OnTap Magazine

MEET A HOMEBREWER IT Infrastructure Manager by day, Homebrewer by night; we talk to Emile Fouche, one of the lock-down-converted homebrewers from Durban, about his journey from beginner to competition winning brewer. EMILE FOUCHE OT: When and why did you start homebrewing? EM: I am one of the "2020 lockdown brewers", that continued brewing after alcohol sales opened again. I made my first and only "Nesquik" [extract kit] batch in May 2020 and progressed quickly to all grain brewing after that. OT: What’s the best beer you ever made? EM: I have made quite a couple of great beers, well for me and my friends' liking at least, over my three years of brewing. But one of them that stood out and we still talk about, was a Toasted Coconut Porter. We could not get enough of it, and I think it is time that I brew it again. OT: What is your biggest brewing disaster? EM: The luck was in my favour and apart from a broken hydrometer on a brew day, I have not had too many “disasters.” The most recent one was when I was doing a big batch of pale ale. As I was stirring the mash, I realised something did not quite feel right as the spoon touched the bottom of the basket. As I lifted it out, the bottom of the basket gave way causing the grain to spill right into the kettle. It was before the timer started for the mash, but I had to drain all the wort, and then grain out of the kettle, clean a bit and basically start again. Of course, I was using a few well-known Afrikaans power words in the process. OT: Describe your system in a sentence. EM: My system is a BrewZilla Gen4 60l and I alternate between a couple of stainless-steel fermenters and a FermZilla all-rounder. OT: What would be your ultimate clone? EM: I have been dabbling a bit with Belgian beers, but if I could clone a La Trappe Trappist Dubbel, I would be a happy man. OT: What is your main homebrewing goal? EM: To consistently brew great beer that receives positive feedback from those who drink it. 50 | Spring 2023 | ontapmag.co.za