When St. Louis County’s stay-at-home order came into effect, Steampunk Brew Works and Homebrew Supply in Chesterfield had to close its taproom. Under the terms of the order, however, Steampunk is able to continue operating its long-running home-brew supplies store (formerly known as St. Louis Wine & Beermaking).
Owner Dave Deaton says he’s had a few customers buy starter brewing kits since the shutdown took effect. Regulars are also stocking up on brewing supplies in anticipation of having more time on their hands. “I don’t know if that will continue or just drop off,” says Deaton. “It’s one of the uncertainties.”
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Deaton bought St. Louis Wine & Beermaking in 2006, before launching the Steampunk brewery in 2017. The two operations were unified under the Steampunk name in 2019. A number of the store’s customers got their start in brewing by buying supplies at Steampunk before going on to found their own craft breweries. Steampunk’s website lists Earthbound, Bluewood, Alpha, and 2nd Shift among a long list of such breweries.
There’s no reason for beginners to feel confused or intimidated by home-brewing, Deaton says: “Beer-making isn’t any more complicated than making a stew.” Steampunk’s home-brewing kits include all of the equipment and ingredients you need to get started, apart from the water. The kits take up around 2 by 4 feet of floor space when in use, and Deaton says they can be stored in a closet, basement, or even the corner of a room. Current styles of home-brew kits available include an amber ale, IPA, porter, and German wheat beer.
Patience is a virtue in brewing. “Beer still takes a little bit of aging time before it starts to taste good,” Deaton says. “Usually 30 days, 60 days, somewhere in there is a really good start. But a lot of beers need about three or four months before they really come into their own.” (Should you want a beer sooner, you can call on the many local breweries that are offering curbside pickups and drive-thru services.)
If you’re not a beer drinker or want to live out restless fantasies of a trip to Napa Valley or Bordeaux, Steampunk also offers wine-making kits. If you think that means crushing grapes with your bare feet in the bathtub, you’re wrong. “The wine is even easier to make,” Deaton says.
Wine-making kits intended for home vintners make the process surprisingly straightforward. “If you use the kits, somebody else has already picked the grapes at their peak,” Deaton says.
The grapes are adjusted for acidity and sweetness and converted to a juice concentrate, which is the basis of the wine-making kit. “The hard part is done,” Deaton says. Each kit yields 6 gallons of wine, and Steampunk’s offerings come in 15 flavors of red and white.
Customers can call ahead to place an order for pickup. (Current hours are 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon–Sat). Orders can also be placed at Steampunk’s online store for delivery by UPS. At the time of writing, customers were still allowed to shop in store, with a maximum of 10 customers at one time. In addition to brewing equipment and books on the art, the Steampunk brewery also continues to operate. Customers can have a growler filled or take home packaged beer.
