OnTap Magazine

BREW YOUR FIRST BEER 1 SWITCH TO ALL GRAIN BREWING 2 UPGRADE YOUR EQUIPMENT 5 GROW YOUR OWN HOPS 8 EXPERIMENT WITH SOUR BEERS 9 DO TOO MUCH 6 BREW A RIDICULOUSLY HIGH ALCOHOL BEER 3 DUMP A BATCH 4 START KEGGING 7 BECOME WEIRD 10 JOIN A HOMEBREW CLUB 11 GO COMMERCIAL 12 Everyone has their own reasons for stepping on to the homebrewing pathway, but for most people the starting point is one of the many starter kits available through any homebrew shop. This is a great way of kicking off as the process is simple and bulletproof and while, in hindsight, it won’t be the best beer you’ll ever make, there is no feeling like cracking the first bottle of beer that you made yourself. At this point you will know if the brewing bug has bitten and may continue nipping you along your brewing journey. From kit brewing, you will likely progress into partial mash and finally onto all- grain brewing. This gives the brewer a greater level of control over the character of the beer and introduces a set of technical steps which enhance the enjoyment of the hobby. You now become obsessed with homebrewing gear, spending hours planning your perfect brewing system or scouring classifieds for second-hand equipment. Once you have a few batches under your belt, you would likely have read about some of the higher ABV beer styles and heard stories and recipes of dizzyingly strong beers. It’s a rite of passage to try something like this early in your brewing journey. These can be some of the most satisfying beers to brew and can be kept for many years if handled properly. My advice is to find an uncomplicated recipe and to use enough yeast to ensure a healthy fermentation which limits the harsh flavours so often present in home brewed versions of these beers. Check out this issue’s Homebru column on page 52 to learn more about high gravity brewing. Another rite of passage in homebrewing is getting an infected batch. Although completely avoidable, it happens to almost every brewer at some point. The important thing is to review where you may have got the infection and take steps to correct your sanitation practices. Common culprits are bottles not properly sanitised and taps on fermenters which can be difficult to clean. Talk to other brewers about their cleaning and sanitising practices and be extra vigilant on your next batch. You can make very good beer with very simple equipment, but that is not the point! Designing and building equipment or figuring out modifications can be a large portion of the fun in homebrewing. Each brewer has different needs relating to compactness or simplicity, but every brewer is constantly thinking of new gadgets or additions to their systemwhich they would like to implement. Simple brew in a bag systems get recirculation loops and hop rockets. Plastic buckets become stainless conicals with temperature control…the possibilities are endless. There are a million things you can do with your beer. Early on in your brewing journey you are going to be tempted to do all million of them in one brew. You may want to use 15 different malts, or 10 different hops (or both). You may want to experiment with different mashing and fermentation temperatures at the same time. I say go for it! The best way to learn about the benefit of restraint is to experience the lack of it. Wise brewers will tell you to change only one thing at a time in order to gauge the effect of the variable, and to keep your malt and hop bills small to allow the characteristics of each to shine. But that can come later – this stop on our journey is all about excess. There are few things in this world which bring greater joy than a freshly poured pint of draught beer. All who feel the same would confess to dreaming of having this joy available to them at home. And as a homebrewer, you can! Kegging your beer, while relatively expensive to get set up, dramatically reduces the time and effort of packaging and allows you to set up one, or many, beer taps at home. Beer has now become an intrinsic part of you, and you are looking for new ways to incorporate it into other aspects of your life. Growing your own hops is a good way to do this. This will further entrench your now irreversible love affair with hops, and is a great talking point when brewers, or even normal people, come over to your house. Poor yields and terroir variance mean your homegrown hops cannot feasibly sustain your brewing, but it is all part of the ride. I very clearly remember telling myself that I was not interested in attempting mixed culture sour beers at home. Despite loving the tart and funky beers, the lengthy maturation time turned me off. However, after a couple years of brewing, the lure of long-term aging was too much to ignore. Attempting this old and idiosyncratic brewing method is a true exploration and massively rewarding when it works out. At some point your whole worldview is framed by beer and brewing. Every fruit, herb or spice you come across is analysed for its potential to be used in a beer. You have a newfound attraction to stainless steel you can’t quite explain. You even look at houses differently. The roof may be falling in but there is a great space at the back for a brewing room! Homebrewing is now a definitive part of you. It consumes most of your waking thoughts, and pretty much all of your dreams. You need to meet up with others who share your obsession. A homebrew club is the answer. Here you can chat for hours about proper sparging technique without the eyerolls or anyone tripping the fire alarm to escape the conversation. Clubs are great for sharing knowledge and experiencing the great camaraderie which makes this hobby so special. Every homebrewer dreams of brewing professionally (and every professional brewer will tell you they dream of their homebrewing days). This is the logical end point to your homebrewing journey and is the story shared among many of the best professional brewers. The spirit of experimentation driven by homebrewing has been a fundamental part of the craft beer revolution, and will continue to be in the future. Not everyone will complete step 12, and that’s ok too. Homebrewing for pleasure is a truly noble pursuit. BREWER'S DOZEN 50 | Autumn 2021 | ontapmag.co.za