Course teaching how to brew your own beer?

Taking place this Saturday (21st June from 10am – 4pm in Cloughmills), The Craft of Brewing Your Own Beer will show him that brewing your own beer is accessible and easy.

Run by Cloughmills Community Action Team the day will cover different brewing methods, from a beginner’s home brew set up right through to a full all grain 50 litre brew on the group’s own Braumeister system.

The course came about as part of a Village SOS grant from the Big Lottery Fund to enable Cloughmills Community Action Team to develop a local social enterprise.

Patrick Frew, Chairman of Cloughmills Community Action Team, explained the reasons behind their new enterprise. “As a voluntary organisation we are focused on reconnecting people with each other, the community and the natural world. We look to promote simpler, self-sustainable lifestyles, equipping people with the skills and confidence to grow and produce their own food.

Our interest in brewing developed naturally from this starting point. As well as producing non-alcoholic drinks we started to look at home brewed beer. There were a few home brewers in the village already, working from basic kits mainly, but two years ago we decided to come together to take the next step to all-grain brewing. It has been a revelation. The flavour and range of beers we have produced has been wonderful and we have developed a real interest in brewing in the village and further afield.

We have a committed group of brewers who come together regularly now to brew our own craft beers and last year we took the next step and opened up the group to teach people how to brew their own beer. Having already run three courses the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

It’s a full day of learning all about brewing with practical experience of how to brew on a basic all-grain system for the home brewer. Most of us started with brew in a bag on the cooker! However the Village SOS grant has also allowed us to purchase a German Braumeister system and during the day we brew a 50 litre batch using this.

It’s also a fun day with plenty of opportunity to sample previous brews and to explore the range of ingredients available for the home brewer. At the end of the day we also bottle a previous batch which gives us plenty for people to take home if they wish”.

The day also covers all the equipment and ingredients (malt, hops and yeast) you need to craft your own unique brews as well as step by step guidance on how to bottle your finished beer. Samples of different beers will show the effect on flavour of using the various different ingredients.
This is a great introduction to the increasingly popular hobby of brewing your own craft beer and would make a wonderful Father’s Day gift for the budding brewer in your life. The course costs £50 (including sandwich lunch) and numbers are limited to 10 to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to get a practical experience of brewing. At the end of the day you will leave with some samples of craft beer.
The group’s next course is on Saturday 21st June. For more details and to book a place contact Patrick on 07786 527 732 or visit the Cloughmills Community Action Team facebook page; www.facebook.com/CloughmillsCAT