Some of the best homebrewed beer in the country comes from a garage in Smyrna’s Gardenside neighborhood.
Smyrna resident Ron Price Jr., 44, won a silver medal for his homemade English pale ale at the American Homebrewers Association’s 2010 National Homebrew Competition, billed as the world’s largest beer competition.
Price’s beer placed second out of 187 entries in its category at this year’s judging, held June 19 in Minneapolis.
To brew his beer, Price uses a custom-built “brew stand” in his garage.
He grows his own hops in his backyard garden, and typically orders 100 lbs. of barley at a time.
A longtime hobby
Price traces his homebrewing hobby back to his fascination with the microbrew revival in late 70s and 80s, and his interest in trying new kinds of beer.
“I was always a connoisseur,” Price said. “I was a beer geek.”
Eventually, a coworker piqued his interest in homebrewing. Price decided to give it a try 18 years ago, when he was in his late 20s.
His first homebrew was an English pale ale, the beer that recently won him a silver medal.
“I’ve been working on that one for about 18 years,” he said.
Price said he has tweaked his original formula over the years, and tailored it to what he thought was a winning beer.
He said the beer judges score entries based on aroma, appearance, mouth feel, flavor, and overall impression.
Price was inspired to enter homebrew competitions after becoming a member of the American Homebrewers Association.
Price is “global moderator” for the organization’s online forum, where homebrewers from across the country interact with each other and discuss their craft.
The forum is also a way for members to combine their homebrewing with other interests, like food.
Price, who plays in a blues band in addition to his brewing hobby, says his motto is: “Homebrew, barbecue, and playing the blues.”
How it’s done
Brewing good beer starts with good water, Price said.
The next step is the barley. The type of grain varies depending on the type of beer.
When he brews, Price mills the barley and puts the crushed grain in a “mash tun,” where it is mixed with the water.
He later strains the liquid through a process known as “lautering” and then boils it in a kettle along with the hops.
After cooling, the yeast is added to begin the fermentation process, which usually takes between a week and a month, depending on the type of beer.
