# My Day At The Vlb



## Whistlingjack (9/1/07)

The first day.

Introduction to the course.

First lecture...Barley(varieties, quality, supply) Only scratched the surface here.

Next up...brewery arithmetics. Can you calculate the volume of a cylindroconical vessel?

In the afternoon...technical aspects of malting. How much active water is allowed in the grain during storage (dormancy)? What is the angle of repose for malted barley?

After the day was done...free beer and a feed.

Of course you are only going to get snippets of info here. There is so much more content...

Stay tuned for more instalments...


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## blackbock (9/1/07)

Wow WJ,

I am totally green with envy! Which course are you undertaking and how long does it go for?

(I am assuming that the VLB you are is the Versuch- und Lehranstalt fr Brauerei (Brewing) and NOT the Verzeichnis Lieferbarer Bcher (Librarians)!)

;-)


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## Whistlingjack (9/1/07)

Just started the five month course.

Its quite intense, so far but the lecturers are very good and the subject matter is easy to follow.

And, yes it is the Versuchs- und Lehranstalt Fr Brauerei course... :super:


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## Whistlingjack (9/1/07)

Just as an afterthought...

I got a copy of Technology Brewing and Malting by Wolfgang Kunze signed by the author... :beerbang:


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## pint of lager (9/1/07)

Looking forward to more instalments. 

I hope you have access to the net every night during your course.


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## Finite (9/1/07)

awesome mate, keep us updated...


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## Whistlingjack (10/1/07)

Day Two

More on barley and malting. How can you tell if the barley is suitable for malting? Why is the grain with the thin, wrinkled husk better?

Chemistry. Basic elements, molecules and compounds. Gonna have to work on this one. The important stuff is looming...

Water. Just an introduction today. We'll go into intricate details of water chemistry, treatment, brewery requirements and waste water.

Energy. How much energy do you need to bring 100hl of wort from 70C to 100C? What is the expected temperature loss through convection in a steam heated stainless steel mash tun?

Checked out the 200litre pilot brewery at lunch today. Very nice. More on this later.

To be continued...


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## Whistlingjack (12/1/07)

Days Three and Four

Microbiology. Theory and practical work. Looked at various organisms and granular material. The saccharomyces yeast is the same size as a human red blood cell.

After lunch we went on a tour of the Brauhaus Mitte. Free beer and a feed of schweinehaxen, sauerkraut and potatoes. More free beer. 

This is why I couldn't get to my PC last night.

Today, feeling a little seedy but got down to an introduction to Chemical-technical analysis. 

Followed by more lectures on malting technology and the biochemistry of malting. Name five amino acids present in barley malt.

Then into a lecture on hops. What is the total alpha acid deficit for the 2006 hop harvest?

Process control engineering. Automation of the brewery

After lunch, a lecture from the CEO of Warsteiner brewery group. Interesting guy presenting management principles and ideas.

No beer today


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## Zwickel (12/1/07)

gday brewing mates,

its a very nice report WJ, keep on telling us...

if someone likes to know more about the location: http://www.vlb-berlin.org/cms/front_conten...mp;changelang=2

Cheers WJ, Ill meet you in Berlin soon


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## Whistlingjack (13/1/07)

Day Five (where did that week go??)

A half day today spent in the laboratory. We used acid and alkali bases and indicators to determine levels of calcium and magnesium present in samples of brewing water.

Took a bit of trial and error and the help of the tutors, but I eventually got my head around it.

Look forward to seeing you again, Zwickel. You may be happy to learn that we have found an apartment in Tiergarten, only 1.5km from the VLB.


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## Whistlingjack (13/1/07)

No school today, but I thought I'd introduce one of my classmates.

He is from Latvia and has never seen Australia or tasted our swill. Check out what he's wearing!


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## Doc (13/1/07)

Hey WJ,

Awesome to hear you getting into the course.
I'm guessing you are doing this one:



> *Certified Brewmaster Course*
> This training course for prospective brewers starts every year in Januars in Berlin. All lessons are held entirely in English. The course provides the basic knowledge for the technical management of a brewery. The total duration is 5 months including a lot of practical work in our laboratories.



And that is a mean trick to play on your classmate 

Keep the posts coming, and I'd love to see pictures of the pilot plant when you get on it.

Beers,
Doc


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## Whistlingjack (13/1/07)

Thanks, Doc

I am doing the five-month course. 

And I did get my classmate's permission to post his photo. He was really amused when I described the beer to him.  

"What method of filtration? Cat's kidneys? Really?" :blink:


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## tangent (13/1/07)

this is awesome, please keep posting if you have time.
(more photos, more photos)


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## Whistlingjack (19/1/07)

Hello fellow brewers.

My posts will be a little sporadic for a while. I moved into a new apartment and I'm waiting for the internet to be connected. I can only get online at the institute, in between study.

Anyway, this week it seems we are down to business. The material is becoming more in-depth. The subjects are starting to overlap and processes are becoming more clear. 

We have learned how to balance chemical equations and how to calculate the weight of molecules, how the enzymes act on glucose molecules in the malting process, the intricacies of hop oils and resins and much, much more.

Tomorrow is another day in the lab playing with densitometers and pycnometers.

The beer of course is still flowing cheaply and we now have some time at lunch breaks to sample the local brews. :chug:


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## Zwickel (19/1/07)

Hi WJ,
will you still be in Berlin at this time: http://www.bierfestival-berlin.de/index.php?idcat=4 ???


Cheers mate :beer:


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## tangent (19/1/07)

oh man, that looks awesome Zwickel. Do you go every year?

WJ, can you describe any prominent beers you've tasted?


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## Zwickel (19/1/07)

tangent said:


> oh man, that looks awesome Zwickel. Do you go every year?


No tangent, this year will be the first time, that Im planning to go there.
People say, its even better than the oktober fest in Munich.

btw: here some informations in english: http://www.berliner-bierfestival.de/index.php?idcat=24

Sorry, WJ, I dont want to hijack your thread.

Cheers


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## Whistlingjack (22/1/07)

No worries, Zwickel.

I'm not sure if we'll be here then. Depends where the job offers are. Might be worth a trip back here though... :beerbang: 

This weekend we went to Green Week at the Berlin ICC. One word...WOW!!!

Hundreds of stalls from all over the world (including Australia), selling food, beer, everything. It runs all this week and the VLB took us there and, you guessed it, more free beer. The size of the place was overwhelming and you'd need three weeks to see it all.

I can't post any pics at the institute, but when I get the internet at home I will.

Classes await...malting technology, brewery arithmetics, economics, chemistry and malting equipment. Mondays are getting very heavy...


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## Simon W (22/1/07)

I am very very very jealous. I've wanted to do what your doing for years, but finances do not allow. Spewin' the ECU course(a poor consolation) is now 1Y full-time and post-grad entry 

If you've never been, and you get the time, I highly recommend getting on the DB to Munich!!!
Oh, and Aying is very nice, the town, the people, the pub and the brewery, not far out of Munich.


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## Whistlingjack (23/1/07)

Thanks for the tips, Simon W.

I too had been wanting this for years.

A few of us went to the Brauhaus Lemke in Charlottenburg, for a session last friday. We tried all their beers and looked over the brewery. I'm amazed by the use of open fermenters in the breweries here.

Their saison bier was called "zwickel"...  

But it wasn't really.


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## Whistlingjack (2/2/07)

Well I finally got the internet into my apartment. Only took two weeks!

Things have been progressing really fast in the course. This week we are malting some grain to use in our brewing assignment. Today we will empty the germination boxes and kiln the green malt.

The first exams are only two and a half weeks away and everyone is cramming.

The hops lectures are really special. We are learning simple (and technical) ways of determining the quality and suitability of each variety. We have had twelve to look at so far. Soon we will be starting a hop garden with sixteen varieties.

