A New Condition I’ve developed

Brewers Wrists.

You heard me correctly. While it isn’t really a condition it is something that all brewers have, or so I’m told. Essentially your wrists are full of small cuts and scrapes from the malt bags. I have no idea why these bags are made to be so sharp or edgy but they are and they scrape the hell out of your wrists. My right wrist is worse than the left for sure since I’m right handed. It kind of looks like I’m mildly suicidal and that I have been cutting myself. Take a look.

I apologize for it being a bit hard to see. The light is kind of off.

A conditions only brewers have (again, so I’m told). Kind of cool eh? 

The Places Where Beer Comes From - Cans vs. Bottles

For the 25th.

This is another of those everlasting debates. What is better?

From experience I can tell you that most of my favourite beers are out of bottles BUT it is because a good number of them aren’t available in cans so I really don’t’ have grounds for comparison. I can’t fairly say that one is better for my preferences. I can give you a few common differences amongst them.

Carbonation level – bottles are typically of a higher carbonation level than cans. This makes cans closer to that of draught or kegged beer in that they have a softer and less aggressive cloying feel on the tongue. I can think of a few beers where this is very clear, Punk IPA is one of them. Both are very good but you really can tell the difference.

Potential of being “Skunk” – skunky beer comes from UV light hitting the bottles. It breaks down the Vitamin B12 (Riboflavin I think) and causes this off taste that is all too common in improperly stored and served beers. Obviously light can’t get through cans so they will last longer and travel better IF the cans are of a high quality.

I Think Education Needs to Change

For the 24th

Lately I’ve felt that school is kind of wasting my time. I do love school and the people that are associated with it but I don’t like the tests, the work and the feeling that I have to. We are all raised with the “highschool, University and then work” attitude.

What if instead we had to take 2 years off before going to University? Too many people don’t have a fucking clue what they want when they go to school. They are just going because that is how they have been raised and what they feel is expected of them. It is a waste of money and time for most people in the end. If we took 2 years to travel, grow and learn about ourselves wouldn’t we be better off? Yes we may have never met great friends and had some fucked up memories but we would have made up for that with people you have never met and times you couldn’t have. Oh well, you have made your choice.

Can you really get the most out of school and people if you don’t know yourself?? I’d argue no. I’ve learned so much about myself this past week alone. For example: I listend to lots of Blink 182 around my birthday because it reminds me of being a kid and fucking around. It helps ease the feeling of getting older. I’m not afraid of aging on a conscious level but apparently unconsciously I am. Oh well, we are who we are.

Just think about all the things you want to do but couldn’t due to school and expectations. What would you do?

Maybe You Should Cry Over Spilled Beer

This is for the 23rd. I'm way behind and I'm going to catch up. Here we go.

I made a post a while ago about not crying over spilled beer based on the amount that I spill (intentionally) at work. I’ve been rethinking and maybe you SHOULD be crying over spilled beer.

If you spill a beer whether it be a bottle, a can or a pint it is your money on the floor (or worse your lap). It is your money gone. I get paid to pour beer out (not really, I can’t just crash pallets for a laugh) and I’m earning money doing a job. You are being a buzz-killington to the night and the laughing stock of your friend.

Also, it is kind of disrespectful. Think of how many pints died for the one you just threw on the floor. I’d guess I pour out about 50-150 L a day depending on what I’m doing.

Yes, its sad but those pints DIED for you to enjoy that one. Next time you drop a pint don’t just laugh or get laughed at. Take a moment, hang your head and pay respect. Unless it is a shit beer, in which case you should thank the Craft Beer Gods (which I’m told are Penguins ;) )

A day in Aberdeen and Diet Update

This is for yesterday. The 22nd.

It started with a 1.5 hour ride on the bus. The busses here have internet on them. Amazing.

I met up with George and he showed me the mall. It was a pretty big mall and the city looks like a combination of Halifax and Toronto. Old grey buildings with all streets sloping down toward the fishing docks littered with the odd new cool buildings and sky scrapers. It was brilliant.

Next we headed to a whisky shop and I got a bottle of Ardbeg 10 year for $65 cad. The LCBO sells it for $100. I love this place. We also sampled a few whiskys and chatted with the owner about the new IPA is Dead he had. We mentioned we were brewers. Great shop and a great guy.

