In this blog series, we'll be interviewing some of the brewers from our homebrew club (and in the future from elsewhere) to give you an idea of what got them into brewing, what they're currently experimenting with and to hopefully inspire others to take the leap into brewing their own beer at home. The seventh blog in the series features Steve Hooper, a recent convert to the joys of homebrewing.
How did you get into homebrewing?
My good friend Esther basically said I had to do it or else. I was pretty sceptical about starting, but we both talked a lot about beers at work and we were always stood leaning over the bar looking for different beers that were not from the big chains.
Current Set up:
Pretty small scale . I went to WIB with a list and Tim sorted me out with the basics .
I currently brew 10 litre batches .
Best piece of homebrewing equipment you own:
Probably the auto-syphon is the most useful, but my home made wort cooler, pieced together out of junk in the garage, is not a looker but does the job pretty well.
Dream setup:
I guess a Grainfather like set up would be the next step for me.
What's your 'go to' style?:
Regular Best Bitter; coming from Yorkshire it was what I grew up with.
What brews have you got planned in the next few months:
I need to branch out a bit and so I think once we get to spring I’ll be trying a Wit beer.
Competitions entered/ placings:
I’m not at that stage yet I’m still learning.
Favourite beer of all time:
That’s a very hard question to answer, Most memorable pint that comes to mind was a pint of Old Specked Hen, in a country pub after walking all day in torrential rain on the coastal path in Devon, roaring log fire and scampi fries.
What piece of advice would you give someone interested in starting homebrewing:
Start with a friend and drink as you brew.
Best thing about homebrewing:
Honestly I think it’s the challenge, to try a recipe and be brave enough to bring it along to brew club. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and you learn as you go.
