How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love to Homebrew

Maybe you started homebrewing during the pandemic instead of making sourdough. Maybe you’re concerned that you don’t have as much technical knowledge as other homebrewers. Maybe you’re intimidated by all those who are way more into it than you think you want to be, but you still want to enjoy the brew.

Many professionals started out as homebrewers, and many of your peers are considering going pro or have professional quality brewing setups. Is it okay to be a hobbyist when seemingly everyone else is super advanced? Absolutely!

In this session, Megan Parisi, head brewer at the Sam Adams Boston Taproom, discusses how to enjoy homebrewing without the pressure to be competitive or to become a professional. Join her to learn the key techniques to get started or rekindle your love of homebrewing without the stress of meeting other peoples’ expectations. It’s your journey, and Megan is here to help you enjoy the ride.

Learning Objectives

• Develop strategies for a brewing setup that work with the realistic circumstances in your life
• Identify the resources, both technical and community-based, to develop your homebrewing knowledge and skills
• Learn how to deal with the pressures to be a “certain kind of homebrewer” or to brew certain kinds of beers
• Address considerations if you DO decide that you want to move forward into a more advanced or professional realm
• Learn how to relax, not worry, and embrace the joy of brewing up your own creations

About the Speaker

In a career spanning nearly two decades, Megan Parisi has had the fortune of brewing at several breweries, including Cambridge Brewing Co in Cambridge, Mass.; overseeing brewery buildouts and commissioning at Bluejacket in Washington, D.C., and Wormtown Brewery in Worcester, Mass.; and finding her current home as head brewer of the Sam Adams Boston Taproom. Her first several years at Sam Adams were spent running the nano-scale component of their research-and-development/new-product development program, where she was able to draw on her ten-plus years of homebrewing experience. Megan has also served as a Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup judge since 2010.

A native of Philadelphia, Megan’s degrees are in classical music performance, and she spent the early years of her professional life as a clarinetist in the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C. This formative part of her education influences the way she brews, as she notes the marriage of science and art in the recipe formulation and the execution of brewing techniques.