Age: 57
How long have you been a Baron? Since 2008
What style do you brew most often? I always have an Amber Ale on tap as friends and neighbors like that one. I also like to have a Pale Ale on tap.
What got you into brewing? I got into brewing because of David Glazewski. We work together and he brought some homebrew to a company picnic and I thought it was awesome.
How often do you brew? I brew when my supply starts to run low, maybe 4 to 5 times a year. I usually do 10 gallon batches. Unless it is a high gravity brew, then only 5 gallons because my mash tun is too small. I don’t brew as often as I would like to, not enough people come over to drink my beers. Especially in the summer. During Packer season a lot more gets consumed at Packer parties than during the rest of the year. I wish I knew people that liked to drink beer. If anyone knows somebody like that I’m willing to share. 😉
Do you brew solo or with other people? I am a solo brewer, sometimes I have somebody to come over to watch and drink beer while I brew.
What is your favorite style and why? I don’t know if I have a favorite style. I do like Belgians, Stouts, Porters, Pale and IPAs. It depends on what I am in the mood for. I enjoy most styles of beer, mead, cider, wine, whiskey, brandy, schnapps, and Aqua Velva anything with alcohol. I am of German and Irish ancestry, enough said.
What is your favorite brewery and why? Omergang, Tyranena, Lakefront, Founders, and New Holland
What is your commmercial to homebrew consumption ratio? 1 to 1 or close to it.
Have you ever entered a competition? The competitions that I have entered were State Fair in 2010, I won 1st place for a Oktoberfest, 1st place for Best of the German beer categories and was runner up for best of show. Even though my beer was an ale not a lager. I won a silver medal in the Midwinter Comp.; I think it was 2011 for a pale ale. And just recently I won 1st place for my Hefeweizen, that beer also took best of show. I was very surprised, that is a beer style that does not seem to win best of show very often.
What has been your favorite Baron meeting? Besides the November Belgian nights, I enjoy when we have knowledgeable speakers, whether they are commercial or a Baron i.e. Dave Campbell’s talk about some of his gadgets.
What is your day job? My vocation is machinist. I have been working as a machinist since I was a sophomore in high school. I currently work for a contract machine shop. We machine a variety of products from aerospace, mining, oil exploration, food production equipment and the rollers that make M&M’s, Skittles and Reese’s Pieces.