l BREWING one side. The remaining mash is cooked until a crusty sediment forms. This is known as isidudu and can be eaten as a porridge. When making beer, the isidudu is left to cool for a day. After the mixture has cooled, it is poured into a large plastic vat and the wort that was set aside is added. A small amount of sorghum and maize malts are added and the brew is stirred with a tra- ditional stirring spoon called an iphini. The vat is covered with a lid and blanket (to retain heat) and left in a warm place overnight to encourage fermentation. The traditional method of testing to see if the brew is ready is to light a match close to the vat. If the match blows out quickly, the brew is ready. If the match remains lit, the brew is not ready. This is due to the presence of large amounts of carbon dioxide, which does not allow for combustion of the match. When the brew is ready, the © SABMiller plc fermented mash is filtered through a large metal strainer to remove the spent grains. The sediment at the bottom of the vat is known as intshela and is added to the strained beer to give extra flavour. The spent grains are squeezed out and are usually cast onto the ground TAB with SAB for chickens. The brewer of the beer traditionally gives thanks to the ances- tors while casting the corn. Once the An introduction to the Traditional beer has been strained, it is poured African Beverages category into a large communal drum known as a gogogo. It is ready for sharing with friends and family. When guests The brewing of traditional beer is common in rural Africa arrive at the brewer’s home to taste the and varieties and types depend on local customs and beer and join in the celebration, they traditionally bring a bottle of brandy, as resources. As the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, in a symbol of gratitude! conjunction with SABMiller, prepares to offer a General Certificate in Traditional African Beverages (TAB) in 2017, Chibuku SABMiller’s Chibuku is a commercial we take an introductory look at the category. sorghum beer based on umqombothi; the main grains used are malted raditional umqombothi (from the Xho- between regions and the recipe is often sorghum and maize but may also Tsa language, one the official South passed down through the generations. contain millet. Chibuku beer is popular African languages), is the typical home The beer is traditionally prepared over throughout Southern African countries made African beer brewed from maize, a fire outside of the house and then such as Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and passively cools to ambient tempera- Malawi and Tanzania. In these markets water, and commonly found in South Af- tures outside. The ingredients used are sorghum malt is used as an impor- rica. This beer has a low alcohol content typically equal measures of maize meal, tant ingredient, elsewhere less to no (usually less than 3%) and is known to crushed mealie malt (corn malt) and sorghum is used and the beer is more have a heavy and distinctly sour aroma. It crushed sorghum malt. The maize malt commonly known as ‘opaque beer’. is very rich in Vitamin B. In appearance, provides a lighter-toned beer with a SABMiller produced a total of the beer is opaque and light tan in colour mellower flavour whilst the sorghum almost six million hectolitres last year and has a thick, creamy and gritty con- malt provides a darker beer. as well as half a million hectolitres of sistency (from the maize). Umqombothi The ingredients are mixed in a cast- non-alcoholic versions. With five key is cheaper than local commercial lager iron pot, known as a potjie in South Af- markets plus another five develop- beers, brewed from barley and hops. rica. Four measures of warm water are ment markets they operate 31 plants added. The mixture is left overnight and around the continent – some stand Traditional method of preparation starts fermenting, bubbles appear and alone, some integrated onto clear beer Umqombothi is brewed following a sour odour can be detected. A small sites. A feature on SABMiller’s produc- traditional customs which vary slightly portion of the wort is removed and put to tion methods for their chibuku brands 28 z Brewer and Distiller International October 2016 www.ibd.org.uk BREWING l will feature in an upcoming edition of from malted millet and is common Brewer and Distiller International. throughout West, Central and East Af- Chibuku Shake Shake, so called by rica. Millet Beer varies in taste and al- the need to shake the carton before coholic content between ethnic groups. drinking it, is a another commercial The Institute of Brewing and umqombothi brewed by Chibuku, and Distilling has teamed with SABMiller remains a popular beer in Botswana, to produce a General Certificate