Stay-at-home homebrewing a hobby that’s surging
You may have noticed how many people have started experimenting with baking their own bread during these shelter-inplace days. We’ve made some in my household, as well. But there’s a saying that goes, “If you can bake bread, you can brew beer.” Perhaps you already have.
One of the things Chris Graham, co-owner of the Bay Area’s Morebeer homebrew supply stores, has noticed during the lockdown is how many former homebrewers, who gave up the hobby as the number of craft breweries rose, have jumped back in now. Gary Glass, director of the American Homebrewing Association, has seen it, too. AHA memberships have ticked up slightly, he says, but there’s been a major surge in web traffic, especially on AHA’S homebrewing help forums, which are open to everybody.
Last year, I interviewed Glass for Big Brew Day, which is always held on the first weekend in May. The virtual event is aimed at inspiring homebrewers around the world to start a brew. As of last week, 1,749 homebrewers in 55 states and 44 countries had pledged to start a brew.
It’s easy to join them.
If this is your first time brewing, I’d recommend starting small. Find a homebrewer supply shop near you — both Google and the AHA website, homebrewersassociation. org, can help. You’ll find a “Find a Homebrew Supply Shop” list under the homebrew recipes tab at the top of the homepage, with shops in Berkeley, Concord, Dublin, San Leandro and more.
Berkeley’s Oak Barrel, for example, is open with reduced hours — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-saturday during the shutdown. And Bay Area-based Morebeer — its Concord showroom is open for curbside pickup — and San Leandro’s Williams Brewing will ship supplies, as will many stores and national outfits, including Northern Brewer and Homebrew Supply.
You’ll find plenty of resources online, from Youtube videos and the AHA website to Morebeer and Northern Brewer’s websites, which include educational elements and detailed instructions on getting started at whatever level you choose. And there are countless books, starting with “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing” by Charlie Papazian (William Morrow, $18) and “How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time” by John J. Palmer (Brewers Publications, $25).
You have the time now, so why not invest some of it and learn how to make beer? By the time the shutdown is over, you’ll have a new hobby — and some new beer to share with your friends and family.