Westerville home brewers win at the Ohio State Fair

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The Ohio State Fair Homebrew Competition celebrated turning 21 the traditional way: with lots of beer.

The competition received a record 633 entries, with three Westerville residents standing out in the tough competition.

Bill Bopp won first place in two categories for his English barleywine and his New World cider, and earned third place for his German helles. Dan George placed second in three categories with his Munich dunkel, old ale and German pilsner. Jack Johnson also placed, earning fourth for his imperial stout. 

George became interested in homebrewing in the 1990s. In 2002, he joined a homebrew club in Texas. The club was full of retired Ph.D. chemists, who shaped his understanding.

“Brewing’s nothing more than a chemistry experiment,” George says.

George moved to Westerville and started earning his first awards. He joined the local homebrew club SODZ (Scioto Olentangy Darby Zymurgists).

Bopp also became interested in homebrews in the 1990s, discovering them at a party.

“The thought of brewing your own beer boggled my mind,” Bopp says. “I was like, ‘You can do that?’”

He dabbled in home kits before joining SODZ and began competing, winning his first award at the 2007 Ohio State Fair. He has been active in the community ever since, including organizing Beer for Boobs, a fundraiser that supports breast cancer awareness.

Bopp judges regional competitions, plus the National Competition. At the previous conference, he got to select the best India pale ale in the country.

“I fell in love with the judging process, because in three hours, you can sample six to 10 beers of the same style. So you can compare and contrast and see the idiosyncrasies,” he says. “Typically, I come away from a flight of beers thinking, ‘Oh my God, that is such a great example. I’ve got to brew this style now.’ That just inspires me to brew more. It feeds upon itself.”

Bopp mostly brews in the spring, saying it makes his beer fresh for awards season in the summer. While Bopp primarily brews in his garage, George works on his stove and prefers brewing in the winter so he does not heat up his kitchen during the summer.

George says homebrewing has expanded in the 20 years since he began, and ingredients are better and more available. Brewing has shifted from extract brewing, which utilizes syrups, to all-grain brewing, using grains for a fresher product. Both George and Bopp grow their own hops for brewing, too.

George’s current focus is lagers and his now award-winning German pilsners. He stresses the importance of sanitation, saying brewing is five-sixths cleaning, one-sixth brewing, plus following the recipe.

“You could be a great brewer, but if the recipe’s bad, you’re not going to make a great beer,” George says.

Bopp enjoys brewing malts and brown ales. He also likes experimenting, most recently with a coffee-infused brew. But he does not play favorites.

“Once I became a beer judge, I started liking all beers,” he says. “You appreciate each beer for itself.”

Lindsey Capritta is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

RECIPES

Beef Rouladen

Pairs great with Dan George’s Munich dunkel

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. flank steak
  • ½ lb. thick sliced bacon
  • 2 red onions (fresh), sliced
  • 1 jar dill pickle spears
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 ½ cups beef stock
  • German stone-ground mustard, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the flank steak into thin filets – about ¼ inch thick and 3 inches wide. Pound meat for tenderization.
  2. Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and sautee until browned. Dust pan with flour to pick up fat.
  4. Pour beef stock. Simmer the rolls for about an hour before serving.

Beer Cheese

Bill Bopp suggests pairing with a pilsner

Ingredients

  • ¾ lb. mild cheddar cheese
  • 1 ½ lbs. cream cheese
  • 1 ½ tsp. grated horseradish
  • 1 tsp. fresh crushed garlic
  • 6 oz. beer

Instructions

  1. Beat cheddar cheese until smooth. Slowly fold in cream cheese.
  2. Add horseradish and garlic and mix. Slowly blend in beer.
  3. If you want to get creative, add a little salt, bacon bits, onion, chives, etc. Serve with pretzels or other dipping item.

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