by Feed your head with a play by Pamela Olson

Created on: March 07, 2009

Reno Homebrewer.

Brewing is an ancient artform with endless possibilities for interesting and unusual tastes and Northern Nevada has some accomplished brewers, both professional and amateur.

With Brew Ha Ha, 2009's Biggest Kegger On The West Coast, coming up on January 24, 2009, and my article Listen: There's A Hell Of A Good Brewpub Next Door, Let's Go, I received some questions about homebrewing in Northern Nevada. Local Reno Homebrewer and WZZ are the places to start. Brewing is an ancient artform with endless possibilities for interesting and unusual tastes and Northern Nevada has some accomplished brewers, both professional and amateur.

The local homebrew club since 1985 is the Washoe Zephyr Zymurgists, or WZZ (pronounced "wiz"). WZZ has an annual Washoe Zephyr Zymurgists Homebrew Competition the last February of each year and has monthly get-togethers.

Matt Johnson brews "Ruthless Reid's Organic IPA, with a label of U.S. Senator Harry Reid, Dem., Nevada, flipping the bird. Ruthless Reid's is full flavor, a clean finish, with lots of hoppiness well balanced with spicy rye. Jeff Young brews a root beer stout. It smells of sarsaparilla root beer. Its' taste is of a very dark, malty stout. Tye Morgan brews a back to the basics beer. Matt Shaw brews a milk stout. Justin Snow brews a chocolate raspberry ale.

Joe Dvorsky is a teacher at Reno Homebrewer. At the 2008 Truckee River Music Fest, Joe Dvorsky entered his very tradition pre-prohibition old-school ale into the Sierra Tap House Homebrew Contest. Terence Sullivan is the Assistant BrewMaster at Sierra Tap House. Sullivan believes that beer, however brewed, must not lose its beer quality. Beer quality and striking flavors are both growing as more get into homebrewing.

Local Brew Schools

Reno Homebrewer

2335 Dickerson Road, Reno, NV, 775/329-2537

Brew Suppliers

NorthernBrewer.com

Brew Support

HomeBrewTalk.com

Common Brew Terms

Ale is an alcoholic beverage brewed especially by rapid fermentation from an infusion of malt with the addition of hops.

Stout beer is composed of barley and varied types of malt. Other variants may be made using oatmeal, which usually produces a sweeter beer. There is a large variety in the kind of stout beer produced and several classifications differentiate one type from another.

Beer is produced by the brewing and fermentation of cereal grainsthe most common of which is malted barley, although wheat, maize/corn, and rice are also widely used. Most beer is flavoured with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included.

Local Brew Pubs

Sierra Tap House, 253 West 1st St, Reno, NV

Great Basin Brewing Company, 846 Victorian Avenue, Sparks, Nevada

Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery, 124 Wonder Street, Reno, NV

The Brews Brothers, Eldorado Hotel & Casino, Reno, NV

Carson Brewing Company, 449 W. King Street, Carson City, NV

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