Three local homebrewing clubs recently came together to host the Western Cape’s first homebrewing regional championship and festival.
The Homebrewers Oktoberfest Festival and Championship took place on 17 September at Lillypatrick Brewery in Stellenbosch.
Homebrewing is the science of brewing beer at home for personal consumption, said Ross Murray, secretary of the South Yeasters Homebrew Club. The beer can be brewed by using a pot on a gas stove and a plastic bucket fermenter, or by using a high technology automated brewing system with stainless steel temperature-controlled fermenters, Murray explained. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
“The Western Cape has a very healthy homebrew scene, so this festival is, in recognition of that, thus a joint festival and a little sportsmanship with a competition on the side,” said Craig Claassen, founder of the Beer Route South Africa and president of the Helderberg Homebrew Club.
Top provincial homebrewer
The Helderberg, Wijnland and South Yeasters Homebrew Clubs hosted and took part in the competition for the position of top provincial brewer. The Wijnland Homebrew Club ultimately took home the winning cup.
“The establishment of this competition provides us with the platform to showcase how competitive the Western Cape is and gives homage to the buzzing craft brewing scene in and around Cape Town,” said Francois Jansen van Vuuren, chair of the Wijnland Homebrew Club.
“[Through the festival], we hope to show how social the beer culture is. The benefit is that more people are aware of the hobby and the safe consumption of beer, while promoting beer appreciation,” said Francois Jansen van Vuuren, chair of the Wijnland Homebrew Club. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
However, for the homebrewers, the event was not about winning, but to share passions and create interactions, according to Ross Murray, secretary of the South Yeasters Homebrew Club.
Homebrewers on the rise
“The [Homebrewer Oktoberfest] is a great opportunity for the clubs involved to get together to share their passion for beer and brewing,” said Murray. “Hopefully, it serves as a catalyst for more interaction between homebrew clubs.”
Over the past few years, the number of South African homebrewers has increased, said Jansen Van Vuuren.
A number of professional South African brewers came out of the homebrewing community, Claassen added. As such, the homebrewing scene allows homebrewers to present their craft in hope of entering the brewing industry, he stated.
The Homebrewers Oktoberfest Festival and Championship served as a celebration of the process of brewing by bringing like-minded people who share the same passions together, said Craig Claassen, founder of the Beer Route South Africa and president of the Helderberg Homebrew Club. “If we see some new homebrewers be born out of this, then that is a success,” he stated. PHOTO: Karla de Bod
“By holding such a festival, there is also an interclub competition attached to it, where homebrewers are given feedback on their beers by industry professionals and professional judges,” said Claassen.
The long-term goal of the Homebrew Oktoberfest event is to start a provincial and national homebrew league, where clubs can compete against and learn from one another, said Murray.