Next we headed to The Wild Boar for lunch and had a few beers. I had a chicken breast with haggis and bacon on top with a nice creamy sauce with chips and veggies. It was ace.

Next we went strolling about on the docks and had a good look at the "fun park." Great.. We also strolled about in the mall and checked out those sick shops with the funny games and gifts. Sweet.
I found this

Score for north america!!

Then we headed to the BrewDog bar. We had lots of different beers and a cheese platter and just chatted. Gotta love the discount. I had some American stuff oddly enough and it was good stuff.

I then headed back on the bus in a nicely drunken state (but not too drunk) and it was great. I love that city. I'll be back.

I also bought my cereal at Tesco and stocked up. Check it out.

Brewers are Children

It is true. The thing I love about the brewery is that you are with like minded people who just want to have fun.

Here is a picture of our screen saver.

Wallace eats babies. Very mature

It was in response to another screen saver that was a shot at Bowman (the head brewer). Things like this just make me laugh,

Lately it has been a battle between Tobias, the Danish guy, and the Scottish guys. Skide bonderove (fucking farmers) started it and it ended in “Danish sucks” and then “haggis eatin bastard”. Yep, we have lots of fun. We work hard too and safety is very important to us. We strap into  harness to do paper work. We are dedicated.

Safety is also very important to us. We even strap into that harness while doing the shift handover.

Do what you love, love what you do.

Beer Dinner

I’m planning a beer dinner for a friend and his flat mate, well 2 friends, that have been more than welcoming to me and have fed me multiple times. I’m sharing what I’m thinking for dinner when I get a chance to reciprocate. Here goes, feedback is very welcome.

Appetizer

Punk IPA Mussels

Made with orange peel and juice, coriander, onions and a bit of pineapple. Cooked in a Punk IPA of course and served with the same. Simple and will get the appetite going. Garlic bread for dipping also available

Main

Fish of some kind

This is where I’m going to need the most help. I was thinking fish and chips in a 5 am Saint batter with the same but I’m not sure if it will fit with the class of the rest of the meal. Might do salmon with a maple beer glaze or something. Not positive but I think both could work. Salmon served with bakes sweet potato fries.

Dessert

Rip Tide Stout Cake

This one is a for sure. I’ve made it once and it was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. This would be served with an AB:05 or a big heavy stout or sorts. Very rich and deep and would easily fill any extra room that dinner didn’t fill.

So, how are my beer and food matching skills? I’d love feedback and any improvements you may have to offer.

Getting Older

Getting older can really suck. Arthritis, forgetting shit (although for some it is due to the excessive amount of weed they smoke), smelling bad, diapers and the list goes on. But one really good thing about it is that as you get older age really makes no difference.

I remember as a kid, and i'm sure you do too, that you had a friend that was on your street that was a bit older or younger. When you were both little you were friends and hung out all the time. Then you got to that age where one of you was too old and moved on. Probably due to being "too cool" to hang out with them. One person in specific went back and made out with that friend recently (no names mentioned. I'm being nice. you are welcome) and had no issue with it.

I also have always had much older friends. It started mostly at magic camp as all the better guys were older and they knew the most. I spent time with them as much as possible and I now have only 3 or 4 friends in magic that are younger and others, maybe 20 +, that are older. Some of them by about 10 or 15 years. No one cares at work either. I'm the youngest here and everyone else is older. Actually, all my beer friends are older and they are willing to teach me and get drunk like we are the same age. My best friend at work is 25 and no one gives a shit. It is great. It is too bad we have to go through a mid teen crisis before we realize this but we all come around eventually. I'm at the point where I'm more than happy drinking with my uncle and parents because I remember when that was uncool.

You know what is uncool about not being friends due to age? Everything.

Heads Up – Plans for March’s blog posts

I’d like to give you a warning and peek at what I’m thinking for March. I plan on turning 21 (March 4^th, feel free to send gifts) and I will also be having a themed month of postings.

My focus will be music and beer. Some days I will post about a new artist I’ve learned about while being here, some will be about stories involving me and beer and friends (usually too many beers) and some I’ll try and pair a beer I like with a song or 2. It may sound weird but beer and the right music is brilliant.

So pull you socks up, get those shoes on and be ready for a trip to your local LCBO or beer shop to pick up some of these beers. I can send you the songs and I’d love to get suggestions of beers to match a song with or vice versa. Bringing 2 of my favourite things together. Nothing beats it.