Last evening we had free beers at the pilot brewery. This is a monthly event for the staff and students to get rid of the many test brews that are made here. They are very nice too.

Today in the laboratory we are testing malt and barley for such things as extract value and protein content.

The weather is warm again...up to 10C today...


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## Simon W (2/2/07)

yer killin me!


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## Whistlingjack (3/2/07)

Yeah, Simon W,

I find it a withering experience...


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## Whistlingjack (4/2/07)

Some pictures of my new toys.




Lauter tun



Mash tuns for double decoction



Kettle and Merlin



Heat exchanger and plumbing


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## Whistlingjack (6/2/07)

Which week is this?

Things are moving very briskly now.

We finished up on the technical aspects of malting and tomorrow we move to the chemical stuff. 

Maillard reaction? What's that? Well we got told that we will be intimate with it by midday tomorrow.

Chemistry is getting to the end of the essential topics. pH values, acids and bases were the topic today, as well as chemical equilibrium.

Arithmetics broached the subject of extract percentage using Bishop's formula.

Wish now that I hadn't wagged so much school ...  

Well, more free beer tomorrow in the pilot brewery, in exchange for some cleaning.


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## Whistlingjack (6/2/07)

tangent said:


> WJ, can you describe any prominent beers you've tasted?



Just reading this thread again. Sorry I missed your question, tangent.

I'd like to wait until we've done the lectures and practical sessions on sensory analysis.

But suffice to say, I haven't come across anything I didn't like.... :chug:


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## Whistlingjack (8/2/07)

A gruelling week so far.

Chemistry lectures wandered into the realm of quantum mechanics and atomic theory which I think confused everyone except for one person in the room, and that wasn't the lecturer. Don't be concerned, it will be useful later...

Our malt lecturer sprung a surprise exam on us yesterday. So cruel after he promised us we would become intimate with the Maillard reaction. With the proper exams for module one less than two weeks away its a good impression of how much is being absorbed.

The best thing this week was again the hops lectures. The sessions are very practical and today we learnt how to grade hops using the "Hand Evaluation" method. We were also shown some basic methods of identifying varietal differences. I leave the institute on Wednesdays smelling like a hop garden... :super:

Anyway, back to the books

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (10/2/07)

Fridays are fun. We spend half the day in the laboratory doing chemical and technical analysis.

This week we continued our analysis of malt and wort, looking at protein and moisture content, pH, extract value and colour. Next week we look at the viscosity.

Chemie macht spass...

More snow today, but the ground is warm and it melts straight away. With a few more days of low temps and snow, we should get enough for snow angels...


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## voota (12/2/07)

Keep up the reports, great reading.


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## Whistlingjack (12/2/07)

Thanks, voota...

Are you planning any trips to Berlin?

Maybe we could organise an AHB European Chapter get-together.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (13/2/07)

Did I mention before that Mondays are heavy? Today was no exception.

Started with the final phase of our malting lectures, specialty malts. We were given samples (from the best specialty maltster - Weyermann) and invited to use all our senses to distinguish the differences.

Arithmetics involved the calculation of water chemistry. Total hardness, apparent carbonate hardness, residual alkalinity, etc, etc, etc.

Chemistry again explored quantum mechanics and the make-up of the periodic table. The lecturer said last week that we were finished with that...  

After lunch, the last of our lectures in malting plant and equipment.

Study is starting to eat into my drinking time, but I guess that's a good thing...  

WJ


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## Simon W (13/2/07)

Quantum mechanics in a brewing course?! wow.

Just out of interest WJ, what other nationalities are your fellow students? Mostly German or a good mix from all-over?

Simo


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## Whistlingjack (13/2/07)

See if I can remember them all, SimonW...

Japan, Brazil, Italy, Australia (only me), Germany, Turkey, USA, Mexico, Thailand, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Serbia, Latvia.

I think thats the lot...

WJ


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## bonj (13/2/07)

I'm really enjoying your reports WJ. There are a few countries on that list I never would have expected.


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## Whistlingjack (13/2/07)

Thanks, Bonj

Those first four countries, grouped together, look familiar? Think Germany, summer of 2006.

WJ


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## Simon W (15/2/07)

> Those first four countries, grouped together, look familiar?



Yes and I'm still bitter.


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## Whistlingjack (15/2/07)

Water chemistry. I'll never be able to look at a glass of water, boil up my HLT or even take a shower without wondering about the total hardness, residual alkalinity, magnesium content, etc, etc...

Today we also had a microbiology test. We had to identify twelve yeast cultures. I think I got maybe two correct... :huh: 

More chemistry yesterday, to bewilder and confuse! Lectures also on adjuncts. The lecturer keeps saying..."Now I know we aren't allowed to use them here, but we teach an international course!"

But seriously, I have learned so much in the last five weeks, that I wonder how they are going to fill the next fifteen. But all the lecturers tell us that it gets harder!

Thanks to Zwickel, I had some homebrew for the first time since leaving Australia. Very nice too. Thanks again mate!

WJ


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## spog (15/2/07)

bloody good on ya for having a go,as a k/k brewer but still trying to get my ag brewery up and going,there is a huge amount of learning to do to become a shall we say an accredited brewer.well done love the updates.thankyou
so, when you become qualified who will you brew for,or will you come back to oz and start a new brewery so all us hb,ers can bludge off off you  ...cheers...spog.. :beer:


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## Whistlingjack (16/2/07)

Thanks, spog

I'm not too sure what I'll do with the qualification, I have some ideas...  

We're staying on in Germany and I'll get work at a brewery here. I've been toying with the idea of going to North America after that. But Australia is where I want to be so if I do take on a brewery startup, it will be in Oz...

I might even just stick to making beer for myself.

WJ


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## SpillsMostOfIt (16/2/07)

Is there a way I can stop this thread from appearing on my computer screen?

It is making me cry with envy. B)


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## Whistlingjack (16/2/07)

Its not all "beer and skittles", Spills...

Today I have to spend a few hours in the lab testing malt and wort. Then I have to take Zwickel on a tour of the brewery. Tedious...  

Then, if I'm unlucky, the brewmaster will ask us to help dispose of some excess beer.

WJ


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## voota (16/2/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Thanks, voota...
> 
> Are you planning any trips to Berlin?
> 
> ...




I was in Kiel/Lubeck last week, although money is a bit tight at the moment (my account has taken a battering from beer shopping in Copenhagen) so thats my traveling for a while. I Will be riding from Brussels to Bamberg to Berlin with my girlfriend in May and June so if you are around then we could catch up for a beer... I'd love to hear everything about the course, something like that is definitly on my 'to do' list.


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## Whistlingjack (16/2/07)

Hey, voota

The class will be in Bamberg at the end of May visiting the Weyermann maltery (among other things) then back to Berlin. Not sure of exact times and dates, but I'll let you know. 

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (18/2/07)

Well, exams for the first module commence tomorrow and I've spent the weekend cramming. This is a pity, because the weather has been so nice for a change.

First up, raw materials - barley, followed by raw materials - hops. On tuesday we have three exams, malting technology, chemistry and energy. All the lecturers have been trying to gauge our knowledge so they can set the questions fairly, so this past week has been filled with surprise tests and quizzes.

I'm quietly confident that I know the material, but exams worry the sh!t out of me.

We have finished the malt and barley analysis in the lab, for now, so the report and calculations are also there waiting for me. 

Anyway, back to the books...

WJ


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## Slurpdog (18/2/07)

Best of luck with your exams WJ.
I'm really enjoying reading this thread but it makes me envious that I didn't travel in my younger years.
Keep it up WJ, you're certainly living a lot of peoples dreams here.


