OnTap Magazine

MASH OUT Lockdown seemed to bring out the artisan foodsmith in us all, so this issue we ask GARTH PIENAAR Beer lover, Cape Town I’ve been experimenting with umqombothi. The first batch ended up growing spores, so I had to dump it. My second attempt failed again. This time I overcooked it after the first fermentation, which resulted in a porridge that smelled like sweet yogurt after second fermentation. So I added water and brown sugar then moved it to a bigger fermentation vessel before bottling. The result was a light, fruity and sour brew... I’m calling it “Umqombucha”! EUGENE VAN DAM King of lockdown fermentations, Pretoria I've been doing various fermentations for a while: all the usual candidates like sauerkraut, kefirs, kimchi...and obviously beer! During lockdown I tried natto (Japanese fermented soy beans), it's a bit of an acquired taste, but I love it. Also tried amazake , basically fermented rice using the koji mould Aspergillus oryzae . This process taken further would lead to miso, soy sauce and sake - which I hope to try making sometime. I also brewed a smoky American porter (after loving Drifter’s) and learned to make sourdough. When I get that down, I'll see if I can combine the porter trub with the sourdough starter for what I hope will be a delicious bread... ANDREWRICHARDSON  Beer lover, Cape Town It’s been a long lockdown and in my house there have been a few firsts. My first red ale was really tasty but lacked a little body and legs. The scones turned out really well. I’ve now got a smoky porter ready to be bottled and have just put a Pilsner in the cooler. The one thing this lockdown has given is plenty of time and freedom to experiment. CLINT BREEN Homebrewer, Benoni I did homemade sweet and sour sauce. Hasty Tasty sweet and sour was nowhere to be found so I decided to do it myself. My new recipe is so good I'll never buy Hasty Tasty again! REINIER OLIVIER Homebrewer, Richard’s Bay I made a pineapple cider. It came out so dry and strong I had to mix it with Sprite but believe you me it still did the job! My very first brew on my all grain setup was an IPA hopped with Cascade. It’s bottled and busy conditioning. I’ve also got a chocolate milk stout, a Munich lager and an apple and pear cider in the fermenter. WAYNE REID  Beer lover and food enthusiast, Cape Town I decided that since I couldn’t order in, I would cook my own “takeaways”. I did homemade butter chicken pizza. I made my own naan and roti. I also attempted KFC chicken and made a good sweet and sour pork. SIMON REDMAN Beer geek and homebrewer, Johannesburg I made spent grain bread that came out pretty well. I also made some spent grain peanut butter dog treats, which were also a success – my pugs seem to love them! 62 | Winter 2020 | ontapmag.co.za