Beer brewers tap into home hobby
The idea of brewing beer often conjures up images of massive steel vats and dizzying networks of pipe.
But that is more myth than reality. The means to brew your own high quality beer is right at your fingertips.
"Anybody can do it. If you follow simple instructions you can brew," said Bob McCafferty, who owns North Country Brewing Company, a microbrewery and restaurant in Slippery Rock. "Eighty percent of brewing is just keeping things clean. That's what turns off most people to homebrewing, keeping everything clean."
McCafferty, who brews 42 cases of beer at a time at the restaurant, said in about a month, a person with all the equipment can brew two cases of their own beer for less than $30.
There are plenty of avid brewers right here in Butler County who have taken up the ancient process as a rewarding hobby of their own.
Paul Devine of Valencia is an ardent 20-year homebrewing veteran who began his lifelong hobby after he became tired of tasting the same watery domestic beers. He said this was before many craft beers or imports were readily available.
"I almost never brew the same thing twice; that's part of the allure to it," said Devine, who at one point was brewing weekly.
Last week, he finished bottling a dark wheat brew.
He is a longtime member of the Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers, which is a club for brewing enthusiasts that meets monthly to toast knowledge and homemade brews. Clubs such as this are an excellent way for homebrewers from all over to meet and connect.
Jeff Bearer of Seven Fields, who is also a member of TRASH, has been brewing for the past 2 Qw years.
"I don't brew to save money. I do it because I'm a big beer geek," said Bearer, who hosts an Internet radio and podcast program called CRAFT Beer Radio.He said the show, which attracts about 1,200 listeners across the world, samples different beer styles for its weekly discussion.McCafferty said the startup costs to homebrewing are minimal. One can recycle and scavenge all the necessary equipment from restaurants and one's home, or can buy a starter's kit for about $75."Getting started, you pretty much use just anything in the normal kitchen. Best way to describe (homebrewing) is that it's like making soup from scratch. You don't need a whole lot of special things," said Devine, who has brewed hundreds of different beers.The main equipment includes a 2-gallon steel pot to boil the grain or extract in; a 5-gallon glass jug or plastic container for fermentation; a stopper to release carbon dioxide; priming sugar for carbonation; and the bottles and bottle caps for the carbonation process.The empty bottles can be purchased at beer distributors for their miniscule redeem price.McCafferty pointed out a leftover pickle bucket can make a fine fermenter and that if brewers want to recycle other materials, they can buy a couple cases of Grolsch to get the bottles — as long as they can be re-capped.Mike Ameel, editor of TRASH, said light-bodied styles of beers, such asEnglish brown ale, are the easiest for novice brewers."I'd avoid stouts," said Ameel of the thick, complex beer type. He also recommended beginners purchase grain extracts rather than use whole grains. All are sold at homebrewing outlets.Beer is created when yeast converts sugar from the starch into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process requires a germ-free environment because germs — instead of yeast — could end up feeding on the sugar and ruin the process.
As for the finer nuances of the brewing process, there is an impressive amount of literature on the Web and in print.McCafferty and Ameel both agreed having a sanitized environment was the most important detail. "But if you can pickle eggs or can tomatoes, you are a good candidate for homebrewing," said McCafferty.Should things go wrong, there is no human danger from the bacteria; the worst that can happen is a rank tasting beer.MCafferty, who said he has never had a bad batch, got his start by brewing a few cases at a time in his home as a hobby. Devine and Ameel both agreed they have never had much trouble brewing."The most difficult part to homebrewing is just the waiting," said Devine, referencing the week's worth of fermentation and the two week's wait for carbonation.Sloan Seaman, a salesman at Country Wines and Beer in the North Hills, said it's best to use plain tap water for brewing instead of fancy bottled waters, which would add less character, or distilled water, which wouldn't work because of the lack of mineral content.He said the water quality in Pennsylvania is remarkably similar to the water outside of London in mineral content and hardness. All and all, that makes for a fine-tasting English Ale from Pennsylvania water, he said.Ameel said he has seen a lot of 20-year-olds joining TRASH, which currently has about 70 members, in the past three years. There are also homebrew clubs in Altoona, Erie and Lewisburg.More than 1 million people have tried homebrewing, according to the American Homebrewing Association, based out of Boulder, Col."It's a really fun hobby. It's like cooking, where people into that can relate to the experience," said Bearer.
