OnTap Magazine

36 | Autumn 2026 | ontapmag.co.za HOMEBRU MARCEL HARPER IN CONVERSATION WITH NICK SMITH LEARNING FROM THE PROS: M ore than a few homebrewers have dreams of one day opening their own commercial breweries. Indeed, many of South Africa's craft beers started their lives as an award-winning homebrew. So it's hardly surprising that homebrewers are intrigued by what their professional counterparts are up to. Homebrewers don't just go on brewery tours or chat to pro brewers for fun (although they do that too!). They do so for education, inspiration, and just maybe, to glean some secrets that they can transplant into their home operations. As someone who has been involved in both home and commercial brewing, I've often wondered what lessons homebrewers should (or should not) learn from the pros. To get a better handle on this question, I knocked on the door of one of the most awarded brewers in South Africa for advice: Nick Smith from Soul Barrel Brewing Company in Simondium in the Western Cape. Nick is a graduate of the famous UC Davis brewing program in California. He cut his brewing teeth at such craft beer giants as New Belgium Brewing before moving to South Africa and starting Soul Barrel. Lately, Nick has been making a habit of winning best beer in Africa awards at the African Beer Cup (in 2024 for Ale of Origin and last year for a collaboration brew, Wild African Soul with Tolokazi Brewing). So, if anyone can clarify what homebrewers should be paying attention to, it's probably him! Here are some pearls of wisdom from the master himself: