After years of hard work, brewing professionally and at home I truly believe to become a master craftsman you have to not only understand the science behind the craft, but also demonstrate the science through rigorous practice. Whether a carpenter, mason, baker, butcher, farmer or any other craftsman you have to put in the time to develop rhythms while working. Similar to when learning to play an instrument and you develop muscle memory to move your fingers into chord shapes. Getting lost in your work is one of the greatest feelings here on earth. When you find yourself with care only to the task at hand. This can only be done once you've logged enough hours at the task until you're doing much of the work without thinking about it; allowing you to perfect the process. It's not just the brew day that is the craft either; racking, bottling, kegging, are all parts of the process that must be mastered.
Craft is something you can feel and taste. Dinner at a great restaurant feels different than dinner at Denny's. Chefs aren't born with great knife skills, they have to earn it. Give three different level chefs the same recipe you will have noticeable differences in the final plate. I think the same is true in brewing. The hands that make something means something. The only way to improve is through repetition.
After
Now for some numbers. Over the last seven years I've brewed 202 batches at home. I started this blog in 2009 and have 158 posts. Few posts are about something other than a batch of beer, so about 75% of my brewing history is on this blog.
American style Amber ale: Pale malt, Vienna malt, Crystal 120, Melanoidin Malt, Weyermann Carahell, VT grown flaked barley. Bramling Cross for bittering. Challenger for flavor. Cascade at end of boil and a small dry hop. Fermented with American Ale yeast Safale US-05.
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