OnTap Magazine

MARCEL HARPER FIVE SIGNS THATYOU MAY BE A HOMEBREWER HOMEBRU H omebrewers are a strange bunch. In some ways, the very notion of making beer at home bemuses most ordinary folks. Why would you want to do that? Doesn't it smell weird? But brewing at home changes the way you see things. Someone mentions a camping cooler and you get unreasonably excited. Beer cap collections are enthusiastically shown to unsuspecting visitors, and a walk down the baking aisle at the local supermarket turns into a scouting mission for adjuncts. It turns out that sometimes, when you look into the mash tun, it looks into you. Here are five signs that you may no longer be part of ordinary, non- homebrewing society (i.e. boring people) … CONTAINERS = POTENTIAL FERMENTERS 01 A giant two-litre jar of budget olives is not destined for the recycle bin. Instead, it could be the home of your next yeast starter. You've caught yourself looking at large decorative glass vases at furniture stores and thinking, "How would I fit an airlock on that puppy?" It's not uncommon for you to get a bit wild- eyed when encountering a light-proof, food grade container that can be sealed from the outside world. This is not a problem. What else would you possibly use such things for anyway? Storing food? Be serious. If you're searching for the perfect small-batch container, you could do far worse than using comically massive fitness supplement bottles (you know, the ones filled with whey powder that iron-pumping gym fanatics buy). They are not only opaque but are made from food grade plastics (a good thing), and have lids that can easily be fitted with an airlock (an even better thing). SUGARS ARE . . . DIFFERENT FOR YOU 02 We all like sweet things. But for you, it's far more than just something you put in your tea. Sugars have differential potential to boost gravity and hence, the ABV of your beer. Not to mention different fermentation characteristics. Encountering rare versions of Demerara sugar or blackstrap molasses makes you feel slightly lightheaded. You probably have an extensive "sugar library" stashed somewhere in your kitchen (or bedroom). You may even have shown your collection to a non-brewer. Be careful. They don't "get" it. You ought to experiment with sugars. See what happens when you add them in the mash, in the boil (early and late), and in the fermenter. Beware of adding too much though, especially later on when you're ready to bottle your suds. Bottle bombs are messy and potentially hazardous. But still! Sugar. Yum. 46 | Winter 2025 | ontapmag.co.za