The 2012 Blogger Brew Challenge Has Kicked Off

It’s not often you get given a 30l tank filled with powder and told if you fill it with water it’ll turn into beer, and that if you turn your water to beer better than nine others you’ll be the Blogger Brew Master, showered with applause, tables at the Cape Town Festival Of Beer, more beer, your own stand at the the 2013 Festival Of Beer, and 132 virgins. Like I said, that doesn’t happen often, but it happened to me, and I’m now taking part in the greatest challenge ever, a challenge that, win or lose, I can drink.

Natalie was asked too, and seeing as we don’t take this sort of thing (beer and competition) lightly we’ve combined brains and last night we finished off the brewing of our second beer. We stuck to the instructions for the first one – a basic Munich Lager, then changed it up a bit for the second. We added a bit of coriander and orange zest. I’m not quite sure what the result will be, but the airlock is bubbling away as it should be so things are in order. I am a little concerned about the basic one though, either I missed the airlock bubbling, or it never happened (does it bubble constantly or just for the first few days?).

Obviously this wont make sense to you if you have never brewed your own beer, but let me put you at ease, this is my first time, and all it takes to start getting interested in bubbling airlocks and what bottles you want to put your beer in is one kit. If you like beer you’ll be hooked, if only because you can experiment with them and let’s not forget the obvious, stock your own beer. You’re always open on a Sunday!

Here are some of the shots from the brewing.

The first one has a few days left in the tank, the second has a week, then it’s bottling time. Then I’ll be running a label competition (where you could make my beer label), then it comes down to the judging – just before the Festival Of Beer. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty amped for that. I want to see how different all the beers are, considering we were all given the exact same kit.

All of this will culminate in one huge celebration of beer at the Cape Town Festival Of Beer happening in November. Details here. You can check out my competition by following these guys @KaminiPather @CathyMarston @raouldejongh @MrCPT @NatalieRoos @TankLanning @LifeisSavage @Raising_Men @StephanieBe.

Wish us luck!

Nash…
Out.