OnTap Magazine

52 | Spring 2025 | ontapmag.co.za MEET A HOMEBREWER As a construction electrician, Andrew has a love for anything DIY. Born in “slummies” and after spending his school yearsmoving around the country, he eventually settled in Gqeberha (then Port Elizabeth) in 2005. He holds a couple of homebrew competition titles, including the people's choice award at the 2025 Richmond Hill Brewing Company’s Wintershare, for his Reece's Choc Peanut-butter Cup Imperial Stout. ANDREWMCCALLUM OT: When and why did you start homebrewing? AM: I discovered craft beer in 2014 with mostly only Boston and Mitchell's available in liquor stores inGqeberha. This is when I found “League of Beers” online and fell in love with IPAs, so decided with the lack of availability locally I will try brew my own from kits available online. In 2015 I was introduced to a group of guys known as the Yeastern Cape Brew Club who convinced me that all-grain brewing is not as daunting as it sounds and the rest is history. OT: What's the best beer you ever made? AM: I brewed an 11.5% Imperial Strawberry Blonde, tasted it 2 weeks after bottling and almost dumped it, but luckily, I stashed it in a corner of the garage. A year later I rediscovered the bottles and it had turned into, probably, the best beer I have ever made. OT: What is your biggest brewing disaster? AM: My first all-grain beer, a big IPA! My homemade mash filter clogged up and I ended up with only a quarter of my wort volume but did not think to adjust my hop additions and proceeded to brew my first 200 IBU beer. A beer some Yeastern Cape Brew Club members will never forget - I think they can still taste the hop-burn. OT: Describe your system in a sentence. AM: An old-school system; urn HLT, cooler mash tun, stainless Steel pot on gas and a Fermzilla fermenter. OT: Do youhave any brewday quirks or traditions? AM: I crack the first beer only once the wort chiller goes in, or you might notice your yeast still sitting on the counter the next day. OT: What would be your ultimate clone? AM: Brewdog's Punk IPA or Hazeldean's Apricot Sour. OT: What is your main homebrewing goal? AM: To continue to brew decent beers to share among family, friends and fellow homebrewers. I would also like to help grow the SA homebrewing community by offering assistance to new homebrewers. Oh, and win RHBC’s HomeBrew fest and have my beer brewed and canned commercially.