Tell us a little about you - where your from, how you came to love brewing.
I'm Bert from Belgium, avid home brewer since 2010. I started in the kitchen, as so many, but build my own HERMS in 2015. I've learned a lot from electricbrewery.com but created my own design. It's a three kettle systems, powered by two 3.5kW induction burners. I use a plate chiller to exchange heat instead of an immersion chiller. I figured, if something could cool, it could warm as well. And so I brew 20 liters per batch, as that's the maximum my kegs can hold (and most of my brews I have to drink and finish myself.) I'm still learning every day about hops, yeast, flavors, aroma's, ... You name it, there is so much to discover! Even my brewery is still teaching me things day after day. Things to improve, to modify, to dispose or to change. A fun challenge!
What styles of beer do you like to brew?
Most of the time I brew Belgian classics, like a good blond or a dry saison. I do dare to mix fruity, American hops with Belgian yeast, to see what happens. Recently, I've brewed a pils from this site. Not quite convinced but mainly because it was the first time I've used a lager yeast and had some troubles with the ideal temperature, so lots of room for improvement there!
How often do you brew?
I try to brew every month, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less. Depends on how fast I empty my kegs.
What is the evolution of your brew system (where did you start and how has it changed to fit your brewing needs)?
Like I said, I started in my kichten with a simple 36liters kettle. Now it is PID controlled which has drastically improved my consistency (and my life as well).
What's your current brew system configuration?
Three kettle 36 liters HERMS, powered by two 3.5kW induction burners from Hendi. I have my own fermentation fridge and a kegerator with two taps.
What do you plan on adding next?
Perhaps a Brewpi or larger kettles.
Do you have a dream system?
I'd like to add a true bar where people can sit and relax. Now it's in my garage so not much room there. I'm quite happy with my system although there's always a nicer one around the (internet) corner.
What's one item you can't brew without (besides beer)?
My PID's!
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