From home brew hobby to a job
THE SELFTAUGHT are constantly turning their hobby into a business and the latest to do so are a Dunedin pair who have moved out of the kitchen into the garage to make their first brews for sale.
Chris Noye (otherwise known as ‘‘Noysey’’) and Sarah Williams have created Noisy Brewing, releasing their first beers this month.
Their friends and family had been enjoying the rewards of their efforts and suggested, jokingly, they should start a brewery. So, having taken a year off work, and with more time on their hands, they did just that: brewing is their new job.
They are producing pale ales, ‘‘hoppy stuff’’ and ports and stout. Their Hazy IPA and milk stout were the favourites at a public tasting a couple of weeks ago.
They have no intention of growing too big, but do have an eye out for commercial premises. Their beer is on tap at Henrys in the city, but bottling and wider distribution will start next month.
Brewing on tap
Until now, wannabe brewers such as these two have either had to teach themselves by trial and error, take a twoday course at Massey University, elect a twomonth brewing course at University of Otago as part of a food science degree — or go overseas to study.
However, from next February, New Zealand’s first full time course will be at Otago Polytechnic’s Cromwell campus, where its new $1 million Rough Rock brewery is about to open.
Courses range from a oneyear fulltime to twoyear parttime certificate in brewing, to weekend courses for home brewers.
(The public is invited to look around the plant and taste a trial brew on December 1 between 10.30am and 12.30pm.)
It is a fair bet that the polytech’s horticultural students will soon be given some hop plants to grow so the brewing students can put fresh green hops into their brews at harvest time in March.
Manuherekia Brewery in Alexandra grows some of its own and Ferris Road brewery has decorative hops (some of which, fresh, go into a brew) at its bar in town.
Back in Cromwell, electrician Duncan Sangster grows one he found in a local garden, draping it like a hedge, for his home brews. He does not know what variety it is.
He and his two sons, several years ago, started home brewing in a barn then a shed and are now moving into a new building at the back of the office with a newly imported 200litre plant.
Duncan says it is all about the science, art and chemistry and having fun, but if they start making more than they can drink, he says they may have to sell it.
Yet another craft brewery on the horizon?