The Homebrewer in North Park offers supplies and resources for making beer at home

By Monica Garske | SDUN Reporter

North Park is quickly becoming one of the top places in the country for high-quality craft beer. Thanks to a unique store in the neighborhood, beer lovers can become beer makers.

The Homebrewer, located at 2911 El Cajon Blvd., is a homebrewing supply shop that stocks everything needed to make, brew and store homemade beer.

Inventory includes essentials such as a variety of yeasts, hops and grains, as well as tools like brew pots, carbon dioxide refills and beer bottles.

The masterminds behind The Homebrewer are Normal Heights residents George Thornton and Molly Brooks-Thornton. The husband and wife team are longtime beer aficionados.

“We’ve been homebrewing for about 10 years and we wanted to share our hobby with others. We supply everything needed to brew beer at every skill level,” Thornton said. The Homebrewer opened in March, and Thornton said setting up shop in the heart of North Park was a no-brainer.

“North Park is the epicenter of craft beer in San Diego, so it made sense. The walkability of the neighborhood is great. We get a lot of locals who just walk down here to get what they need,” he said.

Anyone – even a total novice, Thornton said – can take up homebrewing with a few simple supplies and a game plan.

“You’re going to need a brew pot, ingredients, some sort of storage vessel and bottles to get started. Then you have to decide how much beer you want to make. You can start with a one-gallon kit, which is about $35, to see if you enjoy the process,” he said.

Another option is jumping right into making five-gallon batches, which is equal to approximately 50 bottles of beer. Thornton said supplies for that kind of batch run from $150 to $200.

And, while homebrewing may seem a bit intimidating, the owners insist the process is a cinch.

“If you can follow the directions on a cake box recipe, you can brew beer,” he said, adding that there is no need to be nervous about brewing, since pretty much all types of beers require the same step-by-step process, with little variations.

The main thing to remember, he said, is that beer has to have enough time to ferment, so patience is key.

“It’s possible for beer to ferment in two to three weeks, but I usually like to have my beer sit for about a month for a better product,” he said.

Besides offering a vast selection of brewing supplies and tools, Thornton said The Homebrewer aims to act as a “resource center” for everything associated with the hobby.

They offer Sunday afternoon brewing classes a couple times per month for those at beginner and intermediate levels. Beginner classes feature a basic introduction to extract and partial-grain brewing, while intermediate classes focus on all-grain brewing. Their next round of classes are on Oct. 21, Nov. 4 and Nov. 18, all at 4 p.m.

“Our goal is to get people who have thought about homebrewing to talk to other people who brew and infect them with the passion,” Thornton said.

The Homebrewer also hosts small beer tastings and evaluations every couple of months, where homebrewers can bring their batches to a panel of judges for feedback. Thornton said the evaluations place an emphasis on the taste, quality and appreciation of beer and are meant to help others grow and improve their skills.

On a larger scale, The Homebrewer participates in the Boulevard Nights block parties organized by the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association. At the last event, held Sept. 14, Thornton hosted a Homebrewer Competition, where amateur brewers showcase their own concoctions. The event boasted 16 homebrewers and 120 tasters, who sampled and ranked the brews.

However, Thornton said there doesn’t have to be an official competition or evaluation for him to sample his customers’ creations, as he is always open to providing feedback to brewers.

“The best part is that our fridge is always stocked with a backlog of beers that people want us to try,” Thornton said. “Our customers bring in their beers all the time for us to taste and evaluate. It’s definitely a perk.”

The Homebrewer in North Park is open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit thehomebrewersd.com or call 619-450-6195.