25-year-old Brewers All-Star pitcher has picked up the most apropos hobby in baseball — brewing his own beer

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November 10, 2017 5:01 PM

Corey Knebel is a dynamic closer on the mound for the Brewers, and he takes that title home with him where he often brews his own beer.

Milwaukee Brewers All-Star closer Corey Knebel has picked up home-brewing during the offseason.
Knebel and his father brew beers together, thus far making several different styles, from lagers to IPAs to a hefeweizen.
Knebel and his father have thus far kept the operation amongst family, with very few outsiders trying their home brews.

You might find Milwaukee Brewers closer Corey Knebel doing one of two things if you were to visit him in the offseason: practicing his grips on a baseball or brewing a new batch of beer.

The 25-year-old Knebel had a season to remember in 2017, becoming the Brewers' full-time closer and making the All-Star game. He posted a 1.158 WHIP, picked up 39 saves, and struck out 126 batters in 76 games. He also set a new MLB record for consecutive games with a strikeout at 45.

But with the 2017 season in his rearview mirror and a long offseason ahead, Knebel is now turning his attention to his favorite hobby (and an appropriate one) — home brewing.

Knebel said he was introduced to the idea of home brewing by MLB pitcher Ross Detwiler in 2014 while he was with the Texas Rangers. Knebel had always enjoyed beer, but the cost of buying large quantities of it added up, particularly with craft beer, so the idea of home brewing was attractive to him. In 2015, he was traded to the Brewers, a coincidence that was not lost on him.

Only a few people can attest to that statement. Knebel hasn't let his teammates try his beer. He gave an IPA to his agent, which Knebel said he enjoyed, but thus far, only family have tried his home brews.

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