It’s always difficult to get schedules to sync up when planning these stories, but in Scott Bennett’s case difficult is the ultimate understatement. We first met Scott Bennett at the very beginning of this project. Scott was hosting a club brew day at his house and Don Barnum invited us to come and shoot some photos for the story we were working on about him. It has been over a year since that brew day and during that time Scott has upgraded his brew system, switched to all grain and oh yeah, won some pretty big contests with his beer.

This is the first story using a new questionaire format. I asked Scott to send me a couple questions he would like to see answered by other brewers and he supplied us with an entire questionaire. If there are any questions you guys would like see answered by future brewers leave us a comment with your ideas. For now allow us to introduce you to Scott Bennett. Enjoy.

Name: Scott Neel Bennett

When did you start brewing? On my own in December of 2010, prior to that I had done two brew on premise batches at BrewBakers in Huntington Beach; one in 2007 and the other in 2008.

What are you brewing today? We brewed Scott’s GRANDE IPL (aka Scott’s BIG IPL)
http://snbbrewing.blogspot.com/2012/06/scotts-grande-ipl.html

What got you brewing? I started to get into beer in the mid 2000s, during this time I took a trip to Detroit and visited a childhood buddy who happened to be a homebrewer.  He gave me one of his beers and it was fantastic. I knew right then that I wanted to give it a try one day.

When did you know this was no ordinary hobby, it was an obsession?  When I realized I was more concerned about climate control for my beer than I was for my house.

When did you join the AHA?  I joined in June of 2010

What is your “white whale” beer (the beer you’d hunt to the ends of the earth for, and possibly die trying to obtain)?  One day I would like to try Kate the Great, it’s on my 2012 to do list.

Last beer that blew your mind? Hard to narrow down as I’ve had some fantastic beers in the last 12 months: Squatter’s Fifth Element, Three Floyds Bourbon Vanilla Dark Lord, Portsmouth Kate the Great, Logsdon Farmhouse Peche ‘n Brett, The Bruery White Chocolate and Goose Island King Henry

What is the most prized beer in your collection? I’ve got a couple; The Bruery Partridge in a Pear Tree, Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Stout, I’m in the process of obtaining a 2008 Surly Darkness

What is your favorite local craft brewery? My favorite brewery is Surly Brewing out of Minnesota, my local favorite in California right now is Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach.  I’m also a huge fan of Alpine Brewing, The Bruery and Stone Brewing.

Do you have a homebrewing disaster you’d like to share?  Last summer I was brewing a stout in my garage.  I was attempting to control the temperature via a water bath.  One day the temps hit high 90s outside and low 100s in my garage.  When I got home my beer was around 88 internally and while I was unpacking some stuff the airlock burst off hitting the ceiling.  That was the last time I made beer outside a temperature controlled deep freeze and an airlock at the start of fermentation (now I use a blow off tube).

What is your favorite style(s) to brew? Hoppy beers and Lagers, I’m known for my BIG IPL which is a Double India Pale Lager with crazy hop aroma.

What style(s) will you never brew? Never say never, as my journey into beer has progressed I’ve found myself enjoying beers I had previously written off.  While I doubt I’ll ever brew all the styles I want to keep my options open.

What was the first beer you ever brewed?  How did it turn out? On my own, a Mr. Beer IPA that I named after my daughter to be that turned out to be a cidery mess

Have you ever had a homebrew mistake that turned out great?  I’ve messed up the timing of hop additions but was pleased with the way the finished product came out that I changed the recipe.

What is your favorite recipe based off of a commercial style?  I really like the results of the Northern Brewer Pro Series Surly Furious Kit and recently brewed the Cynic one.

Have any of your beers won awards? 

AHP July 2010 Competition
First Place: Scott’s BIG IPA

Karl Strauss 2011 Pro-Am
First Place: Scott’s BIG IPL

BYO 2011 Label Competition
Editor’s Choice: BBA Wookiee

2011 OC Fair
Second Place (601 Light Lagers): Costa del Sol

Stone’s 2012 AHA Homebrew Rally
Forth Place: Scott’s BIG IPL

Are you a BJCP Judge? No, but I do judge in the club competitions.  Getting certified is in my plans

Do you have a good beer judging story you’d like to share with the rest of the homebrewing world? I think people feel that beer judging must be great because of all the good beer you get to try.  Truth is for every great beer you get to have 2-3 bad beers some downright undrinkable.  The worst beer I’ve judged to date smelled and tasted like horse droppings.

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that you’ve found to make your beer better/brewing easier, etc? I have a ratcheting wrench from sears that is 7/16 on one side and 7/8 on the other.

What are you brewing with? Currently my system is made up of a 15 gallon keggle, a 10 gallon cooler mash tun and I batch sparge with heated water from 2 smaller pots (one 5 gallon and one 3 gallon) which gets the job done.  I serve my beer out of the keezer I built or as I call it The Indy Crate

How frequently do you brew (times per month or year)? 1-2 times a month is the plan.

What is your favorite malt?  Why?  I like to say Victory because I love the name and do try to incorporate a small percentage where I can.  I recently used Carared and loved the flavor and color.

