1. How did you go from the guy who loves to just drink beer with his buddies to actually making your own beer and becoming somewhat of a beer connoisseur?
For me it was kind of funny in that my love for beer really came after I began brewing. I mean I was always up to trying new things and can recall having some good beers before, but I was pretty much a Bud Light drinker.
I had always talked about making my own beer though, but it took a little push from a friend to get me going. When Amy and I got married, a friend of mine gave us a case of homebrewed Pale Ale, private labeled for our occasion. The beer was called “Holy Maltrimony,” and the label included an ingredients list of “Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Ball, Chain, etc.” It was probably one of the most thoughtful gifts we had received, and I later realized how much time can be put in to a case of beer.
So while the packaging was great, I had to try the beer. It was a good Pale Ale, but I instantly started thinking of what I could brew. I have tried a handful of craft beers but had no knowledge on what went in to making it. Somehow, though, it was like a switch just clicked on… I ended up finding a homebrew supply shop in the back of a specialty wine store, not too far from where we lived, and I started brewing within a couple months of our wedding.
Once I started brewing is when I actually became more interested in beer itself. I mean I really had no idea just how many breweries were out there, even though I had been to a couple smaller microbrew festivals. I started seeking out new breweries and bottle shops that sold craft beer. I would go for certain styles or try multiple beers from one brewery. I began trying to tweak my brew recipes to add a little something extra, so I was also interested in trying commercial examples of extreme beers as well. I ended up getting involved with an online beer community and started trading local California beers with guys as far east as New Jersey, just to try something new. The forum was also a great “support group” for my new hobby.
2. What is your favorite beer to drink? Your favorite beer to brew? Your favorite brewery?
This is really a tough question. I think my favorite beer style might be India Pale Ale which is a hoppier, higher alcohol beer that was originally designed for export from England to India in the early to mid 19th century. From there, though, I can’t narrow it down to my one favorite beer to drink. I think I’m just a fan of trying new beers and supporting local breweries.
I’m always brewing something different, but I do have one favorite that I have had success with and brew every year. I have an Irish Red recipe that I Imperialized (more hoppy and more alcoholic… a “bigger” beer), Once the beer is done fermenting, I add Toasted Oak Chips that have been soaking in Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and let the beer sit on that for a week or two to impart a nice Irish Whiskey Barrel flavor to the beer. At 8% ABV with the Irish Whiskey notes, it can seem a little boozy and fun! I’ll actually be brewing this in a few weeks so I can have it ready for St Patrick’s Day.
I do have a favorite brewery… mine! Being a brewer means there is no limit as to what I can brew (though the law says I have yearly volume limits… I just blame the extra on Amy). I can brew whatever I’m in the mood for and alter a recipe to suit my taste.
3. What has been your greatest brew success? What has been your greatest brew disaster? Please include all the gory details of the latter.
My biggest success, beer-wise, has probably been the Jameson’s Oaked Irish Red I mentioned above. My first competition I ever entered was with that beer, and I ended up taking first place in that category and went on to the Best of Show round. I entered the same beer in a National Competition where Homebrew Clubs are allowed only one entry per club, and I ended up taking 3rd place overall. It feels pretty good to win in a competition, but it’s also gratifying when you are able to share your beers with other brewers and beer fans, such as homebrew club members, and get some good feedback and see a friend reaching for seconds.
While I have had the occasional boilover (which quickly got me moved off the kitchen stove and out to the garage), and have had a few off batches, I think my biggest horror story is one I didn’t even get to witness. Early in my brewing when we lived in a small 2 bedroom apartment, I had made a batch and put everything into the fermentor except for one bottle that I needed to take a sugar reading of, as my hydrometer (a tool for measuring sugar content of liquid), had recently broke, and I wasn’t going to be able to replace it for a few days. Anyhow, I put the unfermented beer in the bottle, capped it, and put it in the top cupboard where I was also keeping a lot of specialty craft beers from trades etc. Well, I never thought about all that fermentable sugary liquid going in to an unsanitized bottle and being capped…
I got the call one evening on the way home from work. Apparently, while my mother in law was over visiting with Amy, they heard what sounded like a gun shot, and turned to see a waterfall of beer pouring out of my beer cupboard all over the toaster oven and counter. The best I could figure is the small amount of beer started fermenting from some wild yeast inside that enclosed bottle. The pressure built up and blew up the bottle, taking out its neighbors. I had a lot to clean up that night and lost a lot of good beer. That toaster oven made some funny sounds for the next year until it finally died on us. I quickly learned to store beer in the bottom cupboards as well.
4. What is your ultimate goal with home brewing and/or your brew stand business?
Not sure that I have any real ultimate goals with brewing. I went into the Brewstands business knowing that it is a small market and that I would never get rich doing it. I think I just like being a little more involved with the brewing community and selling a few stands is a great way to fund the hobby without having to rob the family checking account. I do hope to grow a bit and will probably try to focus on working with homebrew shops at a wholesale level. I will actually be doing a homebrew demo at Addison Homebrew Provisions in Fullerton on Sunday the 9th to showcase one of my stands.
Beyond that, I suppose every homebrewer has a little bit of desire to open up a brew pub or production brewery someday, but it is a sizeable investment for all the equipment you need. Besides, if you turn your hobby in to your job, would you love it as much? Okay, I imagine it would still kick some ass!
5. Where is the best place to get drunk? Where is the best place to be once you are drunk?
Well, if you’re a homebrewer or home brew fan, the best place to get drunk is at the Southern California Homebrewers Festival which this year takes place the last weekend in April at Lake Casitas in Ojai. It’s a two day beer festival/camping trip where around 40 homebrew clubs from Southern California put out their best homebrew to share. On Friday night, the festival grounds usually feature professional brewers pouring their wares, or you can opt to participate in the Friday night spirits tasting. On Saturday, every club sets up their booth/portable bars and the beer really starts flowing. You have to purchase your membership to the California Homebrewers Association to get in, but once in, you can sample all day, play games like bean bag or ladder toss, and watch the bands. Usually the party continues back at camp after the actual event.
After finding this event, I haven’t missed it. This April will be my 6th Fest.
For the remaining 363 days out of the year, I think the best place to get drunk is at home. No driving required!
Check out Jason’s brewstands website at www.brewstands.com
Check out the California Homebrewers Association at www.calhomebrewers.org
Many thanks to Jason Averweg for sharing his passion for beer with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment