Home brewers present the 'Great Anglian Brew Off' winners at Norwich Beer Festival

Regional home brewers have battled to win the chance to launch their beer for the 40th Norwich Beer Festival.

The experienced home brewers were picked in a competition for members of the Anglian Craft Brewers in association with CAMRA.

The tasting panel chose the best beers in three strength categories.  The winners were then matched with local commercial breweries to produce the beers on a commercial scale.

At the festival visitors can judge the collaborative brews for themselves.  The brews will also be eligible for the Beer of the Festival award, along with all other festival beers.

The collaborative brews are:
Mosaical Cheers, a Mosaic pale ale, brewed by John Watson of Essex in association with Golden Triangle Brewery
Noman, Charles Abbott’s oatmeal stout, brewed in conjunction with Elmtree Beers
Wild Moonshadow, a specialist mild, brewed by Mark Cade with Wildcraft Brewery

John Watson recommends for any home brewer to get involved with their local homebrewing club. He added: ‘The thing I really love about home brewing is that I can create a beer recipe to suit my own taste, though occasionally I’ve ended up with something different to what was anticipated!’.

Charles Abbot described how he and his neighbour watched their local pub turn into a supermarket and decided to build their own, then they needed some beer, so they started their own home brewery.

Charles’ oatmeal stout is brewed with Maris Otter crystal and chocolate malts with roasted barley and flaked oats giving a velvet mouthfeel with a lush chocolate and roasted finish – suitable for vegans (no isinglass).

Mark Cade has been a CAMRA member since the late 80s but didn't get into home brewing until around 1999 when he was given home brewing apparatus for Christmas.

Mark commented: ‘It’s fair to say that home brewing has further developed my passion for beer, leading to my qualification as a beer sommelier and formation of our company the 'Thirst Consultants’.’