What is your favorite hop? Why? Right now it’s hands down Citra, love that hop as it provides a really rich passion fruit flavor and a very pronounced citrus aroma. I also love the big C hops from the Northwest, Simcoe and Amarillo.

What is your dream beer and food pairing?  A nice IPA/IPL paired with some spicy chicken tacos.

Do you have a favorite or house yeast? What qualities do you like about that yeast? WLP007 is the closest thing I have house yeast as I use it the most.  It provides a fast really clean fermentation with low esters, which is great for hoppy beers, it’s highly attenuative and works well in high gravity beers.

Do you belong to a homebrew club? Do you have a good homebrew club story you’d like to share?  I belong to two clubs, Brewcommune and AHP Brew Club both in Orange County.  I feel that belonging to multiple clubs and multiple forums is important as they can provide a well rounded knowledge of brewing. The thing I’ve found is, in brewing, there are multiple right ways to do things and you should always be open minded to new techniques or ideas.

What is a beer style that is underappreciated and/or could take off given the opportunity and exposure?  I definitely think session beers are underappreciated. It seems like there is more focus on big 7-8% beers then sub 4%, the funny thing is that brewing a clean session beer is a lot harder than a big beer as mistakes have nothing to hide behind.

Is there any advice you would like to give to new homebrewers?  Start slowly and really learn the importance behind each step before you move on.  With the quality of ingredients available out there today for extract brewers there is no huge reason to rush to all grain.  Also sanitation is the number one skill as homebrewers should master.  If you continue to get off flavored beers really take a step back and examine your cleaning and sanitation process.

Check Scott out here.

This is going to be a unique story because it’s our first time covering a homebrew collaboration. Daniel Fernandez was first put on our radar when we had just started the project. He had a reputation for brewing small batches with unique ingredients, needless to say we were interested. It took a while to get in touch with him, but when we finally did he had a great story to tell us.

We started this project by looking up homebrew clubs and posting in their forums looking for brewers. We weren’t having a ton of success and it turns out Daniel might have had something to do with it. During our first meeting he told us that he initially thought we might be scouting equipment to steal so he had been telling brewers to steer clear of us. Thank you Daniel. After seeing our first post though I think his concerns about us being potential thiefs were put to rest and now we have a good story to tell.

Mike Neice on the other hand was a pleasant surprise. When we finally got in touch with Daniel to do a story he told us he would be brewing with a club member named Mike for a collaboration beer. We knew nothing about Mike, but upon arrival we quickly learned that Mike was a serious brewer and made some killer beer.

With that I will turn it over to Jessica. Enjoy.

What’s a little competition amongst friends? Addison Homebrew Provisions is hosting a homebrew competition, and while most of the brewers are being quite secretive about their plans, one pair is not. Mike Neice and Daniel Fernandez  are laying it all out on the table with their Belgian Triple. Though they both bring something unique to the planned homebrew, they created a recipe which will result in a tasty beer close to 9% and clear in color.

To some, Mike and Daniel may seem like an odd pair, but they complement each other quite well.

It’s kind of interesting we were paired together,” Daniel said about Mike.

Mike brews mostly pale ales and IPAs (award-winning ones, might we add), while Daniel is known for using creative ingredients like Chinese tea rose, vanilla bean and more. Daniel explained his theory that what a brewer does for work and in their personal life has a lot to do with their approach to brewing. After talking to several home and micro-brewers, I will say that I agree fully. Wouldn’t you know it Mike and Daniel’s brewing styles match up with their lives as well? Mike works in aerospace parts manufacturing. Daniel, on the other hand, works in a creative position with Mitsubishi Electric.

Daniel said, “I think that’s why my beers are a little out of the box, or a lot out of the box. I have to think outside the box for work too.”

Originally from Burbank, Calif. Daniel started homebrewing again in the last couple years. Besides brewing beer, he has maintained creative projects over the years, whether it is making jewelry, ceramics, poetry or other. Homebrewing has become a creative outlet for Daniel. He brews in the yard of his La Habra home, but hopes to have a brewing and gaming room for him and his wife to enjoy. Daniel strives to brew beer his wife would enjoy – which is where some of the creativity comes in.

Mike’s wife Rene has also been supportive of homebrewing over the last 20 years. In fact, Mike began homebrewing indirectly through Rene. Her father, Dan, actually bought her a homebrew kit for Rene’s birthday one year. Needless to say, it was more of a gift for Mike. In return, Mike bought a kit for Dan for his birthday, and so the brew competition between the two began.

“Dan’s knowledge and his generosity made me the brewer I am today,” Mike said.

Brewing has become a part of the family. Mike expressed the sentiment that his two daughters, Michelle, 14, and Mikayla, 12, grew up watching dad brew in the garage. Easy A’s on science projects to say the least!

On this particular day, Mike and Daniel’s science project was getting off to a great start. With the recipe set, Mike’s equipment and Daniel’s candy syrup, it promised to be a good brew day. We even had time for a few tastings.

We tried Daniel’s Anarchy Strong Scottish Ale with added Sultanina Raisins, Maple Syrup and aged in Hungarian Oak. Then we tried Mike’s Bicentennial IPA – his 200^th career batch. In our professional opinions, they both brew damn good beer! So there would be no big surprise that there collaboration brew will turn out just as awesome.

