Tell us a little about you - where your from, how you came to love brewing.
I live in Grafton Wi. I started brewing when I saw an add in the back of a magazine for a starter homebrew kit. I had been enjoying craft brew for a few years and when my first batch turned out better than the macros my friends were drinking I was hooked. Learning about and using the advanced techniques to brew better beer has fueled my passion over the 19 yrs I have been brewing.
What styles of beer do you like to brew?
I brew mainly Ales. Anywhere from lighter blondes and creams for summer to my winter line up of stouts, (some Imperial) porters, and browns. And everything in between. I do an occasional lager also.
How often do you brew?
I have been averaging 3 brew days a month
What is the evolution of your brew system (where did you start and how has it changed to fit your brewing needs)?
I started like most people with a 7.5 gallon kettle on my stove and an extract kit. After a couple of years I went to all grain, rigging up a gravity set up for sparging still only having the one kettle. About nine years ago I decided to move to the basement and built a 3 tier gravity set up with three 8 gal kettles. Over time a added one, then 2 pumps and was able to put a herms set up in place. I also added 2 7.5 gal ss conical fermenters.
What's your current brew system configuration?
2 years ago figuring going up and down on the platform surrounding my set was too dangerous I built a single tier set up. Boil kettle and mash/lauter tun are 10 gals and the hlt is 8. I added a 3rd chugger pump for minimal hose changes, set up a new herms and added whirlpool to my boil kettle. I have a 80,000 btu wok burner for each kettle hooked up to the natural gas of my house. I also added another ss conical and temp control them hot and cold with a heat wrap and cool jacket hooked up to a dual temp thermostat control allowing me to hold fermentation temps to +/- .3 of a degree.
What do you plan on adding next?
Right now I do not have any plans for additions
Do you have a dream system?
My dream system would be something that brews barrels of beer instead of gals
What's one item you can't brew without (besides beer)?
My grain mill. Crushing my own grain has created greater and much more consistent efficiency. Although where my set up is now I really wouldn't want to be without any of my equipment