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## Whistlingjack (18/2/07)

Thanks, Slurpdog

You're never too old. In fact I have a few years on you, young'un... :lol: 

WJ


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## SpillsMostOfIt (18/2/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> You're never too old.



My in-laws are in their mid-seventies and travelling Europe. That's a good start as an illustration...

And to reinforce this, I learnt something last week... No - wait - the week before... Either way, you are probably never too old to learn something in a foreign place.

I'm still envious though.


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## Whistlingjack (19/2/07)

Well, fellow brewers, the day of reckoning has arrived. The first exams are upon us...

Got the usual pre-exam jitters and my stomach won't stop churning. I need a beer!

I did lots of cramming over the weekend, with classmates. The general consensus was that there is so much to know at this level how can they ask us all of it?

Took time out yesterday for a visit to the Karneval street parade. This is crazy stuff!

Anyway, if I haven't jumped off the Westhafen bridge on the way home this arvo, I let you know how it went.

WJ


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## Doc (19/2/07)

Good luck with the exams Whistlingjack.
If you have studied all weekend, you will do fine.

Beers,
Doc


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## Whistlingjack (19/2/07)

Thanks, Doc...

The answers are in my head somewhere. Just got to get them onto the paper...

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (20/2/07)

Two down, three to go...

I think I did OK on both the exams today. I felt good about the barley but I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't remember more of what I'd read on the hops. All the weird names of the hop oils threw me a bit.. 

Why couldn't the guys who first isolate the components think about the students who are going to eventually study them and give them simple names? I won't tell you what I wrote, but I'm sure the marker will acknowledge the effort and maybe give some marks for the comic relief... :lol: 

Oh well, back to the books. The worst is to come tomorrow!

WJ


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## Simon W (20/2/07)

You'll be fine with the exams WJ, I'm sure the marking would take into account the tough names. I'd say theyre more interested in whether you know which is which and not their spelling.



> Took time out yesterday for a visit to the Karneval street parade. This is crazy stuff!



It is! I caught karnival purely by accident in Munich.
For days Munich had been pretty standard crowd wise, just like any city. But one day I had been out of town, came back on the train and decided to get off the subway at MarienPlatz station. I started walking up the stairs and was wondering what all the noise was about, the sound of a million voices and what sounded like bombs or something. Got to ground level and was greeted with what looked like a million people, most dressed up in costume and lots of big drums beating. Almost impossible to move around. Kinda like Royal Show crowds, thick!. It was one hell of a surprise.
I have never been to the Oktoberfest, but I reckon the locals party harder for this. Very few tourists being winter(March).

Simo


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## Whistlingjack (21/2/07)

Well. that's it. All done and dusted. First module down!

Did ok on the malting exam, energy wasn't too bad but chemistry was a killer! All those equations and definitions...

Hey SimonW, they do party hard for Karneval. Monday was a half-day holiday for most workplaces here.

Anyway, we're off to the nearest Gastatte to let off some steam over a few beers.... :chug:  

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (22/2/07)

...and a good time was had by all. Out for a few beers at a local restaurant/bar then a kebab for dinner (these are really special in Berlin) and on to another nearby brewpub. This was the nicest one yet!

We have had more luck finding good beer in these out-of-the-way brewpubs. The larger ones have ok beer, but these smaller ones are far better. Two examples are Brauhaus Markus in Mitte and Eschenbrau in Wedding. The latter is run by a VLB graduate... :super: 

Of course, the classes don't stop during exam time so we have been getting the usual microbiology, brewery arithmetics, water treatment, etc, etc.

The best part is, I can relax a little and not feel guilty about drinking beer rather than studying. Wait, my 75% average for exams has proven I can do both...  

WJ

This message has been brought to you courtesy of the makers of Berliner Pilsner.


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## Whistlingjack (23/2/07)

Well thats it for the first module. 

Our main lecturer, Burghard Meyer, says that the content from now on will be much harder and we should think about studying for our next exams from next week. 

I agree. The material in the manuals is looking very complicated and I reckon that the beer/study equation needs to be refined...  

Some hard work coming up, but who said that brewing beer was easy?

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (24/2/07)

Yesterday was lab day again. The subject was measurement of Free Amino Nitrogen in wort and beer.

Got out before lunch so I took the subway into the Ku Damm (central shopping area) for a look around. Masses of people out despite the freezing conditions.

This weekend will be a mixture of sight-seeing and light study. I think I need to get ahead of the material by getting back into pre-reading.

Nice weather today, so my wife and I are off to Kpenick to look at the old town.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (27/2/07)

Well, the final results of module one exams are in. Chemistry let me down and I have to do a make-up test on it.

Today we started lectures on where the real action is...the brewhouse... :super: 

The first series is about milling. I didn't think it was so involved. All those grist fractions and sieve values. But it makes sense.

We also had more lectures in water treatment, finished up chemistry (ugh) and started on biochemistry (I don't mind this bit, seeing its used in my "other profession").

I've started a more formal study routine and some different note-taking methods for this module. I'll see if this works better.

WJ

Ps Found a stubbie of XXXX the other day, so I bought it for my classmate to go with his sweatshirt. Its brewed in Italy!


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## Whistlingjack (1/3/07)

Today we spent more time at the microscope looking at some of the nasty beer spoilage bacteria. The odours of these were quite familiar... :unsure: 

On the same tack, we had a lecture from Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank-Jrgen Methner, the chair of brewing science at the Technischen Universitt, Berlin. This is closely associated with the VLB. He also talked about beer spoilage bacteria and some of the problems encountered.

Tomorrow is the first Thursday of the month and that means...free beer at the pilot brewery... :chug: 

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (5/3/07)

Today was the day!

Up before dawn, a brisk walk through the chilly Berlin streets to the VLB pilot brewery. Yes, today was brewday... :beerbang: 

We milled 30kg of grain and mashed in at 0700hrs. We produced 150 litres of a pilsner-style beer which will be exhaustively tested for all parameters and then disposed of in the only right way. I will ask for my share in bottles...  

A long day, topped off with a kebab for lunch (love these things) and a look at the Berlin Crocodiles AFL team's intra-club scratch match.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (6/3/07)

Back to earth with a thud... <_< 

Not so bad, though. Lectures today were on mashing, brewhouse equipment and the best one...sensory evaluation. Our first session was testing our taste buds. No beer yet, just determining our thresholds.

We will get two sessions per week.

Fermentation is coming along nicely.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (12/3/07)

Well, our beer is coming along wery well indeed. On Friday, we did some more tests for FAN, turbidity, bitter substances and extract value. All is good except the FAN is a little low.

This weekend has been spent mainly working on the report for our malting project. Tables, graphs, calculations, etc, etc Today a few of us took time out for some sightseeing and a visit to yet another brewpub, the Spandau Brauhaus. (Looked for the ballet, but couldn't find it...  )

They had a very nice Mrzen on tap and the Caspar-Schultz brewhouse was on display in all its glory.

Tomorrow the class heads off on a road trip to the 94th International Brewing and Engineering Congress  in Bad Kreuznach. So no classes for three days and a lot of contacts to be made.

See ya in a few days... :beer: 

WJ


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## Zwickel (12/3/07)

ahhhh....in the Domina Parkhotel.....what a promisingly denomination  

Nomen est Omen


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## Doc (12/3/07)

Sounds like you are feeling at home WJ. Beer, conferences and AFL(G) 
You mentioned Marzen in your last post. Must be time for me to brew one ready for October, Oktoberfest. Inspirational posts as always.

Beers,
Doc


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## Whistlingjack (12/3/07)

Thanks Doc,

I don't know about feeling at home. Zwickel, or anyone else who has lived in Berlin, will tell you it can be a very unsettling place. I'm really looking forward to getting out into the countryside.

You are right though, the beer is good (and cheap), there's lots of things to keep us occupied and they have an AFL team... :super: 

WJ

PS Zwickel, your platz Deutsch is getting confusing...


