Can anyone brew beer?

I get asked all the time if it is hard to brew beer, and my answer has always been the same.  It's not hard, youjust have to be "into" cleaning and waiting.  To me, these are the most important characteristics of a homebrewer, but there are a few more that matter as well, and none of them have anything to do with an interest in cooking.

1.) Cleaning

Perhaps this is obvious, but it is imperative that a prospective homebrewer understands that a lot of the process involves cleaning and santizing everything.  I've met successful homebrewers that don't necessarily follow these rules all the time, but you're playing with fire.  If you don't spend enough energy making sure all of your equipment is cleaned and sanitized, you'll eventually be pouring some spoiled beer down the drain.  As long as you understand this and are willing to take on the task, you'll be fine.

2.) Patience

This is by far the most important characteristic, but it isn't inherently obvious.  Beer takes time.  You'll find recipes that say you could brew one day, and ferment for 10 days, bottle for 10 days, and then drink the beer.  I promise, it will taste much better if you ferment for twice that amount of time, and then let it sit in the bottle for twice that time as well.  Beer takes time and gets better with age (almost always).

You could overcome the need to have patience by simply brewing more often, at which point you'll be forced to leave your batches in process for longer, because you won't be waiting to crack a homebrew all the time.  The pipeline is always a good idea.

3.) Organization

The brewing process, fermenting, bottling, and everything else can take up a lot of space, but is also a lot of different parts and pieces.  I found that early in my homebrewing days, I bought a box that could fit everything and I consisitently used that all the time.  Sometimes, when you haven't brewed for a few months, it becomes difficult to remember where everything is, so keep it in the same place and keep it organized.  As you get more into the hobby you'll likely collect more pieces and parts, so keeping organized early will help you in the long run.

Similarly, on brew day, the entire process can be very simple if a good list is made, ingredients are pre-measured, and timing is written down.  If you don't stay organized on brew day, you're bound to be running around the house insetead of just stirring and watching (and drinking an homebrew).

4.) Interest in Beer

Ummm, obviously.  Even if you were just slightly into beer, you're in good shape.