Loading...

Your cart

Your basket is empty.
Total:£0
Back to shop
Proceed to checkout

Subscriptions

Make it easy to brew better beer, more often!
And be part of our awesome homebrewing community.

Online

£20
Annual subscription

WORLDWIDE

Online homebrewing tips + current & all past issues of MASHED Magazine + recipes.

Get this plan now

Magazine

£30
Annual subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly subscription of MASHED Homebrewing Magazine (print) + full online access.

Get this plan now

Hop Club

£20
Quarterly subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly hops + MASHED Magazine (print) + exclusive offers + full online access.

Get this plan now

Brew Club

£35
Quarterly subscription

UK ONLY

Quarterly all grain brew kit + MASHED Mag (print) + exclusive offers + full online access.

Get this plan now
Brewing & Fermenting

Going Pro

By:Yohanna Best
Share post:
MASHED ISSUE 6

We’ve all been there. When you’re admiring the incredible beer you’ve crafted, cooing at it like it’s your first born. Damn it’s good. Better than some brews you’ve paid good money for. Maybe you should set up a brewery...or go work for an established one. Or become a consultant. Or train others.

Many a homebrewer has considered chucking in their day job and going pro. But not all of us pull it off. If you are serious about it - perhaps as a side gig to your main income - here are some pointers to get you started. Even if your end goal seems a long way off, the best time to get started is now!

Institute of Brewing & Distilling is a globally recognised member’s organization offering courses and qualifications for whether you want to set up a single independent brewery or work for a multiple corporate brewer. 

www.ibd.org.uk

Brew School: Want to set up a nanobrewery from your garage or shed for less than £10,000? Brew School offer a one day course to help you go from zero to nano-brewing hero!

www.brew-school.com

Brew Lab offer introductory, professional level and specialist courses in brewing. For example, a three day course in start-up brewing or a certificate in practical brewing.

www.brewlab.co.uk

The Cicerone Certification Program offers four levels of certification beginning with the simplest and progressing to the most complex and demanding, from Certified Beer Server to Master Cicerone. www.cicerone.org

BJCP: Become a beer judge! The Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. is a world-wide certifying organization for judges of beer and related fermented products.

www.bjcp.org

The Boring but Essential Bits: Get in touch with your local council to find out about permits etc. Check out www.gov.uk/guidance/beer-duty for details for some of the red tape bits of setting up a brewery. 

Going Pro Tip: Setting up to produce on a large scale can cost anything up to £100,000+. Consider starting as a nano-brewery from your garage or shed. Or test out your concept as a cuckoo brewer; contact local micro breweries to see if you can rent their brewery and equipment on their down time.

More useful info:

SIBA: siba.co.uk

CAMRA: camra.org.uk

Related articles

A Pint with… Andy N., Homebrewer

I live in Cardiff but I’m originally from Lancashire. I am retired and started brewing when my children bought me a BrewDog 1 gallon brew-in-a-bag kit just after lockdown in 2020. The results were successful so I started looking at other kits and equipment, and came across the Dark Farm (MASHED) kits and eventually tried them all.

Mastering Final Gravity

Brewers often obsess over the beginning - grain bills, mash schedules, yeast selection - but it’s the end of fermentation, the final (or ‘finishing’) gravity (FG), that speaks loudest in the glass. Final gravity represents the residual sugar left after yeast has done its work, and it’s the metric most responsible for a beer’s mouthfeel, sweetness, and balance. From plush imperial stouts to bone-dry saisons, it’s the number that tells the story of fermentation.

Grain + Grape Does it Mix?

October 5th of this year marked the first International Italian Grape Ale (IGA) Day. Ever tried one? If not, then you might be asking: Italian grape ale? Is that a wine or a beer? Well, IGA is most definitely a beer. But it’s like a beer and wine got very friendly and had a baby. Made with up to 40% grapes or grape must, IGAs are based on pils malt, or pale malt.

YEASTS TO EXPLORE WITH WHC

Embrace the convenience, versatility and excellence of WHC Lab’s Blitz lager yeast, and embark on a journey to craft exceptional lagers that delight the senses while optimising brewing processes!

A guide to Shandies and Radlers

In the haze of a lazy afternoon, or at the tail end of a long beery evening, few drinks offer the same effortless refreshment as a shandy or a radler. These beer-based blends have long been the go-to for drinkers seeking something light, bright and sessionable. But while they may seem interchangeable, their histories and cultural footprints tell two distinct stories.

The Global History of Rice Beer

Long before barley became the dominant grain in brewing, rice was quietly shaping its own legacy in the world of fermented beverages. From the misty valleys of ancient China to the ceremonial fires of India and the sleek breweries of modern Japan, rice beer has evolved from a sacred ritual drink to global refreshment. Its story is as varied and nuanced as the cultures that brew it.

The Benefits of Brewing with Rice

Rice may be one of the world’s most ancient grains, but in brewing it’s still revealing new dimensions. Once dismissed as a bland adjunct for mass-market lagers, rice is now enjoying a renaissance among craft brewers who see it not as a filler, but as a tool for precision, texture and subtlety. From jasmine to black rice, puffed to flaked, the diversity of rice offers brewers a palette of possibilities.
IPA History

Tall Tales: The IPA Myth

The story of India Pale Ale (IPA) has long been wrapped in legend, often simplified into a neat narrative: faced with the challenge of shipping beer to India, British brewers supposedly crafted a stronger, hoppier ale specifically designed to withstand the long, hot voyage across the sea. Alongside this narrative runs the often-told story that Burton-on-Trent played the most influential role in the development of this beer. While this all makes for a great tale, the truth is far more nuanced.

A Pint with Homebrewer Phil Battersby

It was my long-term friend Steve who casually announced to me he had started brewing all these wonderful IPAs from beer kits. That was back in 2017 and, though I had dabbled in homebrewing many years ago with basic kits, it just triggered something inside of me that took me on this self-navigated adventure.

Delivery

Free and fast UK delivery for all orders over £150. Hassle free delivery to mainland European and other global locations.

Money Back Guarantee

If you not happy with our products you can return them within 30 days for a full refund.

Responsive Customer Support

Have a question? Please get in touch. Call, email or message us directly here or on WhatsApp. Our office hours are usually Mon-Fri 10 am - 6 pm. Click here to get in touch or email gareth@darkfarm.co.uk

Secure Online Payment

Feel safe and confident with your online payments - our system uses Stripe, one of the world’s leading payment gateways.