Homebrewers Do It on the Sidewalk

To kick off the May 7 opening of the West Park Farmers Market 2005 season, DBF members took to the streets, sort of. On Saturday, the group set up a brew kettle on the sidewalk outside of the Park Winery and boiled up two batches of beer.

Brave-hearted DBF members began the boil at 10 o'clock in the morning, attracting the attention of many visitors to the market. Several curious visitors stopped to ask questions and inhale the magic aroma of the boiling wort. DBF president Ed Stone had hoped the demonstration would stimulate interest in the fledgling home brewers club and offer the public a chance to visit the Park Winery, current meeting place of the DBF.

By the end of the afternoon, two batches of home brew had been brewed. DBF member Jay Bradley suggests that the first can best be described as Red Ale. The second beer is similar to a classical English Pale Ale style.

“What would that be similar to?” Jay asks, trying to describe the hop characteristic. “Maybe a Sierra Nevada?”

The West Park Farmers Market is an open-air venue where vendors sell flowers, vegetables, food, crafts and more. While the DBF is not permitted to sell its brews at the event, the market did allow the club to generate some awareness of its existence.

Following the typical ten-day fermentation and settling process, the two ales will be ready to bottle, and sample, just in time for the next club meeting. The DBF will convene again on Tuesday, May 24 at the Park Winery, located on the corner of Charlevoix and Beaconsfield in Grosse Pointe Park. As always, members and the public will get the chance to taste the final products, in addition to other home brews brought in by club members.