Three years ago I was lucky enough to attend Homebrew Con in the States. Homebrew Con is (or at least was) a three-day expo and conference that’s attended not just by homebrewers from across the US, but also from around the world. Major suppliers like Fermentis, Castle Malting, Charles Faram and Weyermann exhibit and there are all manner of talks, both technical and anecdotal (I was there speaking about brewing umqombothi, complete with a batch I’d brewed along with local homebrewer Paul Telford). And of course, amongst the exhibitor stands there was plenty of homebrew to taste, with bars offering rotating taps from different homebrew clubs across the country.

But if you really wanted to experience what American homebrewers are capable of, you had to attend Club Night. The grand finale of Homebrew Con, Club Night is a homebrew showcase on a scale that I had never experienced before. More than 30 clubs set up stands in the expo hall, but we’re not talking about a table with a cooler box and a couple of banners. There was a tiki hut with Hawaiian themed beers and grass-skirt clad homebrewers handing out leis, a Caddy Shack-themed stand with gold clubs for tap handles, and the most amazing installation evoking Prohibition. Those lucky enough to have been given a card could tap on the door and when a shutter opened and an ear appeared, you whispered the password typed onto their business cards. A second shutter opened and a mystery beer was thrust into your hand. Pure genius.

I apologise for the terrible quality of these images – I was in denial about needing reading glasses and thought they were in focus at the time

And of course the beer variety and innovation was outstanding. There were more goses than have ever been produced in South Africa (homebrewed or commercial), while one club served nothing but brown ales in different guises. There was a keptinis (a Lithuanian farmhouse ale where you bake the mash) and of course our umqombothi, served straight from the fermenter (because we couldn’t think of a better way).

Getting inspired

Clubs boast names with terrible puns and laboured acronyms, while beer names are increasingly inventive, such as ‘Those who can’t farm, farm celery’ (a carrot and orange Berliner Weisse) and perhaps the best-named beer I’ve ever seen, on a Big Lebowski themed stand: That Roggenbier (Really Tied the Room Together). And in among it all, the Colorado Wagon Train winds – a movable stand born many Homebrew Cons ago, when the Foam on the Range members didn’t want to be stuck behind a stall so instead designed a way to serve their brews while walking around the hall, sampling everyone else’s.

It is an experience I would suggest that every beer enthusiast – not just homebrewer – adds to their bucket list (although sadly Homebrew Con is currently on hiatus). At the time, it made me both ecstatically happy, because it was a truly wonderful experience, and a little sad because our homebrewing scene could offer nothing similar. Then. Two years on, and South Africa’s homebrewing scene has exploded with a host of new clubs and some epic interclub festivals.

South Africa’s homebrewing scene

The pinnacle of these is Fools & Fans Beer Festival, held in Greyton each April. The two-day fest is best known for its craft beer offering, but the Friday evening has very quickly grown into South Africa’s greatest homebrew event. This year, as I walked around the dozen-or-so club stands, instead of wondering when or if our homebrew scene will ever be able to match those in other countries, I was instantly transported back to Homebrew Con.

In attendance were the SouthYeasters, all dressed in school uniforms, serving beers with names like Corporal Punishment (a dry-hopped, ice-distilled Imperial IPA), and the NorthYeasters with their epic labels, worthy of any professional craft brew.  The Mother City Beer Project set up a saloon pouring, among many others, pretty much the only Polish Grodziskie you’ll find in South Africa, while the Helderberg Homebrew Club took inspiration from this year’s club brew style, English Bitter, and decked their impressive custom-built Wendy house (and themselves) out in British flags.

Clubs came from as far as Bloemfontein, Durban and Jo’burg to share their brews with the beer-drinking public – and the beers were good. Really good, although this long after the fact I’m afraid I can no longer single out the best. Prizes were lavished on clubs and individuals whose beers impressed local beer judges, and many could stand up to anything I tasted at Homebrew Con (although nothing had a name that could quite compete with that Roggenbier…

Getting involved

Yes, it is fair to say that homebrewing is booming across SA. We have more clubs than ever, more festivals and meetups than ever. The beers are constantly improving and above all, it is a wonderful, welcoming community that it is joyous to be involved with. So how can you join in? Well, dear homebrew-loving reader, I have put together a handy directory of all the South African homebrew clubs to help you get started:

Homebrew Clubs in South Africa

Upcoming events

And if you want the chance to taste a whole heap of homebrew, you’re in luck! There are two festivals on the horizon – one in the Western Cape and one in Gauteng. On Saturday 20 September, the Cape clubs are all joining together to host the Western Province Homebrew Festival at Hey Joe Brewing Company in Franschhoek. Over in the Eastern Cape, the marvellously named Yeastern Cape Brew Club will be hosting their annual Oktoberfest celebration in Gqeberha on 4 October And then on Saturday 11 October, the Wort Hogs will be running their annual Oktoberfest at Copper Lake Brewery in Lanseria. Be sure to bookmark the events calendar as it’s regularly updated with new events.

Want to read more about brewing at home? Check out this article on how to get started in homebrewing or join us for a one-day brewing course held several times a year in Cape Town.