Malta brewery gives homebrewers chance to show skills
MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Brian Fox and Nathan Rogers, the owners and brewers at Active Ingredient Brewing Company in Malta, met in 2011 while working together as pharmacists. Ten years later, they opened Active Ingredient together.
Fox and Rogers had been planning on opening a brewery for a few years but had trouble finding a space with proper zoning laws. Active Ingredient was originally supposed to open in August 2020, but they delayed a year due to the pandemic, said Fox.
Shortly after they met, Fox and Rogers started homebrewing together. "We eventually decided that we should buy very large tanks and start making it for a lot more people," said Rogers.
To give others a chance to show their skills, Active Ingredient held a homebrewing competition, which was announced in January. It was their taproom manager's idea, who is also an avid homebrewer.
"The winner will be able to brew with us a seven-barrel batch and get it served right here in the taproom," said Rogers. "It's a nice platform for either aspiring business owners or aficionados that make stuff at home."
Seventeen beers were entered into the competition. Fox said the beers had to be all-grain and no New England IPAs could be entered due to their high costs and the brewery already having a few on tap. Styles ranged from pilsners to porters to Belgian beers.
"These are really cool things that we're not brewing in here every day that homebrewers love to experiment with," said Rogers.
"They're brewed excellently. These homebrewers have a lot of skill and we're very impressed with the entries," said Fox.
The owners are in the process of tasting the beers and choosing a winner. Fox and Rogers are going to give critiques and suggestions to every contestant on their beer, so maybe they can enter future homebrewing competitions that Active Ingredient might hold.
Active Ingredient's slogan, "Science by the Pint," pays homage to their science backgrounds, said Fox. The same goes for the title of the company.
Everything is brewed on-site and the company has about six beers and two ciders that are always on tap. Fox and Rogers also create seasonal and experimental batches.
Currently on tap:
- Mom Genes, New England IPA
- Freudian Sips, Honey Kolsh
- Hivepothesis, New England IPA
- Winter Camp, Porter
- Control Group, New England Pale Ale
- Proton Donation, Berliner Weisse
- Cell Out, Belgian Witbier
- Newtons Champagne, Dry Hard Cider
- Atoms Apple, Semi-dry Hard Cider
- Balanced Equation, Chocolate Stout
Their newest beer is Hivepothesis, which is a honey IPA. Rogers said they are also working on a Mexican lager, which is their first try into that style. They're hoping to have it ready by Active Ingredient's first anniversary.
"We try to do an experiment each batch, changing one variable or two and seeing how that next batch comes out,' said Fox. "We try to do calculated changes, not reinvent the wheel."
"We do 10 barrels at a time. So it's not like we're experimenting on one-barrel batches like a lot of folks do. We're taking chances on large batches," said Rogers.
Fox and Rogers agreed that business has been really good since they opened. In addition to beer, the brewery serves food and has merchandise for sale. With temperatures getting warmer, they put picnic tables on the patio to expand seating.
Active Ingredient even has a group of dedicated followers called "Lab Partners." This group of 100 people has stuck with the company since the very beginning. Fox and Rogers hold tasting parties for them, where they get to try the latest recipes and get the changes broken down for them. The owners might soon expand the program to include 150 people.
Their beer, Proton Donation, won a bronze medal in the kettle sour category at the New York State Brewers Conference. Now, the owners are hoping to expand their reach a bit.
"In the middle of May we're going to start canning, So we will have 16 oz, four-packs, available through the taproom for sale, which is going to be a nice expansion for us," said Fox.