“Oh it’s going to be awesome,” said Mike. “That’s part of the reward [of brewing], put in the time, and the investment and hopefully the results are favorable.”

And so we anxiously await June when the competition will ensue.

For more info about Daniel check out these links.

Well, I’d like to start off by apologizing for not posting as often as we should. Both Jess and I have been very busy with our day jobs, but we are excited to announce that we are lining up a number of stories for the next few weeks. I must also apologize because Jess was not able to join me for this story so I had to take over the writing portion as well.

Now that we got that out of the way, allow me to introduce Christian DeBenedetti. Don’t know him? Well, you are about to meet him and he’s definitiely someone you are going to want to follow.

Christian DeBenetti is an author of all things beer. He writes for magazines, blogs and most recently he finished his book The Great American Ale Trail. The book is the ultimate guide to America’s greatest watering holes. I first came across Christian through an email from The Bruery Provisions annoucing a signing with the author at their store. After tracking down his contact info and getting an email out I was beyond phsyched to find out Christian was interested in being a part of the Thee Beer Book. However, when he told me he was landing in LAX at 2 P.M. on a Friday I knew he would not be phsyched on the traffic situation.

The Great American Ale Trail is the product of a year worth of travel around the United States. I imagine most of you reading this would call this a dream job, as would I. I think Chritian would agree as well, but with the amount of travel involved and only a year to research and write the book he admits there were some moments of exhaustion and stress.

As we talked I quickly realized that Christian is a busy man. He is not only busy promoting his book, but he is a beer correspondent for a number of magazines including Outside Magazine and Food and Wine. He is also the editorial director of Weekly Pint. As if all that wasn’t enough, Christian is a co-founder of Zythos Project, creators of The Bräuler™, the world’s first stainless steel modular growler system. Like I said, he’s busy.

If you hear about a signing near you, I suggest you clear your schedule and drop by to say hello to Christian. For more information about Christian and his book visit his site.

You’re going to want to pick up a copy and you can find it here.

We’re back! It has been quite awhile since our last post, and we apologize for that. It doesn’t mean we weren’t thinking about or drinking beer, because we were. Instead of touring SoCal breweries this past summer, we were fortunate enough to go on an Irish adventure. The majority of our trip was spent exploring Ireland’s beautiful landscape and local pubs, but we were also able to sneak in a side trip to Belgium and the Netherlands. For photos check out Brian Evans Photography.

Since our return, we have been lining up a few more projects for Thee Beer Book, including up-and-coming breweries and one mind-blowing homebrew setup. So be sure to continue checking in.

Until then, enjoy some photos from a recent beer tasting event hosted by the man of the hour, Bradley Daniels – to see what we mean by “man of the hour,” grab a copy of Brew Your Own Magazine to see the two page spread of Bradley Daniels and his backyard brewery, photos by our very own Brian Evans. Though our focus is not on beer events, we thought this one was particularly enjoyable. The spectrum of beers tasted was mighty vast and the company was delightful as always.

So without further ado… Here is a list of the beers enjoyed at the tasting compliments of Greg Nagel at the OC Beer Blog as well as photos from the evening:

*homebrew

 

BeancurdTurtle ISA*
Surley Rye Lager.
Jessica Rice Watermellon Chili*
BrewFoo Apricot Ale*
Jessica Rice Tea Fusion with pineapple*
Matt Becker Saison Royale*
North Coast La Merle
Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noir
Deschutes Hop in the Dark CDA
Fort Awesome Brewing BIPA Spare Armadillo*
Knee Deep Brewing Ryedentity Crisis
Scott Bennet StarRaptor Double American Red Ale*
Old Orange Brewing Cannonball IPA
Old Orange Brewing Old Dummy Ale
Grand Teton Brewing Pursuit of hoppyness
BrewFoo Cocanut Porter*
Danas Blueberry Heffy*
The Bruery harder faster thingy slower stronger thingy.
Nico Soze Pumkin Brown*
BeanCurdTurtle Coffee Scottish 70*
Fort Awesome Brewing Cap’n Peanut Porter*
Backyard Brewing America stout*
Samual Smith Yorkshire Stingo

 

Welcome.

 

Shawn Olsson handled the beer.

 

 

Barley made an appearance.

 

Scott of SNB Brewing pouring one of his awesome brews.

 

Eric of Addison Homebrew Provisions staring down something delicious.

 

Don from BackHouse Brew loves the camera.

 

Somehow Don tricked me into having my photo taken.

 

Daniel Fernandez pouring a glass of amazing.

 

 

 

Jess taking a break from beer to talk literature.

 

 

Tour time.

 

 

 

 

When Brian and I pulled up to Shawn Olsson’s home and brewery in Fullerton, Calif. we were cheerfully greeted by 2-year-old Clare Olsson, who was ever so eager to show us her sand box and bubble machine in the backyard. Not too far behind Clare was her little sister Olivia. Shawn, 44, who had always desired to have children, finally became a father after a year into his second marriage to wife Sonia. Their nice one-story home is not only a safe haven for their beautiful family, but it is also residence to Shawn’s garage brewery and wine cellar.

