Taste of homebrewing

Curious about homebrewing? Mark this Saturday on your calendar.

Brewing classes and demonstrations are taking place in Spokane, Post Falls and Sandpoint as part of the American Homebrewers Association’s 18th annual Learn to Homebrew Day .

Like craft breweries, homebrewing has been growing rapidly in recent years. The AHA estimates there are 1.2 million homebrewers across the country – two-thirds of whom have taken up the hobby since 2005 – and another 19 million beer drinkers who are interested in doing it themselves.

But like craft breweries, there are signs things are starting to slow down. Homebrew supply store revenue dropped nationally last year for the first time since it started surveying shops in 2008, the AHA reports.

Peter McArthur, owner of Nu Home Brew & Bottles in Spokane Valley, says his sales are continuing to grow. He’s starting a series of free homebrewing classes the first Saturday of the month, featuring a different recipe each time; first up, on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is a milk stout.

“I’m seeing more and more sales to regular customers, versus people who are just coming in for kits,” he says. “That’s built off the big community of brewers here.”

He’s also seeing a demographic shift, McArthur adds, away from older, more affluent homebrewers to younger people with more limited resources.

“There are a lot of people who maybe don’t have a lot of expendable income but like great beer, so they prefer to make it themselves,” he says.

Homebrewing only needs to be as costly and complicated as you want to make it, says Wendi Bryant of HopStop Home Brew & Wine Making Supplies in Post Falls. Members of the Warriors of the Rotating Tap (WORT) club will give demonstrations and offer samples there Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Some people put hundreds of dollars into their equipment, but you can do it with a bucket and a carboy, too,” Bryant says. And, she adds, “Once you get going and have all the equipment, it saves money compared to going to the bar, or even the store.”

Some suggest that the proliferation of breweries could discourage people from brewing their own, since there’s so much local craft beer out there to drink and support.

But brewing their own allows homebrewers to customize beers to their tastes. Sours, once the province of more experienced brewers, are particularly popular, McArthur says: “I’m seeing brand-new brewers who want to try sours.”

And many simply enjoy the process as well as the results. “The people who like to homebrew really like to homebrew,” Bryant says.

Collaborations between commercial brewers and homebrewers are becoming more common. Both Bellwether and Orlison held homebrew contests during Spokane Craft Beer Week in May, and Bellwether is doing it again Saturday with Blank Slate .

Seven teams of two homebrewers each from the Inland Brewers Unite (IBU) club put their own spins on an oat pale ale wort prepared by Bellwether’s Thomas Croskrey. The results range from a hoppy peach ale to a spicy chocolate porter to a smoked variation.

All will be on tap at Bellwether on Saturday starting at 2 p.m., including the base beer. It will be set up like a mini-festival, Croskrey says, with stations for each team. You buy a scorecard for $9, have it checked off as you drink a taster of each beer and vote for your favorite when you’re done.

Voting will close around 4:30 to 4:45, with results announced at 5; the winner gets to brew a big batch with Croskrey on Bellwether’s system. Full pints will be poured after that, along with flights, until the beers run out.

Members of IBU also will conduct a brewing demonstration on the patio during the day, with discounted memberships and a raffle for a homebrew kit.

“You’re connecting with a really excited community, some really talented guys and gals who are making beer and want to talk about it,” Croskrey says of the pro-am events.

And if homebrewers are interested in starting their own breweries, he says, “You can tell them, here’s how we did it.”

In Sandpoint, MickDuff’s also is getting in on the action Saturday by hosting the 7B Hop Heads club for brewing demonstrations at the Beer Hall starting at 10 a.m.