I guess my days as an apprentice are over!

After years of going at it with no pay and in countries that I do not know the language, but eventually did learn! I have finally broke through. Well, I broke through about a year ago. My last true brewing job where I earned a salary was based in South West England. Now I am in Florida, preparing to begin brewing at a new start up brewery that is supposed to open next month.

There is my little up date!

My most resent brew day

This is my most resent brew day! It  was 100% Pilsner malt because it was the only malt I had on hand. I'm pretty sure there is going to be no foam due to the protein rest I did and and also considering I did not use any wheat malt for this batch... If I where to ever brew this again I would at least use a bit of wheat for this...

I wanted to go for a Belgian style farm house ale, so I pretty much used what I had on hand. I let it
reach terminal gravity (2.5˚P) then racked over to secondary and spiked it with gooseberries dry hopped it with Mt. hood hops at 2 grams/L and put in 196 grams of Jaggery which I believed helped with giving the beer a little bit more body.

I also toasted some oat chips and put them in secondary for about a week till it was ready for bottling...

I used 2 grams/L of priming sure but I should of used 8... I was concerned with the use of jaggery and was afraid I would of had some bottle bombs.

So I guess if I were to ever brew this again... I would use wheat and 8 grams/L priming sugar next time!

Brown Ale

I wanted to do a more simple and traditional British style ale with this one and I feel like this one turned out really nice. One of the responses I got was that it smelt like strawberry yogurt which I find quite honestly rather pleasant.

I used S05 yeast for this and am really happy with my choice for this brew.

A thought

Since having graduated from brewing school and having time to reside in Germany I have been given the opportunity to meet and talk with other brewers to exchange ideas, problems, thoughts etc, etc.

Which is awesome by the way I mean what a great way to grow and learn more about brewing and beer!

I have made it my objective to grow and learn as much as I can about brewing while working and even at home. I wouldn't just stop studying after my studies at brew school. I continue to read more and study different methods and styles of brewing and beer. I mean what is the point in just taking what you have just studied and just saying that that is the end all be all of everything there is to brewing.

I am bringing this up because I once spoke to a brewer one night who is studying here in Germany. I brought up the topic of Belgian beers and mentioned that I thought that is was interesting in how the Belgians utilize the use of adjuncts in their beer to obtain a higher amount of extract. Well I guess to be honest... Most of the major breweries around the world use adjuncts... 

Either way... The fellow scoffed at me adding that "Why in the world would anyone have to use adjuncts" and that " Barley is all that you need, there is no reason to use anything else." Then later asked me... " What do you think?... You think I could get a job at any brewery I wanted? Since I'm a German trained Brewmaster anyone would want me!" 

I then said. " Well most breweries in the world make the use of adjuncts so you are going to need to get used to that first or maybe just stay here in Germany or look work at a brewery that specializes in German style beer!".

I don't really know why I even brought this topic up... But I guess for any aspiring Brewer/Brewmaster or even anyone for that matter! Keep the world open and your mind open to other ideas, practices etc,etc.  You can always learn something new just about everyday if you just allow yourself too! 

Fermentation Station

Belgian Style beer fermenting away, releasing CO2 and producing all of its lovely phenols and esters that we much appreciate from Belgian strains of yeast.

I am doing my best at keeping the temperature just right in my living room, I do not have a temperature gauge so I am just trying to be a good host to my little yeasty friends.

Brew day! but no pictures...

Taking pictures isn't something I feel I need to do to document every single thing in life although it is good to do I still probably wouldn't post pictures from todays brew day on here any way....

Thanks to my friend Andrew for coming over and giving a helping hand and I really appreciated the questions he asked, he is more of a cook (and a very talented cook) who knows his shit in the kitchen. It was very cool to make the comparison from brewing to cooking (Maillard Reactions and Caramelization) ect ect.

I also would like to Thank "Cool Calm Tom" aka Daddy Long Legs" aka "Dr. Escape Sticks" for the recommendation on the yeast variety. The Safale T-58 a Belgian Style Yeast!

We brewed a Dark Belgian Strong Ale with a Plato at 18º an IBU of about 30, I say "about" because I never sent in my beer to the lab to figure out my Utilization. So It could be 30 or it could 20 or less.

Summit Hops

Pils 75%
Carafa Spezial II 5%
Munich II 10%      
Carapils 10%

18º

About 30 IBU's

Also got to put my brewing maths to the test and it is now beginning to make more sense than ever before.

Check out the trailer for this documentary that I am in!

Some friends of mine from Poland are making a documentary! It is about people who work for free in exchange for room and board, at one point this was exactly what I was doing and this how how my friends who are making this film became friends.

At the time when this documentary was being filmed I was living and working at a brewery in France on the mediterranean. My wife and I were sleeping in our tent and getting paid 100 per week and putting in anywhere from 4 to about 20 hours of work a day... We also had free days as well.

I can honestly say that I learned a lot from this experience and well I did not do this for nothing either. I had to fulfill at least 3 months of work in a brewery in order to get accepted to the brewing school that I went to in Berlin.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the trailer and keep on the look out for this movie to be released. Also like them on Facebook!

Enjoy!  




DON'T PAY ME - a documentary movie trailer from A/H1N1 on Vimeo.