His setup is compactible for more efficient storage to allow room for strollers and family needs as well as Shawn’s other hobby – restoring Vespas. Just abut Shawn’s brewing equipment, sat a teal Vespa in several pieces. Shawn promised himself he would take a small break from brewing for a weekend or two in order to work on the scooter. Though it is safe to say his beer supply wouldn’t dwindle too much during his brewing break as it seems he has aplenty to go around.

Shawn currently has four beers on tap: Oak Glenn 2010 Hard Cider (which he recently brought to the Addison Homebrew Provisions meeting for tasting), Lawn Genome IPA a La Chouffe, Q! (a Belgium quad with a plum and dark chocolate scent and smooth finish), and Wit Wedding 4.0 (commemorating four years of marriage to his beautiful wife Sonia – Shawn originally brewed this witbier for their wedding).

Shawn was originally introduced to homebrew by his stepdad, who mostly brewed batches from canned kits.

“It was pretty good stuff,” Shawn said. 

Realizing homebrew had piqued Shawn’s interest his mom bought him a kit for Christmas one year. And so the brewing began. Shawn, a highly intelligent individual, continuously utilizes his intellect and thirst for knowledge to better his brewing. In the early batches of Shawn’s brewing experience, however, he was unaware of sanitation requirements and he let pride get in the way of a bad batch.

“I made really infected beer, but I was too stubborn so I drank it,” Shawn said. He went on to explain that abnormal blotches began appearing on his arms, but he continued to drink the infected beer. Finally when he stopped drinking the bad beer the blotches disappeared. The lesson was learned and Shawn made sure to pay attention to simple sanitation rules from then on.

About a year into homebrewing Shawn delved into the hobby and began brewing once a month, which went on for three years. Exploring even further, Shawn took an extension course at UCSD and learned all grain. He began reading books on brewing and even joined Crown of the Valley Brewing Society, established in 1988 out of Pasadena, Calif. Two years in, Shawn became the vice president and eventually led the group as president for seven years.

“It was a tight little group of people,” Shawn said. Over the course of time together they all learned to better their beer as they learned from one another. Eventually though, Shawn decided it was time to let the next generation take over. Furthermore when Shawn went through his divorce, he walked away from the club and brewing altogether.

Three years ago, Shawn really got back into brewing.

“I just started over – newly married, new dad, saw the new shop [Addison Homebrew Provisions] and got involved in the club. I have a new batch of good friends,” said Shawn. “It’s kind of come full circle.”

Though things in his life had changed his youthful spirit and eagerness to learn to continually better his beer is ever present. He swears by the book Brew like a Monk. “It kind of inspired me,” he said about the book. Shawn is very enthusiastic about the science behind the beer, because he knows if he can understand the scientific concept behind any part of the brewing process, he is able to apply it to get the results he wants. That is not to say he doesn’t believe there is a creative side to the process as well.

“Science is the zeroes and ones to the art,” Shawn explained. “There is definitely a creative side. There is an art to the water chemistry as well – it’s like cooking.”

Interestingly, Shawn is also a fabulous cook according to his wife. As the conversation arose, he passionately described a five-hour, six course Italian meal he made on one occasion. Here he is talking about the science behind beer and using chemistry to understand the process, and on the flip side he talks about his inspirations and his passion for brewing and cooking. This truly demonstrates what a multi-faceted person Shawn really is.

Unsurprisingly food and beer correlate. Unsurprisingly again, Shawn has a taste for both. In fact, he took the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) test. Studying for the test helped Shawn open his palette. The test required Shawn to answer essay questions that resulted in 15 handwritten pages and to sample and critique in detail numerous beers.

One woman who was taking the test alongside Shawn said the test was more difficult than earning her Master’s degree.  Shawn’s reaction was, “Really? That was fun.”

Becoming a certified beer judge has not only made Shawn into a beer expert, but it has also made him into a foodie. Shawn uses his vast knowledge to teach others as he often speaks at the Addison Homebrew Provisions meetings. Shawn also leads beer demonstrations for fellow homebrewers, though he continuously refers back to his favorite book, Brew like a Monk. According to Shawn the book expresses the importance of being creative and the writers are quite coy in how they brew. Shawn agrees with their methods.

“Don’t follow me, be creative,” Shawn said. “Put something of yourself in your beer, something new and interesting.”

Shawn strives to brew to a standard he has set for himself. He is very critical of commercial beers and prides himself in trying to outdo them. When he succeeds it is pure bliss for Shawn.

He compared himself to his daughter Clare. When she was learning to climb up steps, she was so proud when she was successful. ‘I did it!’ she would exclaim. Shawn expressed that he feels the same when he brews something great.

His beer style is very traditional and European, though it certainly does not lack creativity.

“That’s the sandbox I like to play in,” said Shawn.

