Pienaar is the head brewer of Boksburg’s only craft brewery, Just Brewing Co.
The family run and owned brewery has been operating commercially since May 2014, in Boksburg Industrial East.
Before the Pienaars took over the brewery about a year ago, the business was named Kew Brew, and had been running for about 15 years.
The family also took over all the equipment, even though the pipes of some machinery needed replacing.
They also changed the company’s name.
“Our family decided on the name; it took us a long time to think of one – we wanted something simple,” said Pienaar.
“Just Brewing Co says exactly what it is – ‘just beer’ – it’s nothing fancy. The names of the beers also say exactly what they are. Beer is not supposed to be snobby.
“We focus on keeping our brewing practices community-friendly and on producing about 6 000lt per month of good quality beer that people can enjoy drinking any time.”
Just Brewing Co donates its spent grain (sugar-free grain used in the brewing process) to community projects, like the Bokkie Park, instead of throwing it in the trash or using it for their own commercial gain.
Originally, Pienaar had no idea that he was going to make beer for a living, but the idea of working with his hands was something that he’d always been interested in.
He was accepted for courses at university, but, when he went to the open days, he realised that it wasn’t for him.
“Near the end of matric I started looking for something to do after school,” he said.
He’s never been interested in an office job.
“The thought of it was just horrible – I couldn’t stand it. I probably got it from those long hours having to sit in my parents’ office after school,” he added.
Pienaar brewed his first craft beer with a home brew kit at the age of 18.
“My dad and I each brewed a beer and in the end, my beer tasted better than his; this is where the whole journey began,” he explained.
Pienaar started doing more reading on brewing, went to more festivals and talked to more people – all in an effort to build on his knowledge and interest in craft beer.
Apart from reading intensely on how to make craft beer, he basically taught himself.
“I pretty much just figured it out as I went on and it worked,” he said.
Pienaar also received an IBD (Institute of Brewing and Distilling) diploma at the end of 2014.
“It’s like an introduction to craft brewing, but it’s an internationally recognized diploma,” he explained.
Just Brewing Co has been a usable brewery for approximately eight months.
Pienaar’s parents, Wendy and Julian, handle the administrative side of the business, while Pienaar himself, with Jacob Shabalala, is in charge of the actual making of the beer – such as sourcing the ingredients and making new recipes.
“I’m doing the fun part and they do all the boring paperwork,” he said.
Pienaar brews a variety of beers: chocolate coffee stout, black ale, pale ale and porter.
He is currently also working on a new recipe that will be launching soon.
He said he can’t single out one of his beers as his favourite.
“I love all my children. You can’t pick your favourite child. I’ve worked on the recipes and got them to be exactly how I want them, so they are all my favourites.
Thus far, he has invented all his beers and everything has worked out perfectly.
Touch wood, he’s been fortunate to not have to throw away any beer.
“With a certain degree of luck, they’ve all just worked out perfectly,” he said.
Pienaar’s secret to making the perfect beer is cleanliness.
“Everyone has their own secret to it; you should do what is best for you,” he said.
When brewing beer, you have to keep looking after it while it’s being made.
The temperature can’t reach higher or lower than a certain point.
According to Pienaar, it has to stay perfectly in line, as there are a lot of different things that could go wrong.
It takes two weeks from the day the beer was crafted to the day you can drink it.
When he was asked whether he drinks beer from a liquor store, Pienaar answered that he has become a bit of a beer snob.
“I will drink it at a push, but only if there’s literally nothing else in the entire world – but no, not really. It’s an expensive habit I have,” he added
Pienaar said there are a lot of really good craft beers in South Africa. The trick is, however, finding the places that supply them – especially on the East Rand.
Pienaar, who has always had a love for beer, recently had his product accepted into a beer house in Fourways.
His dream is to get more restaurants interested in his beer and to supply it outside of Gauteng.
He is also hoping to enter his beers in the 2015 SA Craft Championships. – @IschkeBoksburg
