Made from cornmeal and malted sorghum, umqombothi is a traditional South African beer that undergoes a natural, spontaneous fermentation to wind up fairly thick, opaque, and low in alcohol, with a notable acidity and slight barnyard character. The women who brew it also sell it fresh and uncarbonated, meant for drinking within a few days.
They don’t typically measure their mashes precisely—they just have a feel for how much they need. Let go of your usual brew-day habit of measuring everything—in fact, below, we’re leaving out vital stats such as gravity and ABV. This is not about aiming for specific targets; it’s about instincts. If it feels right, add more water. Don’t worry much about temperature control. Just keep everything clean and trust your senses.
(How to say “umqombothi”? The "q" is a click, somewhat akin to the sound you’d make if imitating a horse’s hooves.)
For much more about the ancient umqombothi-brewing tradition and how it continues today, see the Style School article in our Spring 2024 issue.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: about 5 gallons (19 liters)
MALT/GRAIN BILL
8.8 lb (4 kg) maize meal/cornmeal
17.6 lb (8 kg) malted sorghum
YEAST
Ambient yeast and bacteria; the sorghum malt kickstarts the fermentation.