We are not beer experts, simply beer fans so we asked Shawn to provide us with a description of a few of the beers he has on tap at moment. Like we said he knows his stuff…

My Lawn Genome is an attempt to clone Houblon Chouffe, which is pretty unusual because it is a 9% ABV triple that uses Columbus, Saaz to get 60 IBU and then is dry hopped with Amarillo hops. The high bitterness and dry hopping used in making Houblon Chouffe is based on an American IPA. The marriage of the two styles comes off really well. As soon as I tasted it for the first time it was my instant favorite and I started researching how to make it. I had created a recipe when I found another one from a homebrewer who’d visited the La Chouffe brewery a couple times already. Our two recipes were really pretty close, so I just borrowed his hopping schedule to complete the puzzle. Our beer had a little bit more alcohol in it and the dry hopping flavors are just now maturing to make a really great beer. I thought of Houblon Chouffe as a great marriage between the Belgian Trappist and American Craft Brewing traditions. Scott always likes to brew American style beers with American hops and I always brew traditional European beers with imported hops. The beer represented a blending of our two brewing aesthetics, so you can almost say it compelled me to ask Scott to brew it with me. The beer is made from only Pilsner malt and white sugar, bittered with Columbus hops, uses Saaz for flavoring and aroma hops and then is dry hopped with Amarillo. I used the Chouffe yeast (WLP 550) and Scott pitched the Dry English Yeast. Our Lawn Genome³ has an OG of 1.091, F.G. of 1.010 has 60 IBU and is 9.1 ABV

 The Dubble I brewed is a blend of the Chimay Red and Rochefort 6 dubbles. It uses the Rochefort malt bill, the Rochefort hops, but Chimay yeast and has about as much sugar added as Chimay does. The bitterness level (IBU) matches up to both Chimay Red and Rochefort 6 which are nearly identical (18-19 IBU). The resulting beer is much maltier than Chimay, but not as dark and malty as Rochefort 6. The beer is big and malty with plenty of fruit flavors, but the finish is relatively dry so it doesn’t just lay on your pallet…sort of compels you to take another sip. The hops just barely come through in the end almost the way spices do when you do them right. I think I’ve really blended all of the flavors from my favorite Belgian dubbles in this beer. After reading Brew Like a Monk I had a much deeper understanding of how to brew Trappist Style beers. Most of the lessons learned can be seen in this beer compared to my earlier attempts to brew a dubble. My Chimorte Dubbl8tion had an OG of 1.074, FG of 1.013 and ABV of 7.7.

 The Quadruple I brewed is my first use of Candi syrup. “Q⁴” is also the first Quad I’ve ever brewed. When reading Brew Like a Monk, I found out the Belgian Candi sugar sold in most homebrew shops is not what the Trappist Monks use when they brew. Instead, they use a caramelized sugar syrup that can impart tons of stone fruit flavors. I ordered some of the Amber, Dark and Dark2 online. I tried to match the malt, hops and yeast used to brew Westvleteren 12, which is considered by many to be THE best beer in the world! Not an easy target to hit. I’ve only tasted the original once because it is extremely hard to get unless you go to the brewery yourself. The monks ask you to no resell the beer you buy from them, but one look on e-bay will show you that many people ignore that request. Q⁴  is very rich and malty. It has flavors of dates, plumbs, cherry and dark chocolate. There is a very small addition of Chocolate malt that gives it that chocolate finish. The dark Candi syrup gives it the date and plumb flavors and the Special B malt adds the cherry flavor. The beer was fermented at up to 85 degrees and I lost 15% of the beer to blow-off because fermentation was so vigorous! The OG is 1.092, FG 1.014, 35 IBU and is 10.3 ABV

Until next time enjoy a few extras from the original shoot .

Got a last minute text from Barbara Gerovac of Anaheim Brewery letting me know they were brewing the following day. Unfortunately that pesky thing called work got in the way and I was only able to catch the very end of the brew day. This particular day they were brewing their Anaheim Red. They had already brewed half batches of their Anaheim Red and Anaheim 1888 and were now in the process of brewing the second half.

The Gerovac’s have been busy bee’s getting the brewery ready and it is looking awesome. The last time I was in there the tasting room didn’t have dry wall and the brewery still had bare concrete floors. Needless to say a lot had changed since my last visit. The tasting room looked pretty close to finished and the old bar from the Covered Wagon looked absolutely incredible. They were also nice enough to give me a sneak peek of their labels and growlers. Like every other aspect of the brewery it is obvious that they are paying very close attention to the details and taking their time to make sure everything is the way it should be.

I plan on going back to shoot the earlier stages of the brew process, but in the meantime enjoy these photos and check out Anaheim Brewery’s website for updates on their progress. You can also follow Thee Beer Book on facebook .

The Bruery Turns Three

Written by: Jessica Cartie

The Bruery’s Third Anniversary took place this past weekend at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. The May 29 celebration was split into two sessions with the first kicking off at 10:30 a.m. Craft beer enthusiasts and supporters of The Bruery were lined up and ready for the first beer tastings of the day at 10 a.m. The Bruery had several stations throughout the beer garden alongside 18 Southern California-based craft breweries. With a continuous line, the most popular station was the VIP table, where those with the right ticket were given the opportunity to try some of the more rare beers including Ballst Point’s Victory at Sea, an Imperial Porter brewed with coffee and vanilla, as well as Marrón Acidifié, one of their sour beers and Chocolate Rain a cask conditioned Black Tuesday with cocoa nibs, one of the first to run out.

