The effect of these grains to the final home brew will depend on the kind of preparation and processes extended to these grains. There is a right temperature for use in home brewing and this is dependent on the kind of yeast strain selected for the brew. By practice, the most common temperature used will register in between the 60s and the 70s. As already identified early on, often the impatience of the brewer can become a mistake as well. This is especially true if you are using old bottles with labels. The old bottles for use in bottling the brew should be soaked in a mixture of water and ammonia. After that, just rub off the labels to clean it up. Be sure to exercise safety precautions since you are handling ammonia. Carefully clean old bottles with the use of the bottle brush. This is an important addition to your growing list of home brewing equipments. When shopping, make sure that the kettle that you will get should be at least 16 quarts. Funnel. This is used for transferring your beer from the kettle to the carboy. This makes home brewing stress-free. Tubing. You will definitely need tubing for the home brewing activity.