Patience

After my first 6 or 7 weeks here I can’t help but stress that patience is important. Yes I am still in a B&B and yes I do (at least as far as I know) have a place coming but at this point I’m in no rush. It will be better than the B&B for social interaction, ability for me to cook my own food and more regular Internet. But, I’m really in no rush.

I also got my work schedule, pay and vacation time worked out. Yes, it is about 2 months in but patience seems to have paid off. I will be getting 18 paid day off which coincides perfectly with my school allowance and my travel plans with family and see and meet friends.

I also used quite a bit of patience when I was looking for jobs this term. I was very stubborn to not work anywhere but at a brewery and it turned out for the best. I neglected to apply for other jobs like Xerox and drug development companies (which I wouldn’t have gotten anyway) because I love beer. Patience and passion got me to Scotland. Learning and drinking will get me through 8 months without my friends and stories and my friends will get me through Scotland withdrawal. Anyone want to be part of those stories? If so then come here and we are doing the highlands or Belgium this summer. Any takers?

General Update - a Month and a Half

I’ll be honest; I’m surprised with myself. I think the amount of time I’ve been here is the longest I’ve gone without being home or seeing any family or friends in person. I don’t feel homesick and I’m really enjoying being here. I love the job and I just worked 8 days in a row, all 12 hour shifts, because I messed up my work schedule (they changed it on my and I didn’t look carefully) but it is perfect. I have a few great updates to let you know about. I have been moved to brewing full time now, which means I’m learning tons of stuff on a daily basis and it is very practical. There is a decent chance (knock on wood) I’ll be a full brewer before I go for a month or so. That is the best update I have. The other thing is my first night drinking at the flat I’m moving in to. We went right after work and had a bunch of Punk cans and some other IPA is Dead stuff. I crashed on a chair and slept pretty well. My first time crashing somewhere drunk in the UK. It is an odd thing to celebrate but it was a fun night, mostly due to the fact that I was drinking with the guys which made me feel more at home. I saw the politest pass out of all time which was just ace. Keegan honestly leaned to reach for something, said excuse me so Neil moved his foot and then passed out about 5 seconds later. It was very graceful pretty funny to see. I also saw a video of Jack “floating” while he was high. In beer news, I’ve decided I’m going to make a maple syrup pecan porter with the gift that Dave C. gave me before I left. If it is good I’ll brew it again when I get home.

Needless to say I was a bit tired and my head was spinning today. Tonight I have a curry dinner coming up with Dr. D and his flat mate so I’m stoked for that. Andy is letting my borrow his guitar for a few months to play with so I’ll come back a rock star. I’ll let you know how my first curry experience goes but that is for another day.

Feel free to contact me via FB or email if you want to set up skype chat sessions. I’d love to talk to you mofo’s.

Diet - Update

My diet has changed a bit over the past month and a half. I still get my breakfast everyday but I have changed up lunch and dinner.

I do still eat my PB and banana sandwich a bit but I’ve expanded. I recently purchased some very good mussels in a butter sauce, which I can heat up in 4 minutes. I also bought some frozen fish portions, which I put on a bed of rice. A brilliant meal to say the least. I had pizza for the first time yesterday for my 7:30 lunch and it wasn’t the best I’ve had but at that moment it probably was. I’ve also been trying a variety of chocolate bars that we don’t get at home and they are great. Shout out to Toffee Crisp, Yorkie (it isn’t for girls) and Double Decker. These are great. Any other UK chocolate suggestions? I’d like them. I am also still eating tons of fruit and a steady diet of granola bars. I’m drinking more now since I am not alone every night because we can all agree that drinking alone is depressing and sad.

I am still waiting on a few things though. Pancakes, homemade fish and chips, a stout cake, homemade doughnuts and popcorn but eating a bit more luxuriously will hold me over for now.

Is Organic Really That Good?

I hate this organic thing. Realistically it is a marketing thing and as far as flavour goes I’ve yet to have a beer that is certified organic that has tasted better than a non-organic one. Mill St. has an organic lager but it tastes like any other craft lager. It is light, the BU’s are low and it really doesn’t’ have much more to it. It is a well made beer and I’m by no means knocking it since this is what lagers are about but it would be hard to distinguish from Amsterdam’s Blonde beer which is an all natural product. I don’t think the pesticides they use to keep costs low do not affect the flavour. Yes pesticides are harmful to the environment and avoiding the use of them is a good idea but there are times and places where it makes very little difference. If you think that organic tastes better that is cool but I need to ask: Is organic or all natural better? Is organic or locally sourced ingredients more important to you?

