Making Booze Courses

I usually just dive right in after a little bit of research and give things a go....which is maybe why my first batch of homebrew had a few lively bottles and I ended up cleaning  beer (a nice brown colour) off my kitchen ceiling. Yes, it was a rented property; so maybe not the most opportune moment to go experimenting with different fermenting sugars and amounts (because I wasn't sure the amount from the Internet recipe).

After doing a few brews I've found my interest grow and actually to the point where I quite fancy seeing what other people say and finding out their tips. I've realised meeting people with experience and stories can join the dots and help you progress (and have a laugh along the way).

Meeting other local homebrewers is one approach and if you're based up North try The Northern Craft Brewers or more in the middle try Midlands Craft Brewers. No matter what skill level you are I can guarantee if you've had a go, then you'll be welcome.

I went to a fairly new homebrew meet up at the Cross Scythes in Sheffield last night and picked up some tips on trying out my first all grain brew; which I've been umming and arghing about for bloody ages.

Now I am yet to complete a course, but I had a little investigate (and if I did have some spare cash) I would have a think about these:

London Fields Brewery: All grain home brewing master class: London Fields Brewery was set up in August 2011, based in the centre of Hackney, under the railway arches (just like Camden Town).

Course details (all taken from websites)
"At the home brewing Master Class we aim to arm you with what you need to know to make your own craft beer at home. We limit classes to 11 people maximum, this is to ensure that people learn what is needed to know.

The class itself is run over a day. It is hosted by one of our in house brewers. This varies a little bit, it can be anyone from one of our top brewers to one of our enthusiastic regular home brewers (we have a few of these guys). We do however promise that whoever is running the class will be great at home brewing!

We provide all the equipment, we source it from BruPaks. You get lunch in our Tap Room, we do ask though that if you have any dietary requirements that you tell us. we do aim to have a veggie option on our menu every day.

The class istself will start out with an introduction to Home Brewing the principals and ideas behind its practice. You will proceed onto actually putting together your own brew. You get to leave with a demijohn of the beer you brew with the yeast pitched (you will learn all about that)."

John Wright (+books he's written)

River Cottage: Yes I know that one from the telly....but I bet it's good laugh and you get to forage (which means digging around in Hugh's dirt) and hear from John Wright. I enjoy John's 'Word of Mouth' blogs and any person who can think of making a box of sugar puffs into a beer has a stroke of genius about them.  He's also writing the latest River Cottage handbook aptly titled 'Booze'.

  

Course details

"Arrive: Tractor ride down to the farm

  

Welcome: Meet your host and tutor John Wright over a morning tea or coffee and some tasty River Cottage treats. Whilst you relax in the bucolic surroundings of the Axe Valley, John will introduce you to brewing all manner of wonderful drinks at home.

• Demo one: Beer making – starting at the beginning, you will learn how to prepare the mash that will be the base of your beer.
• Forage: While the mash is working its magic, take a walk around Park Farm where John will show you which plants from the fields and hedgerows will make the best wines and infusions.
• Demo two: Beer making - sparging and the boil.
• Demo three: Wine making - John will discuss and demonstrate the stages in the process of creating a wide range of home-made country wines, perhaps using some of the ingredients that you foraged earlier.
• Lunch: By now you will be ready to tuck into a sumptuous two course lunch, lovingly prepared by the River Cottage Chefs.
• Practical session: Spirit infusions - John will use the rest of your foraged goodies and show you how to infuse them into a base spirit. This is where we will introduce our friends from Black Cow Vodka. Their Vodka is made from milk and is produced less than 10 miles from Park Farm. You will be able to take your infused vodka home with you at the end of the day!
• Demo four: Beer making - back to the beer, you will learn what to do when you have finished mashing, sparging and boiling. These final stages will set you up to ensure you can brew your own great beers at home whenever you like."

  

The School of Artisan Food: Based in Welbeck, Nottinghamshire. Claire Monk, head brewer of the Welbeck Abbey Brewery runs a number of the beer and food pairing courses here that sound worth signing up for. I've picked out the cider making course here run by Simon Reed.

"Introduction to Cider Making: Spend the day with cider producer Simon Reed learning how to make real cider and perry. This one-day course is suitable for beginners who are interested in making real cider and perry at home and for those wanting to develop the use of apples and pears on their farm or small holding.

This course will cover the following:

• History, heritage and traditions of cider and perry making
• An overview of the various varieties of apples and pears used for making cider and perry
• Choice and use of equipment
• Milling and pressing of apples and pears
• Fermentation and maturation 
• Bottling and storage.

All ingredients, equipment and recipes are provided by the School."


Hartington's: Based in Bakewell, this beer brewing course sounds tempting. If you want to take it a step further they also run how to set up a micro brewery course (over 2 days).

"Paul Taylor our 'Brew Meister' will take you through all the stages necessary to create your own unique beer using pure natural ingredient by demonstrating how to set up a 'brew' using basic home brewing equipment. Paul is one of the founder members of the Nottingham Brewers Group, he heads up the Lab at Murphys & Son one of the UK's leading suppliers to the UK micro brewery sector & was also on the judging panel at the SIBA national beer championship. As well as an ideal introduction for home brewers this is the perfect course for those who have ambitions of setting up their own microbrewery and want to gain an understanding of the basic brewing process.

Along the way he'll talk you through:

• The brewing process
• The ingredients: malt, hops, yeast and the importance of 'water' 
• How to bottle beer successfully including some useful tips from an experienced brewer.

  

Paul will explain and show the 'sparge and boil'' so that at you have a clear understanding of the full home brewing process. At the end of the course students will have the skill and knowledge to be able to create their own varied and professional tasting beers at home with just basic home brewing equipment.

  

Course times 9:30 - 4:30
All ingredients, equipment and recipes are provided by Hartingtons."