in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. In Traditional African Beverages (GCTAB) Zimbabwe it is known as ‘scud’. It is qualification to be launched in 2017. sold in paper cartons or brown plastic Aimed at brewers and operators and containers with a wide blue lid, and based upon the very successful General has a powerful yeast flavour that is off- Certificate in Brewing, this qualifica- set by a lemony tang - when the liquid tion and its learning materials is the has been consumed and you reach the latest addition to the General Certificate bottom of the carton, standard practice range of qualifications covering malt- is to slurp up the pile of sludge that ing, brewing, distilling and packaging remains. (beer and spirits). The qualification will Millet beer, also known as Bantu be open for entries from around the beer (another opaque beer), is made TAB industry later in 2017. and built a beer hall to specifically sell and Super League The history Chibuku. So successful was the project that matches. Chibuku soon a lavish beerhall and clinic were built. contributed $25 000 of Chibuku Tractors and graders were purchased for to this stadium and the district. Soon, Chibuku had a £1 million trained the national Brewing a good beer is an investment in the country. The first brewer- soccer team in 1980. art. On the Copperbelt, ies were built in Fort Victoria, Que Que, Chibuku ran a Zambia (formerly Northern Sinoia and Chiredzi. national competition- Just add water! Rhodesia) in the 1950s a To keep pace with growing demand, with the Chibuku Trophy worth $16 000 with man called Max Heinrich who had studied new breweries mushroomed across the $5 000 for the winners. The stadium was fermentology in Berlin perfected that art. country. Between 1962 when the first called Chibuku stadium. Every day he would send out his specially brewery was opened in Fort Victoria up to Chibuku is a proud sponsor of suc- brewed beer, made with the finest local 1979, 20 additional breweries were opened cessful Chibuku Road to Fame musical ingredients, in a delivery truck and he in every major population centre. After showcase-in association with the National would record customer response to each a series of talks with the Salisbury City Arts Council. This property has become a brew. Heinrich adjusted the beer recipe Council in 1979 – the council decided to massive platform for identifying musical all the time, depending on the customer’s lease Rufaro Brewery to Chibuku. Chibuku talent across the country and giving it a response until it was perfect and met with bought the plant, equipment and trans- platform to shine. Being a proudly African the customers’ full approval. The recipe port while brewing and distributing both beer – Chibuku also sponsors the Nesham- details were always entered into a book Chibuku and Rufaro beer – though the wari Traditional Dance Festival and through right up to the perfect formulation. Hein- Municipality kept the beer outlets. parent Delta Corporation (part owned rich’s workers referred to the recipe book by SABMiller) plays an active role in the as ‘e-book-u’ – the root of what is now Shake-Shake and Scud Intwasa Festival in Bulawayo. one of the most famous beer names not The introduction of a only in this country, but across southern convenient wax coated Did you know? Africa north of the Limpopo – Chibuku! cardboard carton made a Early in its history, the Chibuku brand huge impact on Chibuku produced other high protein products, a Early years in 1969. The people’s non-alcoholic drink called Munkoyo and The early years of the Chibuku beer brand beer became available a sweetened biscuit – Fortibik. In 1978 in the country were spectacular. Municipal- in a red and blue pack the scientists at Chibuku’s Seke labora- ities and local authorities with inefficient that spread across the tory announced an amazing new product brewing technology and operations gave country like a veld fire. – dry beer. The Chibuku beer powder was up control to Chibuku after it was intro- In 1991, the business A two litre scud packed in 15 kg bags that made 100 lit- duced to Rhodesia from the Copperbelt in invested in a revolutionary returnable brown ers of Chibuku and had to mature for 24 1962. Chibuku had several advantages, not plastic bottle. It was named the ‘Scud’ after hours before drinking-and would last for only did Chibuku supply a great tasting, the famous missile used the Gulf War. Sales up to 4 days. In 1983 from a new Re- consistent and standardised product – the continued to rise with automated Scud bot- search and Development laboratory a new high food content also helped mitigate the tling plants rolled out across the country by non-alcoholic nutritious beverage called four percent alcohol – limiting the hango- 1994.