2024 Big Brew Day Pregame and Live Brewing Demo: May the Fourth Be With You

May 2, 2024

In this very special Zymurgy Live webinar, we pregame for the 27th Big Brew day in honor of the world’s largest homebrewing event…National Homebrew Day. American Homebrewing Association (AHA) executive director Julia Herz and AHA Committee members Roxanne Westendorf and Doug Piper fire up the kettles (may the wort be with us) and brew official 2025 Big Brew Day recipes. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced homebrewer, this Zym Live delivers.

Referenced Resources

Event Details

  • Date: May 2, 2024
  • Time: 4:00 PM MT - 5:00 PM MT

This is a member exclusive event. To watch this recording please Log in or Join.

About the Speakers

Julia Herz

Julia Herz, Executive Director

American Homebrewers Association

Julia Herz is executive director of the American Homebrewers Association® (AHA)—the nation's largest hobbyist not-for-profit organization for homebrewers and fermented beverages.

Julia is a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Certified beer judge, Advanced Cicerone®, medal-winning homebrewer, and experienced zymurgist who has been making beer, mead, and fermented foods since 1994. Julia is the co-author of Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide from the Pairing Pros (Voyager Press, 2015), the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course, and co-host of the Sense of Beer Style Show.

Roxanne Westendorf

Roxanne Westendorf, Past President

Bloatarian Brewing League

Roxanne Westendorf has been homebrewing since 1995 after she and her husband received a homebrew kit for Christmas. They joined their local homebrew club, the Bloatarian Brewing League, shortly after starting, and the rest is history! Roxanne enjoys special brewing techniques, fun ingredients, and experimenting with yeasts. She serves on the American Homebrewers Association Committee and is an AHA member. When she's not brewing, she's involved with her alma mater (Georgia Tech), making cheese, knitting, quilting, or solving puzzles. Roxanne and her husband live in Cincinnati, Ohio, with their four cats.

Doug Piper

Doug Piper, Moderator

AHA Committee and Founder & Host of Gourmet Brewing

Doug Piper is the founder and host of "Gourmet Brewing" and lives in Greenville, South Carolina. An accomplished aerospace engineer with 35 years of experience, he is also an experienced beer, mead, and cider judge. Holding certifications as a Certified Cicerone and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) beer, mead and cider judge, he is currently pursuing additional certifications in wine and coffee to expand his knowledge and expertise. With over 40 competition judgments, including at the National Homebrew Competition, Great American Beer Festival, the Brussels Beer Challenge, and the Brazilian National Beer Competition, he is eager to share his research and insights through his "Gourmet Brewing" webinars and YouTube channel. In addition to his achievements in the fermented beverage world, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, having served on corporate boards and developed 15 patents.