Christopher Bart
Homebrew Supplier
Interview Date: February 3, 2023
Q: Tell us about your first batch of homebrew. When did you start?
It was a kit called black dog amber ale - probably wasn't very good but in my memory it was amazing! LOL.
Q: What's your favorite beer you've ever brewed?
Every few years I make a Flanders Red or Brown and I always love the result and the amount of time that they can cellar as I experience the change over time.
Q: What about your biggest brew-fail?
Back in the day I threw some herbs into a beer after some inspiration from a book called The Homebrewer’s Garden. It became rosemary beer and it was NOT good.
Q: What's your go-to commercial beer?
That can be tough because I rarely buy the same thing without a considerable time in between, but Guinness export stout is always good to me.
Q: What's in your fermenter now?
A British pale ale — clone of Timothy Taylor Landlord
Q: What's your favorite BJCP style to brew? To drink?
I love to make and drink a few saisons every summer trying different yeast and hop combinations.
Q: Tell us about your brewery. What does your set-up look like?
It surprises most people to know that it's pretty basic. I use an Anvil Foundry to mash and will usually boil in that too, but sometimes I'll pull the wort into a kettle for a more aggressive boil on propane.
Q: Why do you homebrew?
The commercial market just can't offer everything that I want. As much as the commercial offerings have improved over the years (and I still buy plenty of beer every year), my brain buzzes with flavors, aromas and ingredients that either don't have commercial viability or are maybe too 'out there.' Reading about beer and brewing is what really keeps me going in pursuit of something new or something more.