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## Whistlingjack (15/3/07)

Arrived back in Berlin late last night after three days of presentations, food and beer. 

So many highlights to mention, but the best would have to have been the visit to the KHS plant just outside Bad Kreuznach. One word...mindblowing! These guys know how to make stuff.

Another highlight was a visit to the home of bock beer, Einbecker Brewery. A tour of the brewery, lunch in their cellar and lots of bock to wash it down. They also gave us a few cases to drink on the bus trip.

Anyway, lots of study to catch up on. The class voted for a day off to recover.

WJ


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## bonj (15/3/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Anyway, lots of study to catch up on. The class voted for a day off to recover.



Sounds like an awesome trip. I support your vote for a day off!


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## tangent (16/3/07)

more photos....anything!
streets, beer, chicks, beer porn...


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## Whistlingjack (16/3/07)

tangent said:


> more photos....anything!
> streets, beer, chicks, beer porn...



Ok...just a couple.







WJ


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## Whistlingjack (17/3/07)

Back to school and into the lab to do some hops analysis. Nothing much other than alpha- and beta-acid fractions using two different methods. The lab smelled wonderful...  

Another picture from the Einbecker brewhouse showing the test bench. They were lautering while we were there.




WJ


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## bonj (17/3/07)

That looks like something from a mad scientist's secret lair.


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## Whistlingjack (21/3/07)

Well, half way point and back to regular classes again but I'm enjoying working my way through the brewhouse, so to speak.

We have finished mashing, the lautering is done, now it's on to the boil. Everything is starting to make sense again, after getting my head around some complicated concepts. Today we also started the most interesting phase of biochemistry...the carbohydrates.

I found myself ahead of time with my current assignments last Sunday, so Mrs WJ and I went to Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin. This place is massive. We spent six hours there and had to hurry through some of the exhibits to get out before closing time. Definitely will be going back. 

My favourite exhibit? Just look through the links and I think you'll find it...  It even has a coolship!

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (22/3/07)

Microbiology today and we have learnt how to make agar and do quadrant spreading of bacteria and yeast. We also did gram staining and membrane filtration.

Hit the library again this afternoon to do some research. You wouldn't believe their collection of brewing journals, in all languages. Lots of books on every aspect of beer making.

On a personal note, Mrs WJ and I took possession of a small car to enable us to take some trips out of the city. With Easter coming up, everyone is planning their holidays. We are thinking of driving to Prague. Can't wait. 

WJ

Ps The real reason for getting a car is to transport cases of beer from the supermarket...


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## Whistlingjack (27/3/07)

Mondays come so quickly these days. 

Last Friday we did more malt analysis including iodine normality, thiobarbiturate number (TBI) and total polyphenols of wort and beer. Today it was back to the classroom to finish off the boil, revision for water chemistry and sensory analysis. We were given tubes with samples of some nasty (and pleasant) aroma compounds.

Now I can really identify some off smells. DMS, caproic acid, butyric acid, etc. I have a slight headcold, but this didn't impair the olfactory senses...peww! (lucky I'd already eaten my cheese sandwich for morning tea... :blink: )

On the weekend, we went for a short drive to Poland, taking an American couple with us. What a difference in living standards. The part that we saw (not Warsaw...  ) was very much rundown and neglected. 

Everything was cheaper there, though. There were quite a few markets happening where you could buy just about anything for a quarter of the price. We had lunch at a fairly nice bistro where a filet steak cost me around $AUD10.00. Nice, too. Not the beer though.

Anyway, got a major assignment due this week so back to the grindstone.

WJ


----------



## Whistlingjack (30/3/07)

We are now hops farmers. :super: 

The class took the day out in the beautiful spring sunshine and after a great team effort (and a few beers) a hops garden was built in the grounds of the VLB. We planted 16 or so rhizomes of different varieties. Just waiting now for some action.

Classes continue as usual. My report on the malting project is in, so the pressure is relieved a little. Still lots of material to get through. The brewing technology lectures have progressed to wort treatment after the boil. 

Chemistry is moving along and starting to tie in with sensory analysis. Identifying flavour compounds and their origins.

The weather has been magnificent over the last few days. A few of us went to soak up some sunshine and atmosphere at Cafe am Neuen See in Tiergarten the other day. One of the largest biergartens in Berlin. The weizen and sunshine went to our heads and we ended up at yet another brewpub, Brewbaker.

Well, more lab work today and afterward our, now regular, friday gathering at Eschenbrau brewery in Wedding.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (3/4/07)

The trub has been separated, the cast out wort cooled and aerated and now its time to add the yeast. 

Yes fellow brewers, its fermentation time... :beerbang: 

This may seem that the work is almost done, but there is much more complicated stuff to learn. Today we were reintroduced to the brewer's friend, saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the following weeks we'll learn all his little tricks and magic on the way to the final product.

I will include a quote taken from our manual (thanks Burghard) It seems to sum it all up.

*Five Laws of Applied Microbiology in Biotechnology*

1. The microorganism is always right, your friend and a sensitive partner.
2. There are no stupid microorganisms.
3. Microorganisms can and will do anything.
4. Microorganisms are smarter, wiser, more energetic than chemists, engineers and others.
5. If you take care of your microbial friends, they will take care of your future.​
D. Perlmann, 1980​
The biochemistry lectures have begun in ernest, looking at the base molecular structures of nucleotides. This is complicated stuff. We sat our water chemistry exam yesterday. Not too hard, but I've said that before... :blink: 

Last Sunday Mrs WJ and I and a couple of friends took a drive to Potsdam. A very elegant place with many castles, parks and lakes. We wanted to visit the Meierei but it was too crowded to even get in there. (Sorry, no translation on the link, but you should be able to get a little out of it)

Anyway, off to the shops to stock up for Easter.

WJ


----------



## lucas (3/4/07)

Thanks WJ, I'm enjoying reading about your studies. sounds like great fun!


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## Whistlingjack (5/4/07)

That week flew past! We've had short days, getting out by 1300hrs each day.

We are well and truly into the fermentation and learning about the influences of higher aliphatic alcohols. Finished with brewing arithmetics ahead of the exam next week. Today we had our first beer tasting in sensory analysis... :beerbang: 

There's no action yet in the hops garden, but anyday now.

Off early again today, so its home for a rest, then off to the pub tonight with a large group from the class. Tomorrow, if we can get the right car insurance documents (a real saga), Mrs WJ and I will head out early to Prague and the land of cheap(er) beer... :chug: 

So, I hope you all have a happy and safe Easter, and the beer doesn't run out...

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (10/4/07)

Well, back to school today and more lectures about vicinal diketones and formation of esters in the fermentation process. Biochemistry is into the intricacies of nucleotides and their role in protein synthesis. We also had a mock brewing arithmetics exam today (my brain hurts... :blink: )

The hops garden is coming along, with some sprouting happening.

Mrs WJ and I spent Easter in Czech Republic (the insurance papers arrived) sampling a bit of history, food and of course, beer. I could not believe the prices! Roughly $AUD1.50 for 0.5 litres of the best Czech pilsners over the bar, or $AUD0.50 per 0.5l bottle in the supermarket!

We found a (very) small brewpub in the centre of Prague that had a coolship. They said its not in use anymore and they brew to more modern standards. Obviously not good for infections.



Coolship



Mashtun and lautertun



Open fermentation casks

Anyway, got some study to do for this exam on Thursday.

WJ

Edited to correct exchange error on the beer price. Still cheap.


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## bonj (11/4/07)

Awesome pictures! Love the little jars of malt and hops.


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## facter (11/4/07)

Woah.