At the start of the day, The Bruery owner Patrick Rue was busy making sure things were set up and running smoothly. We were able to chat with him for a brief moment to hear his thoughts on the day.

“I’m most excited to party with our biggest supporters and celebrate another year of business,” said Rue. “It’s going good so far.”

Brewer Victor Lester had a similar outlook, “It’s pretty awesome. I don’t think anyone was expecting us to be as far as we are this soon.”

Overall the celebration seemed to be a success. On top of good beer, the proceeds from the event went to a good cause – a local medical clinic call Lestonnac.

Guest Breweries:

• Ballast Point Brewing – San Diego, CA
• Black Market Brewing Co. – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
• Coronado Brewing Company – Coronado, CA
• Craftsman Brewing Company – Pasadena, CA
• Firestone Walker – Paso Robles, CA
• Hangar 24 Craft Brewery – Redlands, CA
• Inland Empire Brewing Co. – Riverside, CA
• Kern River Brewing Co. – Kernville, CA
• Ladyface Ale Companie – Agoura Hills, CA
• Left Coast Brewing – San Clemente, CA
• Noble Ale Works – Anaheim, CA
• Packing House Brewery – Riverside, CA
• SoCal Beer Company – Modesto, CA
• Stone Brewing Co. – Escondido, CA
• Strand Brewing Co. – Torrance, CA
• Taps Fish House & Brewery – Brea, CA
• Tustin Brewing Company – Tustin, CA

Just a few people waiting to get in.

Victor was super excited to answer our questions.

It was a bit busy in the VIP section.

And here are a couple trays full of reasons why it was so busy.

Ballast Point Brewing Company’s Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter being poured in the VIP section.

Jess and I finally made it back to Bradley Daniels, so she could talk to him a bit and do a proper write up about this incredible homebrewer. Bradley had added a couple new additions since my last visit including a new and improved Douple IPA that was absolutely delicious, a cozy fireplace and a fur ball named Barley that has reignited my quest for a puppy. Also, on tap was the Porter that Bradley brewed on my first visit. Enjoy.

Written by: Jessica Cartie

At the sound of his doorbell, Bradley Daniels opened the door and welcomed Brian and I into his home. Bradley was the first home-brewer Brian had met, and they hit it off right away. This, however, was my first introduction. “I have heard a lot about you,” he said to me. I had heard a lot about him too – all good and all seemingly true. From what I can tell, Bradley is the quintessential easy-going guy everyone wants to be friends with. He effortlessly draws you in with his fascinating stories and fresh outlook on life. The two and half hours we spent with him were over in a blink of the eye – they say time flies when you’re having fun – tried and true!  

And here’s how it went…

Upon arrival, we quickly walked through his home to the backyard where we were greeted by Barley, a charismatic little dog Bradley found and later adopted from the pound. Barley seemed to fit right in with Bradley, the self-proclaimed hippie (we dig this).

Even Bradley’s backyard has a casual, laidback air to it, and is certainly one to envy. Not only is there a full bar setup outside for him and his guests to enjoy, but Bradley built an awesome backhouse bar fully loaded with everything needed to brew beer and enjoy it too. His brewing system is one of the most creative I have seen.

Many people would be thoroughly impressed by his setup, but Bradley just shrugs his shoulders. “The only reason I have what I have, is because I do what I do.” Fair enough.

 It doesn’t take a mastermind to figure out that Bradley truly enjoys what he does.

“For me, I love the entire process,” he said. “I love the culture – beer people can be politically opposed, spiritually opposed…  and it doesn’t matter. The beer community is very friendly and open.”

At 52 years old, Bradley has been brewing beer for 20 years. “I’m a young 52,”he added. He has brewed a lot of beer in that time – first because it was cheaper than buying it, but now because he enjoys it. Bradley can brew 10-gallon batches in 4-5 hours, and in a given year he brews 170 to 200 gallons.

“I brew a lot,” he said. “I built the brewery to be very user friendly… I would have quit a long time ago if I didn’t have a process.”

In the past Bradley had not hung around a lot of beer brewers, “they used to be freaks,” Bradley chuckled. He clearly doesn’t feel that way anymore, and in fact, he learned something new from a fellow brewer. A friend (much younger in age) who has only been brewing for a year taught this beer veteran a new trick – a simple step he was missing to get his double IPA just right.

Bradley exclaimed, “I’ve been trying for freaking years to make a double IPA… and dude, from the mouth of babes!”

Once he implemented this new step in the process, his double IPA could speak for itself. “It is the best beer I’ve ever brewed,” Bradley said.

 It wasn’t long before we were poured a few tasters. First we sampled two meads, which I have never had the pleasure. Both of them had a refreshing, sweet taste and were smooth on the way down. The good thing about meads is they never stop fermenting – one of them was 15 years old. Next on to the beer – we tried the infamous double IPA (Brian’s top pick), a Rye (a little more subtle, a little less hop), a Scottish Ale (my personal favorite), and a Porter (impressive).

Though he has four taps in his backhouse bar, he doesn’t like to overindulge. “I’m not into getting hammered anymore, a nice rosy buzz is fine,” Bradley said. He and his wife are ‘foodies’ – so it makes sense to have something equally tasty to wash down that delectable cuisine, but too much and the food palette is lost.

