If you can boil water then you can brew beer.
At first glance, home brewing beer can seem a bit intimidating when trying to learn about the different grains, hops and yeast and how it all works together.
Chris Arnt, president of the Barley Mob Brewers of Chattanooga, said it can actually be quite easy to start, though.
"If you can boil water then you can brew beer," Arnt said. "The fastest way to learn is to watch somebody or take a class."
Chris Calhoun doesn't brew his own beer, but he thought if he opened the first dedicated home brew supply shop in Chattanooga then he could learn from his employees and customers.
Opening in May in the building of a former gas station at 1510 Riverside Drive, the Brew Market and Beer Garden is one of the only places in the Chattanooga metro area where home brewers can purchase supplies other than Beverage World in Fort Oglethorpe, said Calhoun, who is also the owner of the Saint Elmo Tap House.
Calhoun said he wanted to create a space where people could have a beer, shop and collaborate. There is also a beer garden in the back of the gas station for those interested in just consuming beer and not making it.
"We've had quite a few people in here wanting to do a collaboration," he said.
The American Homebrewers Association estimates that 1.1 million American brew their beer at home, with 40 percent of them starting in the past four years. About 31 percent of home brewers are in the South, according to a 2017 estimate.
The Barley Mob Brewers of Chattanooga formed over 15 years ago and attendance at monthly meetings is up "across the board," Arnt said. The group currently has 50 members and that only represents the ones who have paid membership fees. Most of the members are in Chattanooga, Soddy Daisy, Hixson and North Georgia.
"With the number of breweries and tap rooms opening in Chattanooga the interest is as high as it has ever been," Arnt said.
The Barley Mob Brewers meet once a month at local microbreweries or tap rooms in town, some of which first started out as home brewers before moving into a commercial space, like the owners at Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. and Hutton and Smith. Many home brewers in the area showcase their beers at local festivals and block parties, like MainX24 and the annual Brew Skies Festival or do collaborations with microbreweries in town.
On Father's Day, Calhoun kicked off the first home brew extracting class for beginners to learn how to get started.
Attendee Doylene Francisco said she thought it would be a great experience for her dad, Alan Cummings. The classes can fit about six to eight people in a small classroom inside the converted gas station.
"Dad is obsessed with beer," Francisco said. "Usually I just get him a bunch of beer for the holiday, but I thought this would be a good gift."
As Cummings stirred the grains in a boiling pot on the classroom stove, his daughter snapped a picture on her phone.
"Mom is going to be so glad you're cooking something," she joked.
There are two ways to make beer and extracting is considered easier as the process of crushing malted grains and mashing them into fermentable sugar has already been done, according to homebrewsupply.com. Many beginner home brewers buy malt extract, which allows them to skip the step of mashing malted grain.
On this afternoon, Brew Market manager and home brewer Eric McGaffic was helping the attendees make a pale ale, which he would bottle and give to them a few weeks later after fermentation.
"Extract brewing is designed so that anyone who has a heat source and three-gallon pot can do it," McGaffic said.
McGaffic has been home brewing for six years and was full of insider knowledge and tips for the four attendees of the Beer Market's first class.
"You must be consuming beer while brewing beer," he explained.
McGaffic got his start in home brewing around the same time he became interested in craft beer. He said the first thing he ever did was buy a Mr. Beer Kit at Walmart. He tried to make a blueberry-flavored beer but said it was "terrible."
"Then I went to Beverage World and did an intro class and started doing extract," he said.
Calhoun said he got the idea of opening a home brew supply store and beer garden in Chattanooga after his travels around the world both in the U.S. Marine Corps and with friends.
"One of the things that Chattanooga is missing is a beer garden," he said.
The Brew Market's fenced in beer garden has tables and cornhole games set up and welcomes dogs on a leash. Their website states a yard for dogs to play off leash, horseshoes, fire pit and disc golf putting area are also coming soon. For more information, visit their website at brewmarketchatt.com/#ENJOY.
Home-brewing supplies can be found online too, but Calhoun said the nice thing about the Brew Market is they will provide however many ounces or pounds needed for a recipe.
"If you need 8 ounces then we will sell you 8 ounces," Calhoun said. "If you need 10 pounds then we will sell you that, too."
Beer terminology can be overwhelming at first and understanding how different ingredients work together is essential for home brewing. There are three different kinds of hops - bittering, aroma and flavoring hops - that should all be added in at certain times throughout the brewing process. Liquid yeast has a shelf life unlike dry yeast and some people just throw in yogurt when creating sour beers.
"Learn to crawl before you walk, learn to walk before you run," McGaffic cautioned to the four beginners.
Chris and Karen Wallace also attended the class on Father's Day. Chris said he was interested in learning about how to brew because they might invest in a brewery.
Karen said that's not the real reason, though.
"We are empty nesters and about to replace our kids with beer!" she joked.
The Brew Market and Beer Garden is open from 12 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Classes are $30 and a schedule can be found on the Brew Market's website.
Contact staff writer Allison Shirk at ashirk@timesfreepress.com, @Allison_Shirk or 423-757-6651.