I just read this entire thread. I hate you, I love what you are doing, god damn I wish I could do it - I think if I start saving now I could do it in 2010 hahaha


Seriously though, what an amazing experience. Ive now found a definite education goal 

keep us up to date mate!


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## Whistlingjack (13/4/07)

That's it for the second module, one more to go...

Yesterday we had our brewing arithmetics exam. No more calculations of hops isomerisation, CCT volumes, extract content, malting losses, etc etc. We also did our first triangular tasting test of beer in sensory analysis. The lecturer added some ethanol to one of three samples of the same beer. When he told us about the test, we were afraid that he was going add DMS, or butyric acid or something just as nasty... :unsure: 

The weather is getting very nice and after classes yesterday the staff and students gathered around several kegs of beer outside the cafeteria. I saw two kegs being changed during the evening... :chug: 

Today in the lab, we tested beer for alcohol content using the distillation method. Man, did that lab smell terrible, especially for those of us who woke feeling a bit seedy this morning!

Just gonna catch up on some sleep now...

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (18/4/07)

The hops are powering along now. There are a couple that haven't started yet, though. The weather here has been warm and sunny.

This week we started on the topic of cold processing. We've also touched on the subjects of yeast propagation, cell metabolism and packaging. Our test brews are filtered now and after some lab tests this friday, we can start drinking them...  

The VLB has the job of testing the one litre glass steins used in the Oktoberfest. They make sure that they are durable and can withstand the constant punishment of the "Trinkspruch" The upshot of this is that the ones that make it are given to the students to take home... :beer:

We had little time to rest from our studies after the end of Module 2. There are lab reports due, brewing reports to be done, revision of material, etc, etc 

Back to the grindstone.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (20/4/07)

I've just spent all morning in the laboratory testing our beer and I have to say it looks good. The style is a traditional German pils. The mash was infusion only (without specialty malts) and hopped with Hallertau Merkur and Spalter Select. Fermentation was with a bottom fermenting strain developed at the VLB.

I'll post some of the results and you can test your research skills and interpret them.

Alcohol - 4.25%ABV
Colour - 5.4EBC
pH - 4.3
Free amino nitrogen - 122mg/l
Bitter value - 20BU
Foam stability - 130
CO2 - 5.53g/l
Total polyphenols - 95ppm
Original extract - 11.05%

Some are outside the optimum ranges, but not by much. Oh, and it tastes pretty good.

The rest of the week has been more lectures on the technical side of filling and packaging. Lots of formulae and specifications for each type of package.

Well its back to the report at hand to evaluate and compare the four beers.

WJ


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## InCider (20/4/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> I've just spent all morning in the laboratory testing our beer and I have to say it looks good. The style is a traditional German pils. The mash was infusion only (without specialty malts) and hopped with Hallertau Merkur and Spalter Select. Fermentation was with a bottom fermenting strain developed at the VLB.
> 
> I'll post some of the results and you can test your research skills and interpret them.
> 
> ...


Whistling Jack, 

I've just re-read the thread the umpteenth time - too cool for school!  

I love the updates, and I hope you don't ever forget to tell us what's going on. The last post was a bit beyond me as I don't even use a thermometer as I have the force.

Cheers,

Sean.


----------



## Whistlingjack (24/4/07)

This week started with the wonderful topic - treatment of brewery waste water.We learnt about COD, BOD5, TOC,etc etc. Quite an interesting subject when you get down to it.

More brewing technology, the role of zinc in yeast metabolism and the exploration of different fermentation vessels. Packaging focussed on PET and PEN bottles. I had no idea of how many different types there are!

Sensory analysis today and the lecturer gave us beer with isoamyl acetate (banana flavour), diacetyl and DMS all in large concentrations... :blink: 

As reported in another thread, there was a party at the pilot brewery last night and everyone had bock coming out of their ears. Courtesy of a section of the class, I now know what bock means in Turkish...  

All partygoers were asked to bring food or beer. Mrs WJ made some lamingtons which went down a treat.

Well more work on the brewing assignment.

WJ


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## Stuster (25/4/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Courtesy of a section of the class, I now know what bock means in Turkish...



:lol: 

Ah, yes, nothing like having a big bock.


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## Whistlingjack (27/4/07)

Microbiology lab has been quite interesting lately. We've spent the past weeks looking for contaminants in process water, tank beer and fermenting wort. Needless to say, we've found plenty thanks to the doctoring (pun intended) by the microbiology professor.

So far, I've found enterococci, Escherichia coli (I hope that was a laboratory colony :blink: ), lactobacillus, pichia (wild yeast) and several strains of fungi and molds. Not to mention our old friend saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In cold processing, the topic has been pipe and tank materials and what makes them corrode. Also pumps, hoses and fluid dynamics. Brewing technology lectures have just left fermentation. This was, in my opinion, the most complex aspect of the brewing process.

Tomorrow, we have the last of our chemical-technical analysis labs, looking at sulphur dioxide, vicinal diketones (diacetyl) and proof of pasteurisation. 

Another four day weekend coming up and Mrs WJ and I are heading to the Baltic islands. That and some more study and work on the major assignment.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (3/5/07)

Those four-day weekends sure relax one! The island of Rgen off the Baltic coast is just one big tourist trap, though. Not too crowded yet because of the cool weather. 

The thing I did observe closely while driving in the countryside was the vast acreage of canola planted for biofuels. No wonder the European spring barley supplies are dropping each year. They should be planting barley!

Back to the lab today for the continuing saga of beer-spoilage microorganisms. Today we evaluated previous cultures and got some more going to test the purity and type of yeast in starters. Packaging continues with the concept of aseptic filling and labelling techniques.

The brewing project continues to its climax and we now have the results of the exhaustive testing that was done. My group turned in a pretty good brew by the standards. Good news today is that the brewmaster at the pilot brewery is going to let some of us make a special beer (of our design) for consumption at the farewell party!... :beerbang: 

Must get back into the assignment, its getting bigger than Ben Hur!

WJ


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## Uncle Fester (3/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> This week started with the wonderful topic - treatment of brewery waste water.We learnt about COD, BOD5, TOC,etc etc. Quite an interesting subject when you get down to it.
> 
> More brewing technology, the role of zinc in yeast metabolism and the exploration of different fermentation vessels. Packaging focussed on PET and PEN bottles. I had no idea of how many different types there are!
> 
> ...



WJ,
I hope you got to have a "special" beer with your Turkish compatriot on ANZAC day?

Fess.


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## Whistlingjack (3/5/07)

Uncle Fester said:


> I hope you got to have a "special" beer with your Turkish compatriot on ANZAC day?



The irony, although its lost on these guys (and gals), is that they work for a very large brewery which produces Foster's under licence.

They are great people and some of them have ties to Australia.

WJ

Ps. No we didn't get to have a beer together on that day, but we've had many already...


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## Whistlingjack (6/5/07)

Chemical lab is into revision mode at the moment with some more practice in water analysis. With the final exams approaching, its time for some full-on study. So much ground covered in all the subjects!

The hops garden is progressing well with all but three rhizomes making the cut. Some are over head high now. 

The Brewmaster is pondering our request for the use of his brewhouse for next weekend and in the meantime one of the microbiologists is preparing a yeast starter for us. I think we may be making either an Altbier or an APA (the preference of the USA contingent). There is a very good range of malt and hops at our disposal.

The report is going great guns, so time out yesterday for some recreation. Down to the park to watch the Berlin Crocodiles AFL team's first home game of the season against the Rheinland Lions. Not the result the boys would have desired, but they have a lot of fun.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (10/5/07)

Classes are moving along now as the lecturers try to finish up the material before exam time. Yesterday we had the last of our practical sessions in microbiology before two weeks of testing. Tomorrow is also the last day in chemistry lab.

