Craft beer has been a booming operation in the state of Oklahoma for more than a decade, but not just the sale and consumption of it – brewing beer at home has steadily been gaining popularity, too.
While it may seem intimidating to start out, experts say that the amount of work needed to craft your own homemade beer all depends on you.
“Brewing beer at home can be a casual stove top experience, or it can be very elaborate with systems that are much like professional breweries, but on a smaller scale,” says Dave Knott, store manager at Small Batch Brewtique, a brewing supply store in Broken Arrow. In short, the type of beer made is totally up to the whims of the brewer.
“Beer is made from water, malt, hops and yeast. There is literally a world of each of these to play with, and infinite combinations of them,” says Knott.
Many people start brewing for fun or to share concoctions with friends and family, while others start the pastime because they enjoy the science and want to hone their skills.
“[Some brewers] take up the craft in order to challenge themselves creatively, developing processes to master brewing multiple styles,” says John Smith, president of Red Earth Brewers, a home brew club in OKC. “This usually manifests itself through entering competitions as a way to prove their mettle in the craft beer making arena.”
When it comes time to begin your home brew journey, you’ll need some gear to get you started. Depending on your level of interest, it can be as easy as a single pot on a stove top all the way to professional grade equipment big enough to fill an entire garage.
“I often compare it to playing golf,” says Smith. “I can go down to my local Walmart and buy an inexpensive set of clubs and go out and have a great time on the course. Or I can choose to go to the pro-shop and buy custom clubs, shoes, gloves and attire and have a great time on the course. Both are having a great time; it’s simply asking yourself what your level of commitment is to the hobby.”
If you just want the essentials to start, however, Knott suggests “a stockpot, a couple of food grade buckets, some tubing used for siphoning and bottling, and perhaps a bottle capper,” he says.
If you’re looking for clubs or social groups with like-minded crafters, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have options. The Fellowship of Oklahoma Alemakers (FOAM) has been in the Tulsa area since 1984 and has meetings on the second Thursday of each month.
“We share beers that we have brewed, talk about brewing and participate in various charitable events each year,” says Knott. “We have an annual beer competition in November that draws hundreds of entries from all over the county called the FOAM Cup,” he continues.
Red Earth Brewers has monthly meetings in OKC and brew classes a few times a year.
“Red Earth Brewers is currently the number one homebrewers club in the nation through the Circuit of America competition circuit,” says Smith.
