Natural, but not Light: Home-brewing in Athens

by Scott Angles, photos by Kevin Briggs

It would seem that if the Princeton Review’s party school rankings are to be taken as credible, (a confidence this journalist entertains only with extreme skepticism), Ohio University and its image as an institution is inextricably linked with alcohol. This association has proved to be problematic as a reflection on OU students, while at the same time, it has bolstered the universities appeal to thirsty college applicants. While this association may be troubling to many parents and a number of students, the brewing and consumption of alcoholic beverages has long tradition in the United States and Ohio in particular. No matter what individual opinions may be held on the issue, it is critical to understand the past and present influence that brewing entertains over Ohio and more specifically Athens culture.

America’s relationship with brewing, (or rather the lack thereof), began with the English pilgrims landing on the mainland in 1620. The pilgrims spent the winter of 1620 on the Mayflower, using up the crews provisions, including their coveted supplies of beer. In April of 1621, with the crew of the Mayflower becoming concerned over their dwindling provisions (especially the beer), the situation reached crisis level. The captain, concerned that he soon would not have a large enough quantity of beer for the return trip, left the pilgrims and set sail for England. Soon after this, the first American help wanted advertisements began appearing in England requesting the services of brewers.

Brewing has a rich and diverse history in the Buckeye State. The establishment of the Northwest Ordinance drew immigrants in droves leading to a population boom that enabled Ohio to achieve its statehood in 1803. It was this plethora of immigrants that contributed to the huge cornucopia of beverages that we can now enjoy. The Irish brought a predilection for fine whiskeys, scotches and meads, the British introduced their favored porters and ales, and the Germans brought their tastes for lagers and pilsners. This salad bowl of flavor made Ohio a Mecca for imbibers of all tastes and created a tradition of brewing fine spirits.

Enter Athens Ohio. At first glance, Athens appears to be a normal college party town. Natty swigging frat boys are everywhere to be found, Keystone cans line the gutters and at most parties, one can be lucky to find something as tasteful as a PBR. Given its commonality, one could easily become dismayed at the lack of refinement in the collegiate beverage gamut. The contentious and worldly imbiber of fine quality, artistically crafted beverages need not despair however; Athens entertains a large number of home-brewers who have delved deep into this age-old art. From amateurs to seasoned veterans, OU students of all types have taken to creating their own unique potions for the personal enjoyment of themselves and their friends.

OU senior Tyler Smith is a relative newcomer to the Athens brewing scene. This 21-year-old engineering technology and management major from Stone Creek, Ohio became interested in brewing last year. Smith was introduced to the concept of home brewing online and began to research the subject.

“I was bored and curious,” Smith stated. “I bought a kit online, got some fruit and went at it.”

To date, Smith has produced two batches of homemade wine and one batch of moonshine with his $30 brewing kit.

While Smith’s successes at his home brewing enterprise are easy to ascertain (at least if you have sampled his home made raspberry wine), he is quick to point out that his adventures through the world of brewing have not always been entirely successful. A recent batch of apple moonshine didn’t turn out quite as he expected.

“The batch of apple (moonshine) was kind of scary,” said Smith. “It fermented funny. It seemed to taste alright but I wouldn’t drink mass quantities of it.”

While the process of making moonshine is relatively simple, mistakes in the fermentation process can lead to the production of methanol, also known as wood alcohol. Methanol is highly toxic to humans, ingestion of as little as 10 milliliters can cause permanent blindness and 30 milliliters can cause death. The easiest way to discern if you’re shine has methanol in it is to perform a burn test. While ethanol burns with a yellow/blue flame, methanol burns with an almost colorless flame.

Smith admits that, although he is a relative newcomer to the world of home brewing, he intends to continue to brew and learn, with plans to expand his brewing operation in the future. For Smith, the growing popularity of home brewing in Athens is easy to explain.

“People just seem to want to do it,” Smith affirmed. “A lot of people also like bringing it to parties to show off what they’ve made. People also think that they’re going to save money, they don’t realize that’s not necessarily true, at least not until they get good at it.”

And “getting good at it” is exactly what Smith is trying to do one batch at a time.

If Tyler Smith is a relative newcomer to the art of brewing, one would have to one would have to consider Justin Mamrak a seasoned veteran. This electrical engineering graduate student from Medina, Ohio specializes in brewing mead, also known as honey wine. Mead is regarded by many archeologists to be the common ancestor of all alcoholic beverages. Mead is not commonly commercially available, so Mamrak set out to master brewing his own.

Mamrak was introduced to brewing and fermenting alcohol at an early age. His family grew their own grapes for fermentation and he often helped his parents with the wine production. Mamrak then began exploring with his own concoctions.

“I started with rose petal wine, anything I could brew,” Mamrak explained. “I was like ten, but it was a fun activity and I just migrated on from there.”

Many years of distilling and fermenting have endowed Mamrak with a great deal of practice as regards the techniques of home brewing. His home brews are treated with veneration and adulation among his friends and the quality of his mead is well known among his peers. It’s clear to Mamrak that the benefits of creating his own potent brews far outweigh the negatives, although to Mamrak, there aren’t too many.

“You can get things, brews, solutions, that you just can’t buy,” Mamrak asserts. “You can’t buy good mead, it just doesn’t exist.”

It is his quest to make unique brews that drives him to experiment with various recipes and ingredients. All of this experimentation can lead to unexpected results however, with many of Mamrak’s endeavors ending in less than perfect fermentations. If you ask whether he has ever had batches that turned out subpar, Mamrak will his eyes and responds with a laugh.

“God yes, about fifty percent of what I’ve done so far (hasn’t turned out),” Mamrak says. “Mostly in the fermentation process. I tried a coffee mead that just didn’t turn out at all. It’s something I’d feed to my enemies if I ever had to.”

However, for Mamrak, failure is just part of the game and, if anything, only compels him to continue to improve his brewing skill.

“I’m going for what I can’t buy,” Mamrak concluded. “I’ve never had a desire to duplicate other brands. You know, the stuff I’m doing, every gallon is one-of-a-kind. Put a price on that.”

It is Justin Mamrak, Tyler Smith, and others like them who are behind this wave of home brewing that is expanding in Athens. The desire for cheap, high-quality brews have led many OU students to fall back on this traditional American pastime. While it may seem that the collegiate experience is dominated by cheap booze, procured at the nearest BP, artistically brewed, unique spirits are out there. One has only to obtain the equipment, widely available online and locally at the Athens Do-It Yourself Shop, and get to brewing. If this seems like too much effort, at the very least, one should attempt to make the acquaintance of brewers like Marmak and Smith. The concoctions that Athens home brewers are turning out rival the quality and refinement of the highest quality, commercially available brews. Across Athens, brews are quietly fermenting in many closets and basements, waiting to be enjoyed.