The lectures in brewing technology covered the subject of fitration and colloidal stability. Alll those compounds, trans-2-nonenal, ethyl-3-methyl butyrate, etc etc :blink: 

This weekend a few of us will go into the pilot brewery and make a special beer to be served at the graduation party. We only have three weeks to get it on tap, so I came up with a simple Altbier recipe using Weyermann malts, Hallertau Magnum and Spalter and the yeast cultured in the mcro lab. 

There will be a BBQ and a quantity of beer to consume. You're all invited!... :beerbang: 

More school today and time to finish ny brewing assignment.

WJ


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## lucas (10/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> You're all invited!:beerbang:


*hops on a plane to germany*


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## bonj (10/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> You're all invited!... :beerbang:



I'll be there!  :lol:


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## Whistlingjack (14/5/07)

Brewday on saturday went really well. We had about fifteen people turn up and lend a hand. Our brewing plans were changed at the last minute and we ended up with a wheat beer. Not complaining about that!

There was lots to eat and drink, including some Raki. Not sure about this stuff, interesting taste.

The rest of the weekend was spent tapping out my final brewing assignment. Thank goodness thats done. This week will be mostly finalising the lectures and we have practical exams in microbiology and chemical-technical analysis.

Classes as normal today...

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (15/5/07)

Well, the last day of classes today, ahead of ten days of examinations...but what a way to end it!

The lectures in brewing technology covered the topic of special beers. How to make them, where they are made and of course what they taste like. The lecturer brought in samples of different beers which we all had the chance to taste. 

Only problem was, the lecture was from 8am to 10 am. Most of the class were pretty wasted at the end. I've made a list of the styles we sampled...

- Berliner Weisse
- Frankenheimer Alt
- Frh Klsch
- Huber Weissbier
- Schneiderweiss Kristall
- Pilsner Urquell
- Aecht Schenkerla Rauchbier Mrzen
- Schwarzer Alt
- Kostritzer Schwarz
- St Louis Gueuze
- St Louis Kriek
- a honey beer which will remain nameless :huh: 

A good selection and well received by all :beerbang: 

Oh well, time for some study *hic*...

WJ


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## Brewtus (15/5/07)

Good luck with the exams.

FYI Pilsner Urquell is distributed by Coca Cola in Aust. Maybe the can get distribution rights for the rest of the list?


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## Whistlingjack (15/5/07)

Thanks, Brewtus

Since I tasted Pilsner Urquell from the tap at the source a couple of months ago, fresh and unfiltered, even here it doesn't taste as good anymore...  

Still very nice though...

WJ


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## Zwickel (15/5/07)

hey, good luck to you with the exams.

Do they have planned to do a farewell party at the end?

you have to tell us everything till the end


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## Whistlingjack (16/5/07)

Zwickel said:


> Do they have planned to do a farewell party at the end?



The wheat beer we brewed on saturday is for our graduation party, one of three beers we'll have on tap.

By the way, thanks for that parcel you sent me. With the change in the brewing plans, I can't use it now so I'll bring it to our friend in Braunschweig.

WJ


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## Ross (16/5/07)

Best of luck with the exams.. :beer: 
Will be sorry to see this thread end, it's been the best read for a while  
Make sure you keep us informed of where your new qualifications take you...

Cheers Ross


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## Weizguy (16/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Well, the last day of classes today, ahead of ten days of examinations...but what a way to end it!
> 
> The lectures in brewing technology covered the topic of special beers. How to make them, where they are made and of course what they taste like. The lecturer brought in samples of different beers which we all had the chance to taste.
> 
> ...


WJ,

I hope those beers weren't offered in the order you listed. :lol: 

Best of luck in the exams, and don't forget to put some relaxation time in there, too.

Beerz
Les


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## Whistlingjack (16/5/07)

Thanks guys...I think today's practical exam should be ok. We will be given samples of either yeast slurry, cleaned bottles, process water, storage beer or fermenting wort and asked to decide how to go about analysing them for contamnants. The hard part is identifying what you find.



Les the Weizguy said:


> WJ, I hope those beers weren't offered in the order you listed. :lol:



As a matter of fact it was. Only because thats the order they took in the textbooks. :blink: 

I think they were all good samples of the particular style. 

Les, we talked about gose before (exempted from the Reinheitsgebot for the addition of coriander and salt), our lecturer couldn't get it sent from Leipzig in time. 

The Schwarzer Alt is the only other beer exempted for their addition of sugar syrup.

WJ (sweating on the exams)


----------



## kook (16/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> I think they were all good samples of the particular style.



St Louis? Good Gueuze/Kriek examples? :blink: The only true lambic product they produce is Gueuze Fond Tradition IMO, the rest are sweetened alco-pops.


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## Whistlingjack (16/5/07)

Hey kook, I'm sure you're correct. 

I don't have any experience with Belgians. I did not try the ones offered, or the honey beer (honey should be on toast... :lol: )

Apart from my attempts at adding fruit to my HB, I don't think there's a place for it in beer... h34r: 

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (16/5/07)

Microbiology is almost done. I felt good about the exam today.

I was given culture plates and asked to identify two yeast species and one bacteria. Also I had to start the process to examine the purity of a yeast culture.

First step was to boil a part of the sample to eliminate all but the saccharomyces culture yeast then tip that into a wort broth for incubation. Second step was to centrifuge some of the sample and put drops of the deposit onto three different agar plates to separate different wild saccharomyces and non-saccharomyces yeasts.

Next week I have to evaluate the reults to identify the species I have. This afternoon we had the written exam. Here's hoping...

Tomorrow is a public holiday here, so its off to explore two more brewpubs tonight.

WJ


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## Brewtus (16/5/07)

did you get to 'the beach' on the north side of the river?


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## ale_snail (17/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> A long day, topped off with a kebab for lunch (love these things) and a look at the *Berlin Crocodiles* *AFL team's* intra-club scratch match.
> 
> WJ



lmao

thats GOLD
:super:


----------



## animal_man (17/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Microbiology is almost done. I felt good about the exam today.
> 
> I was given culture plates and asked to identify two yeast species and one bacteria. Also I had to start the process to examine the purity of a yeast culture.
> 
> ...



what course are you doing? Im doing similar stuff for my Bsc Oenology (wine making). I dont mind micro sometimes!


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## ale_snail (17/5/07)

well WJ after reading through the entire thread i have to say i am thouroughly jealous of your lucky circumstances and i hope to do this in the future sometime. 

well all the best for your exams and all the best to finding yourself a nice brewmaster job and making some quality beer..

ich komme nach deutschland


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## Whistlingjack (17/5/07)

animal_man said:


> what course are you doing? Im doing similar stuff for my Bsc Oenology (wine making). I dont mind micro sometimes!



The Certified Brewmaster Course.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (19/5/07)

A gruelling day, fellow brewers, I don't mind telling you.

We had our exam in chemical technical analysis. A written test first followed by the practical test. We were given samples of water, malt and beer and asked to test them. 

I'll list the analyses we did.

Water:
- total hardness
- carbonate hardness
- residual alkalinity
- calcium and magnesium content
- conductivity
- p- and m-value

Malt:
- moisture content
- total nitrogen

Beer:
- alcohol (%mass)
- alcohol (%vol)
- original extract
- real extract
- apparent extract
- pH
- bitter substances
- colour (photometric method)
- turbidity

How can I drink beer now without thinking about these things... :blink: 

Anyway, we all passed and the examiner shouted us beers afterward ... :beer:

WJ

Ps. There's a cold and lonely Berliner Kindl in my fridge. Can't leave that there. I wonder what the alcohol (%mass) is. One way to find out...


----------



## WildaYeast (20/5/07)

Hi,

Don't want to high-jack your almost over (sigh) thread WJ, but thought you might find this article interesting (if you have any spare time), as might other readers of your edu-logue.

