of them taking their respective share of the pie, and while a 4 to 5% slice might not sound that big at the moment, let’s not forget that South Africans consume upwards of 2.6 billion litres of beer a year (or as some estimates would have it, 60 litres per capita, putting us at 24 on the list of the world’s top beer-drinking countries). Demand has certainly been strong enough to support two Mitchell’s breweries (producing the best part of 600 000 litres a year). If one were to make a projection into the future one might look to the American market where 10% of the market share is held by microbreweries. So we’ve established that beer is popular but that’s hardly news to anyone. The real question you are no doubt asking is, “How do I get involved?” It’s a long road from a home brew to setting up your own commercial brewery and you have to be aware that there may be numerous pitfalls along the way. The good news is that, like any journey, this one begins with small steps. The web is literally awash with advice on home brewing, recipes and lists of equipment. I’m not going to attempt to be comprehensive but hopefully I can impart a few good tips.
at South African universities but that the University of Johannesburg may be working towards creating one). Of course getting a full scientific degree and spending years working for someone else may sound a bit extreme to most of us. While the underlying chemistry might be complex people have been brewing beer without the benefit of understanding it on an atomic level for a very long time. There’s no replacing experience though and you’ve got to start somewhere. If you just want a taste of the brewer’s life and you want to start with a few basic pointers then you could do worse than attending a short course on beer making. You might for instance book a course at the Misty Meadows Country Estate in George where they make Buzzard Country Ale. R1000 gets you a threeday course and accommodation where you can get to grips with the basics of brewing and spend valuable time with the brew master honing your skills. Brew experiences are scheduled for June 21-23, July 26-28, August 23-25, September 20-22, October 25-27 and November 22-24. (Call 072 714 2292 for more information).
The Mogallywood restaurant and guesthouse in the Magaliesberg also boasts a microbrewery and practical brewing courses for parties of six. The courses range from R1330 to R2500 per person, depending on how much beer you take home with you (up to 100 litres on the large brewer’s package).Your group can look forward to two nights’ accommodation, some good meals and the chance to sample the local brews along with invaluable hands-on brewing experience. Contact Roeks Griessel on 082 330 0646 or email roeksg@gmail. com if this sounds appealing to you. If you are in the Broederstroom area you could attend a one-day course at the Irish Ale House. The cost for the course is R2000 - a small price to pay for eight years of experience and shortcuts. Contact Dirk at dieboertjie@mweb.co.za or call 082 464 9387 to make arrangements. The Irish Ale House is particularly worth mentioning since this is the site of the annual Solstice Festival where brewers from across the country, and even from overseas (this year’s festival will include microbrewers from as far afield as America and China) get together with some talented musicians to create a showcase of the brewers’ art and provide an all-round good time. The event will be held on June 2 this year so there is a good chance you will have missed it by the time this article goes to print, but it is well worth pencilling the event in your diary for June next year. Once you’ve got a bit of experience under your belt you’ll probably want to start experimenting with brews of your own, after all it’s that personal touch that is going to set you apart from the competition. Remember to be patient. Bear in mind that finding out what not to do is almost as important as learning what you should do.
So what’s step one when you are embarking on your journey to brewmaster? Well it all depends. If you want to take things to the extreme then you could do a degree in natural sciences or chemistry at a university and then apply to an established brewery to get handson experience (I’m told that as of yet there are no official degrees in brewing
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SA GUIDE TO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES VOL 10, # 2