To celebrate Sheffield beer festivals 50th year it was decided to run a competion for homebrewers throughout the region to bring their best brews. The format of the competion was to be as creative as possible, to bring to the festival, beers that are different to the main and to show flair and talent within parameters.
Each winning beer would be then brewed by a Sheffield based commercial brewery to be showcased at the festival. The main parameter is that the beers brewed would need to be commercial and that they would not be able to be barrel aged or difficult to replicate. This gave some guidance as to what to brew and what could be turned around quickly.
I entered an old favourite of mine, based upon an old recipe from a few years ago. This ended up being a battle between the homebrew clubs of Sheffield, The Kelham Island Homebrew club and Sheffield Homebrew club. Both clubs meet monthly, one at Heist in Kelham Island, usually on the second Thursday of the month at around 7pm and the other meet at Sheffield Tap on the last Sunday of the month meeting at 2pm.
Both clubs are friendly and helpful to anyone with an interest in brewing their own beers from first timers to old hands of brewing. If you are at a loose end then pop along or find them on social media for more info. The guys and girls from both of these clubs are keen to offer practical advice and tips that improve the standard for all.
The breweries that offered the facilities to scale up a home brew recipe were:-
- Little Critters
- Little Mesters
- Duality
- Blue Bee
All of the breweries are renowned for producing flavourful and enjoyable beers in their own rights and the judging of the homebrewed beers fell to the brewers from these breweries.
The winning amateur brewers are Brian Glossop, his beer “Dust from another sun” has been brewed at Duality, A New England IPA, knowing Brian this will be brimmed full of punchy hops. Jamie Smith’s beer “A cup of Ambition” brewed at Blue Bee is a New Zealand Pale ale. Joe Lee brewed and amber ale named “King Salmon” has been crafted at Little Critters and an unnamed Saison beer has been brewed at Little Mesters to Liz and Steve Philpots recipe.
All of these beers will be marketed by the breweries concerned into their usual outlets after the festival but will be on the bar for the Sheffield 50th Beer Festival.
Rob Barwell
