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A NORWOOD home brewer had craft beer makers fearing for their livelihoods at the last day of the Tamar Valley Beer Festival yesterday.
During a sunny Launceston afternoon alongside the iconic Boag's brewery, Owen Lester was crowned the champion of the festival's inaugural home- brewing competition.
Mr Lester said he had been brewing for 25 years, but he had only been producing all- grain brews - making beer from the scratch ingredients instead of using a beer mix - for a year.
"I like beer, and like a lot of people I got disillusioned with the mass-produced variety," Mr Lester said. "I was looking for more flavour and different styles.
"I've called it the Rabbit Trap Kolsch, because once it grabs you, you can't get out."
The recipe for Mr Lester's winning brew will be passed into the capable hands of Launceston-based Morrison's Brewery.
There, brewer-owner Paul Morrison will produce 10 kegs of the kolsch, which will then be tapped at a Launceston pub to be sold to the public.
Mr Lester's winning drop was selected from 12 entries and four finalists.
It was chosen as the best of the best by Mr Morrison, Michael Jackson, of James Squire, Luke Dempsey, of Crown Cellars bottle shop, and all-round beer lover Matt Cameron.