It doesn’t matter to me if it is organic or all natural. What matters to me is if the beer tastes good. It really is all about a great tasting product in the end for me and it should be for you.

As someone who might open a brewery in the future I would like to think that people would prefer to buy a local beer instead of an organic one since my beer would be local. This might sound like me asking for you to buy my beer if I open one (which it kind of is) but more importantly I ask that you support all small local craft breweries because what they do is hard and they put a lot of work into it. I mean, those small breweries are the reason I’m in Scotland right now.

Do me and yourself a favour and try Nickel Brook, Camerons, Wellington, Flying Monkey, Mill St. and any other craft beer around. These guys make wicked beer and it isn’t organic for the most part but it is all natural and they do it very well. Get a few Mill St. organic lagers and put them beside an Amsterdam Blonde lager and see if you can taste a difference. Then go out and buy any all natural craft beer. I guess this isn’t’ really about organic beer anymore but this is my blog.

Long live craft beer!!

Punk IPA in a Can - Brilliant!!

This review is a bit late coming and won't be all too long but it is crucial in the growth of the company.

Concerts do NOT allow bottles in which is the only way punk was available previously (or on tap of course). This move to cans will allow brewdog to move forward and get into those events where no craft brewer has gone before. This will be a huge move on market share and can only do good for the company.

The taste is similar to that of punk in any form BUT this is truly like draught in a can. The carbonation is soft and mingles well with the tropical floral and fruity notes of the hops while the malt base provides a nice balance to the IBU's (which are low but would hit most people as harsh). The beer is very easy drinking, something all big brewers want you to think is the only important thing in a beer, but I assure you that this lacks none of the flavour. It is brilliant and if you can grab some do it. Give it a chance, let it talk to you. You might just be surprised that an easy drinking product can have more flavour than that of a standard mass marketed lager.

Fosters Should be Embarrassed

(This beauty is for Feb 12th. I'm going to get some good blogging done these 2 days off and I'll be caught up... hopefully.)

And anyone who drinks it has no idea why.

A few days ago it was brought to my attention that Fosters, the Australian brewer, has made a claim on their website that is neither accurate or correct.

“Unlike most beer, [our hops] are added at the end of the boil to preserve freshness”

Holy shit. For most of you it won’t make sense why this is incorrect and I’m not saying you should understand. I’ll tell you why it is wrong of them to say that.

EVERY FUCKING BREWERY ADDS LATE HOPS – I’d challenge someone to find one that doesn’t. This just makes me mad because the general public would believe this bollocks (new vocabulary word). I think that everyone should learn about beer (as part of an undergraduate chemistry degree?) so this shit doesn’t happen. Oh, and don’t learn from a brewers website unless they are a craft brewer who care about what they do.

LATE HOP ADDITIONS DO NOT PRESERVE FRESHNESS

Hops are RARELY brought in fresh to a brewery. They typically come in pellets or as whole leaf hops, which are vacuum packed in bags to allow for worldwide travel and to extend shelf life. Hops are typically added 2 times during the boil. The start for the bittering qualities as the alpha acids break down while the aromatics and flavours are lost. Late in the boil you don’t allow the aromas and flavours to escape and give beers that nice fresh aroma and add no bitterness.

I found this on Pete Brown's (who I brewed an Imperial Pilsner with) beer blog and I've taken a lot of stuff from it. It is hard for me to add stuff since he hit all the points but this is just easier than sharing his link and makes me look less lazy.

The Sleeping Bag Technique

So this is for yesterday and I'm almost caught up I think. Here goes

I’m not really sure if this counts as a technique or anything like that but I’m a fan of the name. This is a method I’ve used for sleeping in cold places to maintain maximum warmth. It is a bit stupid andalong the same lines as the PBACS but it has served me well and it might save your life, but probably not.

So here we go. If you are laying bed on your back and your blanket is covering you you need to do the following three steps.

1)   Lift up your legs and get the bottom of the blanket to fold under your feet. This is key as a first step as I’ve tried it with this step last and it just wasn’t as effective.

2)   Roll to one side, I usually roll right, and make sure that the blanket gets under your left side but keep the bottom above this fold.

