So you want to make beer?

Welcome back! The following is an email interview with Dave Watson. Dave is a home brewer as well as an employee at the Beer Nut. Again, the Beer Nut is a local supplier of home brew products and is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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1. How did you become interested in home brewing?

I can trace it back to a technical writing class I took in college. I had already taken an interest in craft beer, but had not thought much about brewing it. We had a group assignment to describe a process and another group chose the brewing process. When they gave their presentation I was fascinated and knew I wanted to know more about it.

2. How do you think home brewing in Salt Lake City compares to beer makers elsewhere in the United States in terms of availability of supplies?

Salt Lake actually has a very robust brewing community. Considering the size and demographic of the city we brewers have it pretty good here. I've been to a lot of cities that don't have any shops with near the selection of the Beer Nut. When I first started brewing in New Mexico, the only shop was a hot tub store with some dusty old brewing supplies shoved in the corner.

3. What are the costs associated with home brewing?

A basic beginner kit costs $84.95 at our shop. Our ingredient kits average about $38 and make 5 gallons of beer. As with any hobby, you can go as crazy as you want, but over all it's pretty affordable.

4. What is the most critical point during the process of home brewing? Please elaborate.

Sanitation is key. Malt sugars are a favorite food for bacteria, so once the wort (unfermented beer) is cooled after the boil it is vital that everything it touches is clean and sanitary. That being said, there are no pathogens that can survive in beer, so you can't grow anything that will hurt you, just make it taste bad. In the old days, homebrewers used bleach to sanitize their vessels. It worked, but if it wasn't totally rinsed away it could produce some icky flavors (think wet band-aids). Today there are a variety of really good no-rinse sanitizers available to home brewers.

5. Could you briefly describe what fermentation is?

Fermentation is the process of carbohydrates being metabolized by micro organisms. In the case of beer the sugars from the malted grains are consumed by brewers yeasts. Like other organisms, yeast produce waste products when they metabolize food, but their waste products are ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, two of the defining components of beer.

6. Because Utah is a bit more conservative when it comes to liquor laws, do you ever find yourself defending your hobby or job?

Not really, but I think that's mostly because of the circles I run in. Most people I encounter think what I do is really cool. I often find myself describing the brewing process and answering brewing questions at parties. The alcohol issue in Utah seems to draw a pretty stark line in the sand, and people on my side of that line tend to rally behind their brewers.

7. If you had one bit of advice for a newbie looking to brew the good stuff, what would it be?

Be curious. By immersing yourself in the process you will learn a lot more and produce better beer. It is a common folly for people to think they can just ask for the recipe for their favorite beer and replicate it by mixing everything together. There are a lot of fine points to brewing, and learning to control them will make the beer better and the brewing more fun.

Thanks again for take the time to answer my questions, Dave!

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For more information on Dave or the Beer Nut, visit their website!

You can also find a list of Frequently Asked Questions here and an online beginners guide to brewing here.

Stick around my friends. In my next post, I plan to share some of my favorite brew links. Cheers!