HOME brewing has run across generations of Michael Coffey's family but now the 24-year-old has decided to go public with it.

Mr Coffey, who followed his granddad's footsteps into the world of hops and fermentation at the tender age of just 17, has now turned an outbuilding in his backyard into a brewhouse.

This week, he was busy casking his first official brew as a business, getting it ready to be part of Jacob's 'Come Over To The Dark Side If You Dare' beer festival later this month, which celebrates porters, stouts, reds, browns.

The photography graduate from Bradford College had worked at various brewing companies around the district, including Slightly Foxed in Calderdale then more recently and briefly at the Bradford Brewery before deciding to go it alone.

He has tried and tested recipes for pale ales, blondes, Yorkshire bitter, IPA and golden ales but this first batch is a stout he's named Sweet Michael, after himself.

"When I worked at Slightly Foxed they used to call me that all the time, probably because I said sweet a lot!"

He described the 5.6 per cent stout as a hot blend giving a biscuity taste with roasted malts. Anyone wanting to try it out should go along to Jacob's between October 15 and October 22.

Mr Coffey will be at the pub on Saturday, October 17 between 1pm and 2pm as part of a 'meet the brewer' session.

"Suddenly it all made sense to do this as my full-time job. I wasn't really sure what to do after I graduated but I was sure I enjoyed brewing so it eventually it fell into place, overnight almost.

"It has to be the perfect job, making beer and doing it from home. A lot of people will think I'm a very lucky man."

And staying close to home off Haworth Lane, he has also taken the inspiration for his company's name from his local surroundings.

He has called it the Hedge Row Brewing Company because of the green fields and hedges around the nearby Chellow Dene area. He is also a big fan of the great outdoors and is a keen walker and fell runner when not hard at work in his yard.

"This is only my first week in business and it's very busy. I'm looking forward to the festival and giving people a taste of what I can do. After that I'll just be cracking on and trying to get my beer into more pubs."

As well as Mr Coffey's stout offering at Jacob's, there will be a chocolate stout which two of the barmen at Jacob's helped brew at Bradford Brewery.