Recap: Bradley Daniels is a foodie who enjoys brewing and drinking beer, but that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of who he is. Shockingly, Bradley sews – yes I said sews – with a vintage sewing machine and all. In fact, he sewed his wife’s wedding dress and his groomsmen’s vests. Less shocking, music was a favorite topic of his. Bradley’s love for music drew him to play guitar, the banjo and mandolin. He later encouraged his son to play guitar, because according to Bradley, guitar and food are the way to a lady’s heart (and other parts of her anatomy).

He lit up when he talked about his children. Behind the bar was a framed piece of paper with pencil scribbling, that of a small child. It was his son Noah’s writing which read over and over again, “I will not look under cheerleader’s skirts. I will respect girls.” Bradley laughed and thought it was cute, so he hung his son’s childhood punishment on the wall. Bradley said, “[My daughter] feels a little unrepresented [in the bar].”

There was a lack of female representation altogether in the backhouse bar. The bathroom with “Gentlemen” above the door only had a urinal. “Women enjoy beer too, you know,” I said to Bradley as I had to use the bathroom inside the house. He chuckled, “I know.” I suppose I am willing to look past this as I am sure his daughter and wife do as well.

Besides, being invited into the backhouse bar felt like we were let in on a little secret – Bradley was sharing a part of his life not just his house. The carefully-crafted room was adorned with beer glasses of all shapes and sizes, vintage bar signs and framed beer ads. One eye-catching sign was a lit up Pabst Blue Ribbon plug in. It came from the Covered Wagon (yet another memento from the 1970s Anaheim bar), where three generations of Bradley’s family, including himself, his dad and grandpa enjoyed a pint or two. Another stand-out sign was for a local Duluth, Minnesota beer. 

Bradley was actually born in St. Paul, Minnesota but ended up in California, though for a short stint he and his wife lived near Pittsburg, Penn.

“I had my man bag with my camera… I documented the two years in Pennsylvania,” Bradley said.

Photography, or rather documenting life, is another passion of Bradley’s. He also used to surf and is looking into riding waves again now that he is semi-retired. From what I can gather, he is passionate about life in general.

“I’m living high on the hog right now,” he said. “I’m the happiest boy living my life.”

This “happy boy” doesn’t need an excuse for a good time. When it comes to parties he is ready to bring out all the stops. He already brews his own beer and wine, not to mention he has a barbeque, pretzel machine, popcorn popper, and pizza warmer. All we are missing is the piñata (and no one would be surprised if he had one of those lying around too).

Take advice from Bradley, enjoy your life. And if you want to brew your own beer while you’re at it, do it and don’t stress. Sure sometimes he misses the mark, but in 20 years Bradley has not made a beer he wasn’t able to drink or share with friends.

“Don’t share your recipes with everyone, so if you miss something no one will know the difference,” he advised.

Bradley Daniels: A laid-back, self-proclaimed hippie who enjoys life. What more is there?

“I’m gonna make beer. I’m gonna make food. I’m gonna go camping with friends… Peace and love – I’m from a sixties childhood – it’s pretty simple.”

Shawn is homebrewer that I have been trying to photograph for a while now, but our schedules never seemed to match up. We were finally able to meet up for a brew day a couple weekends ago. Unfortunately, Jess couldn’t make it out, that pesky thing called work got in the way. We are planning on going back at the end of month so Jess can talk to Shawn and we can taste the beer he was brewing that day. In the mean time I’ll talk a little bit about the beer he was brewing and what he has on tap at the moment.

Our day started early, 7 a.m. early. I know that doesn’t sound particularly bad, but when you get done with work at 2 a.m. it feels early. I knew I was in the right place when I saw the beer flags flying in the front yard. I found Shawn in the garage already brewing. He filled me in on what he was making, which was a Belgian Wit Beer spiced with coriander, grains of paradise and bitter orange peel. This was a particularly special batch as it was being brewed as an anniversary gift for his wife. The last time he made this beer was for his wedding reception.

When I first arrived there were only two taps hooked up, but around 11 or so Shawn hooked up the other two taps and “the bar was officially open.” The first I tasted was his Hard Cider made from raw cider he purchased in Oak Glenn. Generally, I’m not much a cider fan, I tend to find them a bit sweet for my tatste, but I was pleasently surprised with Shawn’s. This was the first cider I’ve tasted that I could drink a full glass of.

Next was the Noonan’s Dortmunder Export. This was a blonde lager brewed in the Dortmunder style using hard water. This was probably my favorite of the day. Shawn brewed it with the help of another homebrewer Scott Bennett, who hosted a homebrew day a couple months back that Jess and I attended.

Next in line was Shawn’s Fullerton Pride. This traditional English Special Bitter was Shawn’s attempt at cloning Fuller’s London Pride. Shawn was trying a couple different levels of carbonation and it was a bit on the low side when I tasted it. He told me he got the carbonation dialed in since and the beer is really smooth now. This particular style has won him regional rounds of the AHA National Homebrew Competition.

