My Day At The Vlb

[Whistlingjack]

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.

 

[Whistlingjack]

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...

 

[Simon W]

yer killin me!

 

[Whistlingjack]

Yeah, Simon W,

I find it a withering experience...

 

[Whistlingjack]

Some pictures of my new toys.


Lauter tun


Mash tuns for double decoction


Kettle and Merlin


Heat exchanger and plumbing

 

[Whistlingjack]

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.

 

[Whistlingjack]

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:

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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...

 

[voota]

Keep up the reports, great reading.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks, voota...

Are you planning any trips to Berlin?

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

WJ

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Simon W]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[bonj]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks, Bonj

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

WJ

 

[Simon W]

Those first four countries, grouped together, look familiar?

Yes and I'm still bitter.

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[spog]

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:

 

[Whistlingjack]

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