3)   Lastly roll the other way and get the right side under you feet so that the blanket is folded almost completely under you.

It might be a bit hard to picture and you may feel stupid doing it but I’m telling you it works. Obviously with a thinner blanket it is less effective than with a thicker one but it will still be warmer than just laying there.

The Places Where Beer Comes From – Cask vs. Keg

You can drink beer from a number of places.  You can have it on tap, in bottle or in a can. You can also have it on cask. On what? On cask. WTF is that? Let me tell you.

Cask beer is beer that is unfiltered and is placed straight from the fermentation tank into the cask. It isn’t carbonated other than a slight bit by the natural yeast fermentation that can take place in the cask. It has a shelf life of about 6 weeks where a keg has a life of about 3 months. It typically has some particles suspended in it but not many as “allkleer” is added to get them to crash out. Certain beers are great on cask where as others just aren’t all they could be. In Britian it can be found everywhere. In Canada and the rest of the world cask beer is seen as rare and a special treat with it only being seen as a good thing. It begs the question: Is cask or keg better?

We all know keg beer. It is just the bottled stuff that is unpasteurized, which is why we typically say it tastes better (which is usually true. I can think of 1 exception but that is probably just me).  It has good carbonation, sometimes a nice foamy head and is clear and filtered.

To me, and most beer fans I’d guess, keg beer is the absolute best way to enjoy a pint. The carbonation at a decent level adds to the flavour and experience making the beer better than its unfiltered and uncarbonated counterpart. Keg lasts longer (if it lasts that long) and can travel much better as “allkleer” will only make the yeast crash out 5 or 6 times making travel very bad for it. To me the answer is obvious: keg is much better. I’ll assume most of you haven’t had a lot of cask stuff, if any, so I can’t really ask you but for anyone else, how do you feel about the keg vs. cask debate?

MUSA Dinner with James, Martin and Molson-Coors guy

First I’ll tell you about MUSA. It is a restaurant that James has purchased as a side project for himself. They have changed all the beer to BrewDog with a few Belgian imports to complement certain meals. It is run by 3 full time staff and serves some great modern versions of classic Scottish dishes.

We drank Punk with the meal and it was great food. I had Tempura breaded black pudding for appetizer, a filet of salmon and noodles for dinner and a sponge toffee pudding for dessert. It was amazing and has shown me how good black pudding can taste. I am now a fan.

It first struck me as odd that James would be meeting with a Molson-Coors (now called MC) rep as they kind of make and sell the beers that BrewDog hates. James did ask about beer golf though. Apparently getting your beer smashed with a golf club is funny to just about everyone and not just beer geeks. The rep also told us that Fuller’s is the one brand that would be purchased in the UK if MC were to look at buying one due to its “pub estate.” That made me laugh, I’ve never thought about the number of pubs a beer is in as real estate but it makes perfect sense. He also said that Coors is the global brand that they are pushing and how Molson Canadian wouldn’t make it into the UK market (obviously. What Brits would but “Canadian” urine when they can get tenants? Also, I’d hate for Canada to be represented that way) We chatted about some of the differences about the UK and Canadian beer markets and I told him that sadly Molson was a big seller in Ontario. I might have insulted him but he laughed it off. I did mean it more in a sense that they own 1 of the 2 places to buy beer in Ontario and have a strong influence on what hits the shelves. James also expressed that the LCBO was on top of his list to get into, so if anyone feels like it they can flood their local LCBO manager with questions of carrying BrewDog. He also said that if I started a brewery that him and Martin would be happy to come do sales for me so James can do another beer dinner at beerbistro and Martin can snowboard. Sounds like a good plan to me.

After we missed out bus back we headed to the BrewDog bar and had a bunch of great beer. Left Hand Imperial Stout and Stone Self Righteous were the best by far. They are both American and both not available in Canada. Sometimes this distribution thing makes no sense. Needless to say the next day at work wasn’t the greatest but it was well worth it.

Cheers James, your restaurant rocks and thanks for dinner!

What I Miss

I guess this is for a few days ago.?? I'll catch up, I promise.