The last brew I tasted was his Oli’s Smoked Bock. This traditional Rauch Bier made in the Bamberg style was the first smoked beer I had ever tried and it was fantastic. The smokiness hits you as soon as you pour it from the tap. The smoked flavor comes from Alderwood smoked Munich Malt that Shawn smoked in his backyard. This brew is from 2009, so it has had time to age and smooth out the smoked malt flavor.

With that, enjoy the photos and stay tuned for a proper write up from Jess.

This post is a little different because it is the start of a series within the series. The first homebrewer I photographed, Bradley Daniels told me about a couple that was reopening the Anaheim Brewery. At that point they had a location, but no equipment. I got in touch with the Barbara and Greg Gerovac and they told me to come out and photograph the delivery of their tanks. We will be following the Gerovac’s and the Anaheim Brewery’s journey as they reopen a historic brewery.

Photography by Brian Evans

Written by Jessica Cartie

Whoever said the Eighteenth Amendment to the United State Constitution, better known as Prohibition, was a good idea, had clearly never tasted the goodness that is craft beer. For nearly 14 years – from January 1920 until December 1933 – the production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages were made illegal. Because of this so-called “noble experiment,” the famous Anaheim Brewery was forced to drain its taps and close its doors in 1920.

Nearly 120 years later, the Anaheim Brewery is making its comeback. Long-time brewers Greg and Barbara Gerovac set out to re-establish the brewery and have been working with Anaheim’s Redevelopment Agency to preserve the Packard Building within the Historic District.

“We’re bringing back the brand,” said Greg referring to the famous Anaheim Beer.

 Impeccable timing to do so as craft beer becomes increasingly popular. According to CraftBeer.com, while U.S. beer sales were down in the first half of 2010, the craft brewing industry was up. Perhaps American tastes are changing. Nielsen Company research confirms beer drinkers are shifting to more robust beer styles. Plus, Information Resources show seasonal beers as being one of the top-selling craft beer categories. The craft beer scene is on the rise, and the Anaheim Brewery is ready to join it.

When the doors are finally re-opened, locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy a pint or two in the 700-square-foot tasting room and beer garden. Within the tasting room, patrons will be able watch their beer being brewed while they sit at the antique wooden bar, previously from the “legendary” Covered Wagon saloon in downtown Anaheim, popular in the 1970s and closed in 2002. 

 “We want to celebrate the rich history of Anaheim,” said Greg. Barbara added, “It’s modern, but it has a sense of history and the beer is good.”

With that, the couple has decided the first brew will be Anaheim 1888, a California Common beer. California Commons, originally known as steam beer, came to be during the California gold rush in the late 1800s. Anaheim 1888, copper-colored and full-bodied, is the brewery’s flagship beer.

The Anaheim Brewery will also be featuring Anaheim Gold, a light-bodied golden ale; Anaheim Red, an Irish-style, full-bodied pale ale; and Anaheim Hefeweizen, a traditional German-style wheat beer. Each is between 4.5 to 6% ABV, which means they should pass the “Three Beer Test.” According to Greg and Barbara, they have adopted from a friend the three beer test, which says an individual should be able to enjoy three beers and still be able to safely make it home. Sounds good, right?

After the grand opening in late May, the tasting room will open its doors Friday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Take home a six-pack, growler or keg to enjoy Anaheim Beer from home. Plus, Anaheim Beer will also be available in local restaurants, hotels and bars.

Before any tasting happens, however, Greg and Barbara have a few more things to get done. The next three steps are dry wall (which should be done by now), painting and sealing the floors. Once all the construction is complete, brewing begins in late April where the 20-barrel brewhouse featuring three old-world style copper kettles and modern stainless steel tanks will be put to the test. 

With everything is falling into place, Greg and Barbara reminisced over the time prior to securing a location for the brewery. They would drive by interesting looking buildings and say “Wouldn’t that be a cool brewery.” Four years into the process, the Anaheim Brewery is months away from opening its doors. Not only will the Anaheim Brewery bring richness to the city, but soon the same company that developed The LAB in Costa Mesa will build up shops and restaurants to conjoin with the brewery centered by a beautiful terrace.

“This kind of project is going to change everything,” said Greg. “It will make downtown Anaheim more vibrant and alive.”

Barbara gave it an interesting comparison, “It’s like fresh bread from a bakery… it’s so good because it’s so fresh!”

We would have to agree… and we can’t wait to try the first pint!

 Until then, the Gerovacs continue to work on preparations and look forward to opening the Anaheim Brewery doors very soon. To connect with the Anaheim Brewery visit www.anaheimbrewery.com, follow their blog at www.anaheimbrewery.wordpress.com, or find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/anaheimbrewery 

Brian and I will continue to follow them as the grand opening approaches… so stay tuned here as well!

Barbara Gerovac looking on as the first tank is moved off the truck.

Greg Gerovac waiting to stand up the first tank.

Tank number 1 in and upright.

Tank number 2 going in.

16 tanks to go.

The first time I visited Anaheim Brewery was February 7, 2011. Jess and I went back a week or so ago to photograph their progess and talk to the Genovacs about the brewery. The brewery is coming along great and is going to be incredible when it is finished. Here are a few photos of the progress. All tanks in.