Lewes Homebrew Club

Who can come along?

Anyone with an interest in home brewing – from beginners through to experts, hop-forward IPA brewers to traditional best bitter makers. If you brew or are interested in doing so and would like to meet other brewers in the area, why not come along?

Do I have to pay to attend?

No, there’s no charge. If you want to say thanks to the pub for hosting us you can certainly buy a drink at the bar.

How many people attend?

To date there’s been as many as 10 and as few as 3. Currently, there are 6-7 regulars and we hope to increase that as more people find out about us. Two of our regulars come from as far as Brighton and welcome people from all around Sussex.

What happens on the night?

Very simply, we sit and talk about brewing over a few drinks, including taking the opportunity to sample each other’s home brews. Generally this means talking about our latest brews, discussing new trends, recipes, techniques, equipment, hop growing, as well as discussions about commercial beers, breweries and the local pub scene. It’s all very casual with no set agenda.

Should I bring my home brew? What if I don’t have any, or I don’t want to?!

If you’ve made something you want to share, bring it along – people will be happy to try it. It doesn’t have to be your best brew – sometimes tasting the ones that didn’t quite work out can be just as interesting. And you certainly don’t need to bring anything. If you feel bad about trying people’s brews without bringing your own you can always buy a bottle from the bar to share around.

I’m driving or don’t want to drink.

That's perfectly fine. You can still join in on the general chat, ask questions and learn, or give advice.

Is this just about beer? I brew cider/wine/mead/etc.

Most of the focus tends to be on beer, but all brewers are welcome. To date we’ve had makers of ciders, wines, liqueurs and even spirits. Quite often some of our brewers bring in ciders in particular.

What’s the history of the group?

Originally known as the Southdowns Homebrew Club, the inaugural meeting took place in June 2013, organised by Chris, Besh and Tony. Chris was originally responsible for confirming meeting dates and being the primary attendee, and as of October 2014 this is being done by Richard A.

Are there any other home brewing groups in the area?

Yes, there’s a group in Brighton that started in October 2014 and meets monthly. Check out the Brighton Homebrewers Facebook group for details.