NY Times: On a German Beer Trail, One More for the Road
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/trave...l?th&emc=th

A pleasant little read -- don't know how true the industry saga is.

You may have to register (free) to view the article, and the link will only work for a week or so unless you have a paid subscription. They don't seem to be a source of spam, in case you are concerned about registering.

Cheers, Brian


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## Whistlingjack (20/5/07)

Thanks for that, Brian. A good read.

We have found only one brewpub here that makes weisse, the Sdstern Brauerei in Kreuzberg. They serve it without the syrup and it takes a few mouthfulls to get past the yoghurt flavour. After that, I think its quite a pleasant, refreshing taste.

As for the klsch, our lecturer who hails from the area around Dsseldorf, warned us about the traditions of that particular beer. Dsseldorf, as you may be aware, is famous for the altbier style. He told us never to ask for altbier in Kln, or klsch in Dsseldorf.  

We are visiting a traditional altbier brewery in a couple of weeks with the school, and some of us have organised a get-together in Kln after the course. As for Bamberg, that is definitely on my itinerary for late June.

The education continues after the course is done. As well as three months work at a brewery on the Rhine, a beer odyssey of Germany is on the cards. :super:

WJ


----------



## Zwickel (20/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> As for the klsch, our lecturer who hails from the area around Dsseldorf, warned us about the traditions of that particular beer. Dsseldorf, as you may be aware, is famous for the altbier style. He told us never to ask for altbier in Kln, or klsch in Dsseldorf.


thats absolutely true.
They dont get along with eachother,
The Klners do even change theire "Alt" key on the keyboard and put a new sticker on it:


----------



## Whistlingjack (20/5/07)

Classic, Zwickel. 

I love it... :lol: 

Have you seen the cartoon of the donkey drinking from the barrel of altbier? I couldn't find it on the net, but you can guess what the label says on the bucket that the donkey is pissing in . :lol: 

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (21/5/07)

Two more exams done, brewery waste water and plant equipment.

The waste water exam was pretty good, but the second one tested my drawing skills to the max. Diagrams of boiling systems, whirlpools, filtration equipment and germination boxes. Phew!

Also some detailed descriptions of bottling lines, bottle washers and Darcy's Law. Glad thats over.

The rest of today is to be spent cramming for tomorrow's exams...brewing technology and economics. Pity, because the weather is so nice today. Maybe I will fit in a couple at the nearest beer garden.

WJ


----------



## voota (22/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> As for Bamberg, that is definitely on my itinerary for late June.



I'll be in Franconia (around Bamberg) in June, swing us a PM if your plans come off and you fancy catching up for a beer, I'd be very keen to hear more about the course. 
Cheers


----------



## Whistlingjack (22/5/07)

Well, two more exams out of the way, brewing technology and economics. They both were not too bad.

Lost a bit of sleep over the brewing exam last night (as well as the humid weather). I looked at my books before going to bed and had nightmares about people questioning the content of higher aliphatic alcohols and vicinal diketones in my beer... :blink: 

I thought I had no way of remembering anything. But the Krusovice lager I had last night must have acted as a glue.

When I woke this morning, I was able to reel off names of fatty acids, amino acids, esters and HAAs at will. Not that it helped a lot because the exam didn't go into that much depth. I threw a few names around for bonus points...  

On the whole, so far so good. Two more days to go then its a celebration planned for this whole next week...  

WJ


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## Kai (22/5/07)

Zwickel said:


> thats absolutely true.
> They dont get along with eachother,
> The Klners do even change theire "Alt" key on the keyboard and put a new sticker on it:



Love it. If I didn't have 'option' rather than 'alt' I'd do the same.


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## Brewtus (22/5/07)

Gives a new perspective to Control Alt - Delete.


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## Doc (22/5/07)

The best of luck WJ. Sounds like you've done the work to get the just reward.
Been loving this thread like many others.
May you pass with honours and a beer to your mouth.

Beers,
Doc


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## Guest Lurker (22/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> bottling lines, bottle washers and Darcy's Law. Glad thats over.



Hooray! I knew there must have been a reason I felt such an affinity with Darcys law = the basic tenet of hydrogeology. It's all about beer!


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## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

Yeah, GL

How about Fick's Law, Reynold's number, Stoke's Law, Hagen-Poiseuille Law, Carman-Kozeny equation, the continuity equation, Bernoulli equation, etc, etc

That's just what we learned about fluid mechanics. I could go into the laws of chemistry, economics, biochemistry, energy, etc... :huh: 

And it IS about the beer!

WJ


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## Brewtus (23/5/07)

Can Stokes' law explain Guiness bubbles?


----------



## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

Brewtus said:


> Can Stokes' law explain Guiness bubbles?



Umm...no.

It relates to the settlement of solid particles in a viscous fluid medium. Lower viscosity leads to faster settlement of particles. Size matters here...  

WJ


----------



## Gulf Brewery (23/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Yeah, GL
> 
> How about Fick's Law, Reynold's number, Stoke's Law, Hagen-Poiseuille Law, Carman-Kozeny equation, the continuity equation, Bernoulli equation, etc, etc
> 
> ...



Are you going to critically analyse every glass of beer you drink now that you know all that stuff  or will you RDWHAHB (or mabe in your case RDWHAB)? :beer: 

Cheers
Pedro


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## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

Gulf Brewery said:


> Are you going to critically analyse every glass of beer you drink now that you know all that stuff  or will you RDWHAHB (or mabe in your case RDWHAB)? :beer:
> 
> Cheers
> Pedro



I mentioned earlier in this thread about the difficulty of just enjoying a beer without wondering about how it was made. I guess all of us in this forum have that to contend with at some level.

The stuff I'm learning is interesting and as far as the science behind brewing is concerned, highly relevant. Most of the science disciplines are represented in the brewing process which makes the hunt for knowledge even more tantalising. 

Yeah, it will probably be the latter, though. I have managed to casually separate my technical knowledge from the enjoyment factor. :chug: 

WJ (enjoying a nice Czech pilsner with my lunch)


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## Darren (23/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Yeah, GL
> 
> How about Fick's Law, Reynold's number, Stoke's Law, Hagen-Poiseuille Law, Carman-Kozeny equation, the continuity equation, Bernoulli equation, etc, etc
> 
> ...




You forgot the purity law  

cheers

Darren


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## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

Darren said:


> You forgot the purity law
> 
> cheers
> 
> Darren



Yeah, thanks Darren. 

How can I ignore the most important law of all... :lol: 

WJ


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## Brewtus (23/5/07)

Darren said:


> You forgot the purity law
> 
> cheers
> 
> Darren



Purity law is a man made rule. The others are laws of physics. You can't get fined cause you can break'm 

I though Stokes law could be applied to bubbles rising in viscous liquid as well as things dropping though liquid.

Not to worry, Stokes alway did great work in off beat areas, hence was never as well known as Newton. Falling apples are sexier than ball bearings in oil.

Did any of Bernoulli's ideas take off?


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## Darren (23/5/07)

Brewtus said:


> Purity law is a man made rule. The others are laws of physics. You can't get fined cause you can break'm




cant break any of them can you?

cheers

Darren


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## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

Brewtus said:


> Did any of Bernoulli's ideas take off?



I Venturi to think that it may have... :lol: 

WJ

PS I didn't realise that Stoke's Law could relate to bubbles rising through liquid. Showing my ignorance of the finer engineering principles.


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## Whistlingjack (23/5/07)

The microbiology exam is now done. 

Last week I was given a yeast culture and asked to test it for contaminants in a variety of procedures. Today I got the plates back to identify what I had found and give my recommendation to the (fictitious) brewery that supplied it.

There were four strains of yeast. Torulopsis, candida, saccharomyces diastaticus and saccharomyces carlbergensis. The first three were the wild yeasts of course.

