Collegiate Times

7/24

Homebrewing has always been at Virginia Tech, even if you had to look hard to find it. But with at least two microbreweries soon to be arriving in or near Blacksburg, I think it's time to bring it out into the light. To help me get the lowdown on homebrewing, I talked with Sean O'Keefe, who created the brewing course (now called Brewing Science and Technology) about five years ago.

Homebrewing has been going on forever, but the modern arc of its U.S. history really begins in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter, my hero, signed in an act that exempted a certain amount of beer from taxation, leaving it up to the states to decide the legality. Most states, including Virginia, have since made it legal to homebrew for personal or family consumption. There's an upper limit of something like 100 or 200 gallons per year. So, if you plan to make that much, best consult the law books and possibly a doctor. In addition, the law states that you may only give away up to 72 ounces (one six-pack) per person (of legal age) per year. That is, unless they help you brew it, in which case it's also theirs.

While it may seem strange to consider, neither I nor O'Keefe knew the legality of persons under 21 years of age assisting with homebrewing. Before fermentation occurs, the beer mixture  - called the wort - contains absolutely no alcohol. In fact, the process bears more resemblance to cooking than chemistry. Likewise, the Virginia Tech judicial code has nothing concrete to say about homebrewing. Nevertheless, you should probably ask your RA before using a dorm kitchen to brew beer. And, once that fermentation is under way or completed, there is no question that it is illegal for persons under the age of 21 to possess it.

So with homebrewing explicitly legal, a beer revolution occurred in America. The market had been typically dominated by huge brewers and their light lager style including most of the classics such as PBR, "Beast," Bud, Miller and so on.

"Over the past 25 years, there's been a build-up of beers not traditionally available," O'Keefe said. He suggested that, with the advent of homebrewing and microbrewing, beer drinkers would try something new and flavorful, enjoy it and seek out new, different beers. A demand was created.

Blacksburg has a love/hate relationship with microbreweries. Of particular fame is the New River Valley Pale Ale, created in the 1990s by a Virginia Tech grad student named Kenny Lefkowitz. Unfortunately, NRVPA's distributor Old Dominion was recently acquired by Coastal Brewing Company, in which Anheuser Busch has a 49 percent stake. Sadly, they decided to discontinue NRVPA. I'm tempted to buy stock and protest.

However, two microbreweries are coming, and soon. Bull & Bones Brewhaus & Grill, planning to offer seven local brews, is scheduled to open this fall as part of the new development on South Main Street. Somewhat farther away in Roanoke, the Blacksburg Brewing Co. is on the verge of reopening after a several year hiatus. O'Keefe said that BBC's brewer, John Bryce, just got back from Berlin, where he attended a prestigious course in beer making. And, as anyone who knows anything about beer at all, Germany is the beer capital of the universe.

Of course, if you really like beer, why not try your hand at making your own?

The start-up costs are minimal. You'll want to buy a good beginner's book; O'Keefe suggested, "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie Papazian. For equipment, you'll need a couple of buckets, a kettle big enough to boil several gallons (I use a five-gallon pot that I got for $10 from Big Lots), and a bottle capper. You'll also need a really good sanitizer. This bottle-conditioned route should cost no more than $80 for start-up equipment; however, if you get into the hobby, you may find yourself wanting to buy tubing, various pumps and so on.

Continue Reading: 12 Next »