Judd McGhee was very happy homebrewing in his intimate (read: small) condominium kitchen…until he wanted to brew with friends. The limited space made it impossible, and got he and his wife, Elizabeth Henderson, thinking that there should be some sort of place set up where groups of homebrewers would be able to go to brew on an appointment basis. Fast forward to the present and the couple are a day away from the grand opening of such a facility, Citizen Brewers (5837 Mission Gorge Road, Suite A, Grantville).

Opening at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 23, the 2,000-square-foot do-it-yourself (with a little help) spot will feature all of the equipment and ingredients (grains, extracts, hops, yeast) needed to brew ales and lagers on a scale going beyond homebrewing’s standard five-gallon equation. Though walk-ins will be allowed on a limited basis, most customers will set up appointments preceded by development sessions where patrons consult with McGhee to get their recipes optimized for the facility’s systems, which include eight copper-jacketed steam kettles, a bottle washing system, a temperature-controlled room for fermentation, plus taps for bottling and kegging.

McGhee’s assistance doesn’t end there. While homebrewers will be responsible for preparing their ingredients (including procuring any specialty ingredients beyond what Citizen Brewers can obtain for them) and brewing the beer, McGhee will supervise the entire process, then transfer the unfermented beer (wort) into fermentation vessels and oversee that process. When the time comes for bottling or kegging (each batch produces 72 22-ounce bottles’ or one 50-liter keg’s worth of beer), McGhee will handle packaging after patrons clean and sanitize their receptacles. Clients will also be able to develop their own labels to print and attach to bottled beer.

This is a new concept for the current San Diego County brewing scene, and McGhee’s effort to try and spark more interest in the brewing arts. Groups of up to six people can brew at Citizens Brewers, with the initial process taking roughly two hours. Depending on the beer style selected, fermentation will take two-to-five weeks. The business will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. During this Saturday’s event, McGhee will be conducting tours of the facility and offering samples of several beers brewed onsite along with finger foods.