BY STACI WILSON

Jonathan Winans is passionate about beer.

After being laid off from his job last year, Winans decided to turn his dream of opening a microbrewery a reality.

It’s taken about nine months of building and making his way through the permitting process, but Endless Brewing, in Franklin Twp. is now open.

The opening of the brewery by Winans and his girlfriend, Morgan Kelly, comes at the time when appreciation for craft beers is starting to take off in popularity.

“A lot of people are opening up to the more flavorful beers,” Winans said.

After trying his hand at wine making, Winans began homebrewing beer about five years ago with a little kit he received as a gift.

“Ever since the first batch, it’s been a huge passion,” Winans said.

It wasn’t long after he made his first beer from a kit that Winans began trying out his own recipes.

“Being a good cook helped with the formulation of the recipes and putting flavors together.”

And it was a lot of trial and error, too.

He moved to all-grain brewing shortly after he started and became exposed to specialty grains, different hops and styles of beer.

His favorites are the intense, hoppy India Pale Ales – which are offered at Endless Brewing.

But Winans also counts a yeast-centered Saison, Porter, Brown Ale and a Pale Ale, among the brewery’s typical offerings.

Winans considers the Pale Ale a step beer to the other craft varieties. It is one of the lightest at Endless Brewing and offers a little hop taste but with more flavor than a typical, mass produced beer.

Depending on the beer, it takes four to five weeks from the start of the brew process until a batch is ready to tap, Winans explained.

He uses a one-barrel system, more nanobrewery than microbrewery, he explained. But Winans is looking to upgrade that in the near future.

Grains fromFrance,Canadaand theUnited Kingdomgo into his brews and the hops come fromYakamaValleyinWashington.

But Winans also plans to grow and harvest his own hops which Winans would use for an exclusive Endless Brewing beer.

But grains and hops aren’t the only things that make a great beer – there is also the water.

Water at the brewery comes from a new, artesian well which requires regular testing by the Department of Agriculture.

Winans said, “It’s excellent brew water. Hard water is excellent for brewing. Yeast loves minerals in water. They need good minerals to grow.”

The water’s naturally occurring sodium adds “mouth-feel,” he said, “all good aspects.”

Endless Brewing, located on Rt. 29, in Franklin Forks, is open for tastings, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m.

Beers available for purchase come in three sizes: a 1/2 gallon Growler; a 1/4 gallon Mini-Growler; and 22 oz. bottles.

For more information about Endless Brewing and its offerings, visit www.Endlessbrewing.com or find them on Facebook.