I’m just over a month in a there are a number of things I missed really badly at the start. I’m over those but there are other more subtle things I miss that you don’t notice (at least I didn’t) until recently. As you know I’m still in the B&B, which means I don’t have a kitchen. That I miss. When I get one, fingers crossed later this week, I have a list of things I’ll make. Pancakes for breakfast, fish and chips for dinner, a stout cake and homemade doughnuts. Maybe not in that order but they will be made. On the topic of pancakes I miss having Michelle make them for me every weekend. It is nice to get up and (wait around for an hour and eat cereal and then) have pancakes made for you. I also miss eating when I want on my days off. I get up stupid early because the lady who runs the B&B forgets if I’m working or not even when I tell her the day before. Oh well, its good when I have to get up for work. I also miss having people to talk to when I get home and having Internet all the time when at home. Those will change as well soon. I’m starting to miss some of the Ontario beers to be honest. I miss wandering about the LCBO seeing if anything is worth checking out. I’m not saying the beers here are bad, they are quite the opposite, but it just isn’t the same grabbing one from the stock. I like the LCBO and it was always a good weekend venture. I’m missing pubs where you can get a mean and your beer, as it isn’t common here to get both. I miss looking at the tap selection. Here it is usually any BrewDog we can find since most pubs carry shit. I also had a big craving to sit outside on the patio of Phoenix and have a few pints with all my school friends. I have to say end of the week drinking at Phoenix with my friends is the thing I’m missing the most right now. I promise next time we get there that I’ll have lots of stories to tell and it will be a very, VERY drunk night.

Beer review and appology

I'm trying to keep with with this stuff, I really am. I do have blogs written but have been too lazy to post. Here are some beer reviews of some great beers that share a lot in common. more to come, soon I hope.

Beer Review – The IPA Mash Up

Today we have 3 IPA’s, all very similar and all quite good. Hardcore IPA, I Hardcore yoU and I Beat yoU. BrewDog,  Mikkeller/BrewDog, Mikkeller. Here is the story.

Hardcore IPA – This one is my personal favourite of the 3. It is the least sweet and has lots of very strong hop presence that isn’t lost to a big alcohol dominance like the others.

Look- Beautiful. It is great. I mean, you have a nice head with a deep gold colour with a few traces of amber in there in there as well. It is one to look at but wait until you try it.

Smell – Big American hops. A bit fruity, resiny, citrus in there and it just works so well. You also get a bit of a sweetness from the malt to add to the complexity. Dive in, drink it.

Taste – Very similar to the smell but is a bit sweeter. This is due to the alcohol at 9.2% but you really can’t taste it. It is dangerous. Its like a venus fly trap. It looks cool but man it could mess you up. I suggest half pints of this bad boy.

I Hardcore yoU – this is a blend of the Mikkeller I Beat yoU and BrewDog Hardcore. It sits in the middle with 9.5% ABV. Again, lethal stuff.

Look – similar to Hardcore. Pale with some red or amber colour, maybe  a copper colour?? I have no idea. I was never good at art.

Smell- Sweet malt up front with a nice hop nose. Citrus, resinous and a touch of sweet. A bit of alcohol sweetness but not overly powerful.

Taste – Sweet malt up front with a bit of alcohol in there. A lasting bitter finish which balances the sweet. Still a bit sweet for me personally

Lastly, I Beat yoU. If you look at the capital letters you get IBU. This beer was designed to push someone out of the highest IBU title in Denmark from what I understand. This is 9.75% and is the sweetest of all. Here we go

Look – About the same as the others. Like a light maply syrup almost. Gold with some red. Moving on…

Smell – Floray, resinous citrusy hops. Alcohol sweetness and a bit of maltiness as well. Very similar to the others which is why a blend works well. They are almost the same!!

Taste – Long finish, a bit dry and bitter. Refer to smell for the rest as they are the same. This is still a deadly one though and it is bound to hurt a few unsuspecting victims.

Overall, I like Hardcore. The sweetness is less and hops come out more. I might be biased because I work for BrewDog but I don’t think so. It is just a better beer.

Happy one month anniversary to me!!

Two days ago I on February 4^th I left Toronto at 8 pm. A month ago yesterday I landed in Heathrow and caught my connecting flight to Aberdeen. I also arrived at BrewDog later that day. I was finally here.

A month ago today, I was working my first shift at the brewery. I was freezing cold (which I still am everyday) and had no idea why the hell I was here. I was in the mash tun, de-hopping tanks and mostly just watching the process happen around me. I was homesick and tired beyond all belief. A lot has changed in a month.