Also present was the bacterium lactobacillus.

My recommendation was that the culture was unsuitable for beer production...  

Two more exams tomorrow... :blink: 

WJ


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## Zwickel (24/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> There were four strains of yeast. Torulopsis, candida, saccharomyces diastaticus and saccharomyces carlbergensis.....


I just wonder how you got that strains in, especially the candida?


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## Whistlingjack (24/5/07)

Zwickel said:


> I just wonder how you got that strains in, especially the candida?



The lecturer put them in there. I don't want to know where they came from...  

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (24/5/07)

No more school and no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks...  

Yes, fellow brewers, the last exams are finished. Today we had biochemistry and sensory evaluation (no, not what you're thinking - theory only) Now we wait for the results of these and the practical micro exam yesterday. So far I have passed all the other exams.

So its a little relaxation this afternoon ahead of a moderate (yeah, right) drinking session at one of our favourite brewpubs, Eschenbru. They have a maibock as their monthly special. It was tapped last week and I have serious doubts whether there'll be any left after tonight... :chug: 

Next week, we embark on a three day class excursion (read: binge) to breweries in central and western Germany. This weekend (monday is a public holiday) is to be spent enjoying the beer gardens and sightseeing without any guilt about not studying... :beer: 

WJ (ramping up for a week of fun)


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## kirem (24/5/07)

IT's been great reading your posts, I have really enjoyed them.

good luck with the rest of the exam results.

How's the liver holding out?


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## Whistlingjack (24/5/07)

kirem said:


> IT's been great reading your posts, I have really enjoyed them.
> 
> good luck with the rest of the exam results.
> 
> How's the liver holding out?



Thanks, kirem. I've enjoyed writing them...  

Its not done yet. There are more reports pending. Watch out for continuing episodes of an Aussie brewer in the land of beer.

The liver is doing well. I have this theory about the cleansing effect of Berlin kebabs... :lol: 

WJ


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## Zwickel (25/5/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> Watch out for continuing episodes of an Aussie brewer in the land of beer.


first I wish you a good luck for the results of your exams, so far Ive no doubts about youre passing through.

Im pretty sure, you didnt write down everything what is worth to get mentioned.
It would be books filling.

Away from the very dry stuff of science, the following chapter might be completely different to the first one, so Im looking forward in suspense for the coming issue. 

After all, it would be worth to summarize the whole story and to publish in a homebrewing magazin.

Great stuff WJ, good luck.


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## Whistlingjack (28/5/07)

Berliners know how to party.

Yesterday Mrs WJ and I hopped on the U-Bahn to Kreuzberg (a south-eastern suburb) where the majority of the streets were blocked off for the Karneval der Kulturen.

What a blast! Their website says they expect 1.4 million people to attend over the weekend, but by the size of the crowd I think they exceeded that. The number of food stalls serving international cuisine was overwhelming, and of course there was beer from around Germany and the world.

You will be happy to note that our Aussie beers can stand alongside the best...  





Tasted several beers, from tap only and had a nice curry for lunch. We spent all day there and left after float No 30 (out of 90) in the street parade had passed. This is the crowd just before the start of the parade. It was as thick as this for five blocks.




And this is one of five alleys of market stalls and food vendors. This was after we left the parade, so you can imagine just how many people there were.




Today I need to rest, but I'd like to go back to the Karneval... :super: 

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (1/6/07)

Well, officially the last day of the course today and there is a big party happening right after we get our certificates. :beer: 

We arrived back in Berlin last night after our roadtrip through central Germany. Three breweries, one equipment manufacturer and a barley breeding station kept us interested between the beer "tasting" sessions. Easily the best beer of the trip was Bolten Ur-alt from Korschenbroi, near Dsseldorf. They gave us three cases to drink on the bus. It went pretty quickly.

The prize for the most spectacular brewery tour went to Warsteiner. This is a big brewery with a current output of 10 million hectolitres per year and a capacity for 6 million more. After an interesting audiovisual presentation, we were taken on an extensive tour of the facilities. They have their own railway siding, loading shipping containers for distribution all over the world.

This picture shows their creative use of old kettles in their newish beer garden




The bottling and kegging lines were fantastic too. They have six lines running and one being dismantled for sale. They are in the process of renewing their packaging plant.




I can't remember the capacity of this kettle, maybe 5000 hectolitres. They had a few of them.




Can't wait for this afternoon... :chug: 

WJ


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## bugwan (1/6/07)

Whistlingjack said:


> .
> .
> .
> The liver is doing well. I have this theory about the cleansing effect of Berlin kebabs... :lol:
> ...



Frankly, Berlin kebabs have to rate amongst the best in the world. I've spent a few weeks in Berlin over the years, still my favourite European capital for culture and history. Sorry Paris, you're a distant second...


We had a New Years' Eve there one year (which some people thought very brave, from a security point of view :huh: ?) and I enjoyed no less than three kebabs on the night and one the next morning. The previous night I spent Deutschmarks, and in the morning the kebab man nearly cried when he had to accept a 20 Euro note...!

Keep those stories coming WJ, looking forward to the big party aftermath.

Enjoy the weekend lads, I'm off.


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## Brewtus (1/6/07)

I know it is off topic but I went to Milan that morning and the Money changers at the train station were going crazy. If you didn't want to change lire or other easy currency, i.e.pounds or USD to euro you got told to get lost. All the ATM were out of service. No chance of an advance on a visa card. Get to the back of the queue with that one.


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## kieran (2/6/07)

Hope the party was great, WJ. This was a great read. I have 3 local friends in Berlin, all living in Prenzlauer berg/Berlin that's a great area. You've captured my interest with the VLB course though, it sounds like work - but certainly rewarding. 

Have you managed to chat to any breweries about any brewmaster apprenticeships yet?


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## Whistlingjack (3/6/07)

And a good time was had by all. After receiving our certificates and 12 hours of hard partying, most of the class headed for their home countries. I spent the whole day recovering...  

There was lots of nice food and beer, but also regret at having to say farewell to some good friends. There are quite a few of us staying on in Germany and the school has organised some visits to brewpubs in Berlin next week.



kieran said:


> Have you managed to chat to any breweries about any brewmaster apprenticeships yet?



Yes, kieran. I'll be going to Lahnsteiner Brauerei which is about 10km south of Koblenz, nestled into the hillside overlooking the Rhine. It looks like they produce a good range of products, including sausages (I think this will be heaven!). Before that, Mrs WJ and I are off in the car to Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland for some R & R (and brewery research, of course). Looking forward to that... B) 

Anyway, no pressure of study now and lots of tourist stuff to do.

WJ


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## Whistlingjack (4/6/07)

Hey, fellow brewers...

Just had to chuck this in as a finale to this thread... :beerbang: 




Thanks for the support from the members of AHB through the many PMs and reply posts. This is only the start!

WJ


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## Zwickel (4/6/07)

youre a lucky guy


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## Brewtus (4/6/07)

Well done. Good to see you stuck it out and passed. 

Now to open your own micro somewhere.


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## Ross (4/6/07)

Congrats WJ I'm dead envious :super: - I'd love to do something like that one day... if only I could find the time...

All the best in your career & keep us posted - Your thread has been the highlight here over the last few months...

cheers Ross


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## Barry (5/6/07)

Congratulations WJ. It has been great reading all the posts. All the best for your stay with the brewery. :beer:


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## Doc (5/6/07)

Well done WJ.
Top job, and now for the rewards (starting with a holiday of course).
Please keep us up to date with your beer travels across Europe too please 

Doc


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## Screwtop (5/6/07)

Congratulations WJ, as has been said a lot of us are green with envy. Top marks for taking the bit between your teeth and doing what a lot of us procrastinate about. Good luck for the future, please come home one day not too far away and start a good micro in QLD.


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