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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Homebrew away from home

Rick Bonino

It’s all about the homebrew tonight at Bellwether.

For the past two years, the North Spokane brewery has hosted a homebrewers’ competition for Spokane Craft Beer Week in May, with the winners having their recipe made on Bellwether’s system for commercial release.

This year’s winner will be tapped today at 5: Hazy Disposition, a New England-style IPA created by Jim Schulte and Chad Powers.

Their contest entry compared favorably to the professional versions of the style done so far at area breweries. The recipe has been tweaked a bit for full-scale production, says Bellwether’s Thomas Croskrey, but remains impressive.

“It’s still really cloudy and super-juicy, especially in the nose but also in the flavor,” Croskrey says.

It’s brewed with malted oats, wheat and triticale in addition to barley – which helps create the hazy appearance and soft mouthfeel – and hopped with fruity El Dorado, Ekuanot, Amarillo and Azacca.

The Crate food truck will be on hand serving dinner starting at 5, as it will be every Thursday through the end of summer.

And from 6 to 8, the crew from the Nu Home Brew supply shop will be on hand to conduct a free introductory class on the basics of brewing with malt extract.

The recipe is a kolsch with small additions of lemongrass and lavender. It will ferment at Bellwether and be served at a discount price when it’s ready, Croskrey says.

“We’re hoping to get some people here who have never brewed beer,” he says.

And who knows – maybe one of them could be standing in the winner’s circle at Bellwether someday.