I have started to become very comfortable and feel very at home. I’m going out to pubs with friends from work, I’m no longer the new guy (I was the new guy for about 2 weeks. Turnover here is high if you couldn’t guess) and I’m one of the team. Usually interns would be doing lots of watching for the first while but I’ve been thrown right into the mix and I love it. I can nearly brew on my own, I’m already starting to learn filtration and I’ve got all the tank actions down. Due to the loss of a brewer over the past week I’m officially (and fingers crossed permanently) an assitant brewer. The past month I’ve also been thrown into the mix with packaging but they have hired a few new guys so it looks like I’m in the clear. The responsibility I’ve already been given is quite a bit and it won’t be slowing down any time soon. Yep, things are good.

I’ve also found out where I’ll be living. I’m moving in later this week (yes, I’m still at the B&B) with Red, Jack and Franz. The Danish guy is also moving in with me to the place so you have a Canadian, 2 aussies, a German and a Dane as well as jack’s friend from the US Keegan living together. I have the feeling that the next few months will be a bit of a party.

I better buckle up, eh?

Similarities and Differences - TV

This stuff is messed up. It is funny and not nearly as embarrassing as Jersey Shore (which I hope gets taken off the air because everyone on it gets hit by a bus full of AIDS. It is embarrassing to humanity) but some pretty funny concepts.

Did you know that Scary Spice is married, has kids and a TV show? Neither did I but apparently over here it is big. There are commercials for it every break. “Mel B - It’s a Scary World” just makes me laugh. From the commercials I can tell you a few things. She lives in Hollywood now and is working on a new solo CD. She has a big house and isn’t as scary as she used to look. Weird, isn’t it?

Love Bus. Yep, you read that correctly. This show has a blonde girl driving around (terrifying) a giant pink bus (even worse) and picking up strangers to hook up with the person already on the bus. The commercial have a guy in a giant banana suit whom is about 70 pole dancing for a girl. Where do they find people like this to put on TV? Who watches this rubbish and who would pay for this to happen? Clearly the British would.

Tool Academy. This one actually makes me laugh and I’d like to watch this. Girl sign their douche bag boyfriends up to learn how to be gentlemen. These are “bros” who hit on any girl or treat their girlfriends like shit. It looks like they have to do some pretty hilarious shit and I’d love to check it out. But I do have to ask, why would these girls stay with them? Doesn’t make much sense to me but neither does Jersey Shore.

I guess no matter where you go there will always be shit TV. I really hope that these shows don’t make it over to Canada because if that happened I don’t know what I’d do.

I Don't Think I Have a Vice

It is true. I really can’t think of a vice I have. Something I reach for anytime I am stressed to get some temporary relief. I think everyone I work with drink coffee compulsively. I’d guess around 5 or 6 cups a day each. This is an insane amount of coffee and I’m pretty sure they need it to survive. This is pretty common among university students too. Everyone drinks coffee to wake up in the morning, stay away all day and then survive exams at the end of the term.

Everyone here also smokes quite a bit. Most of them roll their own cigarettes, which is cool and I’ve never seen it before, and smoke about half or a pack a day. It doesn’ bug me that they smoke but it shocks me. Not because they smoke lots but because they have a need to smoke at work. A few guys never smoke on their days off and only at work. Weird.

This started the discussion if I have a vice. I don’t smoke or drink coffee. Do I eat stupid amount of junk food? No, my snacks are usually apples or granola bars. Do I need my PB and banana sandwich every day? Nope, but I love it to death. I think what we have decided is that my vice is water. I’ll drink a large amount of water at work most days but I don’t need it some days. If my vice is water, could there be a better vice to have? I highly doubt it.

Nelson Sauvin - The Hop Star From (almost) Down Under

Nelson Sauvin is a great hop from New Zealand. It has great aromas mixed with a nice sweet fruity character as well as a kick ass alpha acid percentage to pack a punch. You can even smell the slight citrus acidity in there and man it adds a whole other level of flavour. It also has a great story behind the name. Back in the days of old this hop was discovered in Nelson New Zealand. Nelson? That is the first half of the story. It is also the obvious and boring half of the story. Due to this hops very light and fruity nose and taste is slightly resembles the characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc, the wine. Sounds like it might be shit in an IPA with all those wine characteristics and such. Wrong. The best BrewDog beer is made solely with this bad boy and there is nothing wine drinker-y about it. It is bold, in your face and should be similar to the IPA is Dead Nelson brew coming out in the series. This is a hop for the dedicated, the adventurous and the hardcore. Check it!!

