My Day At The Vlb

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Zwickel]

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

Nomen est Omen

 

[Doc]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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...

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[bonj]

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!

 

[tangent]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

Ok...just a couple.




WJ

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[bonj]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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...

 

[Whistlingjack]

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]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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

 

[Whistlingjack]

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.

 

[bonj]

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