OnTap Magazine

12 | Summer 2024 | ontapmag.co.za OT: When and why did you start brewing? LM: Since our department already had a brewing team, I became interested in brewing in 2022. My mom is a traditional brewer, and I work as a food technologist. I've always found it fascinating to observe what women in our community brew, the science behind it, and the necessity of creating modern African beers with solely African ingredients. OT: What's the best beer you have ever made? LM: Our Wild African Ale took first place at the Intervasity Brewing Competition in 2024. The beer was made using South African ingredients including SAB barley malt, Mtombo-MmeIa "Red Sorghum Malt" and crude Maize Malt. The ingredients were mixed with brewing water in a bucket and fermented at room temperature for 24 hours before step mashing. Step mashing was done to accommodate both the barley and sorghum malts because they have different gelatinisation temperatures. The cooking of the wort was done on an open fire made of wood to get a smoked flavour profile. The resulting taste was funky, bittersweet, and had the sour taste of Umqombothi with a smokey flavour as well as a blend of fruity flavours from hops. One of the judges commented that we had made a “clear beer that mimics Umqombothi without the texture,” which is something “crafter brewers have been trying to do” for a while. [Editor’s Note: I was lucky enough to try this beer and I found it excellent. The smokiness at the end was a perfect finishing touch as it was not too overwhelming, but rather hinted at the sensation of something having been cooked over a fire.] OT: What is your biggest brewing disaster? LM: We used wild yeast to ferment our Wild African Ale, the one mentioned above which was entered into the competition. When the judges opened the bottle, it burst like a champagne! OT: Describe your system in a sentence (or two) LM: The four especially constructed vessels include: a mash tank, a lauter tank, a wart kettle, and a hot water tank. OT: Do you have any brew day quirks or traditions? LM: Most of the time we joke around or sing traditional tunes. OT: What would be your ultimate clone? LM: We would like to make BJCP’s 27A, Historical Beer, Pre- Prohibition Lager, except using sorghum. OT: What is your main brewing goal? LM: To create an African beer style for the BJCP Guidelines. OT: What were your biggest takeaways or lessons learned from the Intervarsity Brew? LM: To observe how other universities use their traditional brewing techniques to createmoredistinctiveAfricanbeer types. Team Members: Mr. Thembelani Xolo (Mentor), Mrs. Lamla Mayekiso (Captain), Bongisiwe Zozo (Brewer), Queen Motjatsi (Brewer), and Nondumiso Mathabela (Brewer). Lamla Mayekiso is a student and staff member of the Faculty of Applied Science department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She is also captain of the university’s brewing team. Lamla and her team did exceptionally well this year, so we were eager to hear from them for this issue’s Q&A. HOMEBREWER