My life is tough...

To keep track of!! I’m pretty sure since I’ve been in Scotland I’ve been busier than I am or would be at school. Yes, school has a lot of work too but I feel that this is more.

I’m working 12-hour shifts 4 or 5 days a week, (48-60 hour weeks) which is quite a lot by itself. The most school I have in a week is usually about 24 hours of class with homework on top of that. I don’t think it is anywhere near 60 hours a week. On top of work I’m writing this blog. I’m not saying the writing takes a long time but if I were to guess it is a good 30 minutes a day I spend working on it from idea (which I’m creating a data base of for those days of little inspiration) until I finish the writing of the post. If I get a day behind it is double that. This makes a 12-hour day longer and a day off a bit less boring. I am also keeping a personal journal everyday of my feelings, thoughts and things I’d like to look back on and see myself grow as a person. And of course I’m forgetting the occasional travel, going out to pubs and meeting up with friends I do on my days off. I recently also helped a friend out with a bit on BrewDog for a beer and wine blog he writes for.  Check that out here http://drinkandbemerry91.blogs

pot.com/2011/02/brew-dog-punk-

brewers-straight-out-of.html. It might not sound like much on paper but trust me, it is quite a bit of work.

“But Brett, if it is so much work, why are you doing it?” you may ask. Even though it is a good amount of work it doesn’t feel like it. Writing this blog to keep friends posted, drinking and writing about beer and most importantly making it are all great. I’ve realized that what I miss most about home and what I can’t wait to do when I get back is home brew even more. I’m totally infected with brewing and I love it. When what you are doing doesn’t feel like work I think it is called living the dream. If it is, than I’m living the dream right now and I’d much rather do all this work than the amount I do at school even if it is much, much more.

It's a Dirty Job

And I love to do it. It’s true, this job will mess you up. You leave wet, sore and with cuts places you are pretty sure you never even made contact with anything that day. Oh, the joys of brewing.

There are many things at a brewery that are messy beyond belief. Here are a few that happen from time to time and while being scary and messy are quite fun.

De hopping and de yeasting under pressure

I know most of you don’t know what a Fermentation Vessel looks like (FV from now on) so I’ll explain the bottom ports, the 2 we are dealing with. The very bottom one opens at the bottom of the tank and will let everything out if you leave it open. This is where you draw off the hops and yeast from most of the time. The upper port has a pipe running up into the FV to a point above where the hops and yeast settle. Getting this out is a very easy task, if it isn’t clogged. If it is you have a few options. First you put on top pressure using CO2 to force the stuff out. You need to be careful because once it comes out, it comes out. Fast. I’ve splashed my self a number of times but nothing too severe. If this doesn’t work you know you will get messy. You need to get a tube and ram it up the port until the hops start moving. This time there is no hose on the port to direct the hops. This shit is going everywhere. You need to be faster than a ninja in daylight to not get hit. This is guaranteed to spray you at least a bit but by fast isn’t the worst thing I’ve had splash on me.

Sample Taps

Each FV also has a sample tap where you can pull out a sample of the beer to taste, smell and look at as well as to check the gravity. There is a design flaw in it though. If you open it too far, it comes out. I did this yesterday. I had to unplug the sample tap using a CO2 cylinder to push out the hops. Like the bottom ports nothing will come out if the pressure is over 0.5 barr as a vacuum is created. You NEED to open it up all the way. Yesterday I went too far. It fell off. Beer is spraying everywhere and I’m scared shitless. I’m trying to stop it with my hands while grabbing the piece to put back on and it is making it worse. It is in my eyes and it burns like crazy. Beer is dangerous when flying at you under high pressure with hop particles in it. I can barely see and I’m getting the beer up my sleeve as I’m putting the piece back in. I finally get the piece back in and I’m crying and I can’t see. This is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever done. I also had to lose the clothes and clean up while they dried. I’m outside shirtless in the dead of winter in northern Scotland cleaning up beer I sprayed all over the floor.

I’ve yet to not get messy at work and my room smells like malt from my work clothes.

Can anyone else’s Co-op work term stories stand up to this? Is anyone having as much fun as I am?  Does anyone else have an explosion at work they can laugh about? Doubt it.