Sister Lakes Brewing Company to host home brewing class

Published 9:33 am Wednesday, January 2, 2019

SISTER LAKES — Craftbeer lovers will have a chance to try their hand at the brewing practice with an upcoming class at a local brewery.

Sister Lakes Brewing Company will host a Learn to Home Brew class at noon on Saturday, Jan. 19. The class will be a two-hour course where participants will learn the basics of home brewing and will be able to have their questions about the practice answered by Brian Morin, head brewer at Sister Lakes Brewing Company. The amateur brewers will then be sent home with a brewing kit containing everything they need to make a 5-gallon batch of one of 10 styles of beer. The cost is $150. Participants must register and pay by Jan. 12 at the brewery for supplies to arrive by the course date.

“This will just be a great fun way to get people learning about beer and home brewing,” Morin said. “The more people learn about craft beer and brewing, the better it is for the industry as a whole.”

The class will be geared toward beginners to brewing and will teach participants the basics of hops, malts, fermentation and more, according to Morin.

“I think people are surprised by how easy this is. If you can follow a recipe in your kitchen, you can brew beer,” he said. “We will walk you through the entire process.”

With home brewing becoming a trending hobby around the country, Morin said the practice is a fun way to create something and share a passion for craft beer with loved ones by adding a personal touch.

“Anytime you can make something yourself, you have a better relationship with it, and you appreciate it more,” he said. “It’s just a lot of fun, and the possibilities are endless. … It’s a hobby that everyone can enjoy the benefits of.”

Attending a homebrew class is actually how Morin got his start in the business, not knowing at the time that brewing would eventually become his career.

“It becomes one of those hobbies that you can get more and more and more into,” he said. “Now several years later I own a brewery. I thought his class would be a great way to give and get other people excited about brewing.”

Morin said he hopes to have a good turnout for the class so that he can share his love of craft beer with others.

“There is no feeling like tasting your own beer for the first time,” he said. “I remember when I took a lesson and did that. The excitement of opening that first beer — you can’t beat it.”

For more information about the course or home brewing, contact Sister Lakes Brewing Company at (269) 332-5135.