Before getting the job here at Able, the only knowledge or experience I had with beer was drinking it. Terms like mash tun, lauter, and wort sounded like made up words, and I figured Mike was messing with me. I had no idea how to brew or what was in store for me the first time brewing.
My first day at work was a brew day. I showed up with jeans, boots, and a hoodie not knowing how hot and labor intensive brewing could get. Carl and Mike show up with board shorts, sandals, and t-shirts. Needless to say I learned my first lesson.
I have slowly gotten the hang of this thing called brewing, and even recently began working on a few recipes. Last week, we finally set up the original brewing system Carl and Mike built and used in their garage to design all of our beers to date. This week, I was able to brew my first 5-gallon batch; a coffee porter that I partnered with A&E Roastery of Amherst to design.
I learned a lot, and am now awaiting the weeks-long process of waiting to see how the final beer comes out. I know that the first time around may not be exactly what I want, but I am very excited to start tweaking some of my ideas into actual realized beer. Maybe one day soon, I will be able to serve it to you.
Just like a painting or sculpture, beer is both an art and a tool of self-expression. I look forward to sharing my version of it with you. Cheers.
Jake
Renaissance Man
