The Brewers Toolbox

I’d like to talk about the brewer’s toolbox. Whenever you need to draw from past experience to accomplish a job, re-configure something that was not especially successful, that is the time to open that little box and come up with a tool that will keep you moving along the path to completion.

Everyone has one, a toolbox I mean. It starts at birth and you build your own unique one based on your experiences. In brewing you started building your toolbox even before you began to home brew. It might have been with high-school or college science classes, or it could have been as a cook in a restaurant simply making the soup of the day or just boiling water.

Let me break down a few of the drawers I think are important in your toolbox. You don’t need all these, but they are helpful.

First, I think you should know how to fix things. Even if you are a homebrewer you know things  break – all the time. You will find you need to take apart butterfly valves to replace the gaskets. Of course you should also know how to clean and replace your seals on your pumps. We take  pumps apart after every brew so they don’t fail DURING a brew. Ask me how I know.

Second, is basic plumbing, and not just plumbing but how liquid flows either with pressure or without it. Brewing is a great teacher of physics. One thing we stress is to never remove a tri-clamp without looking up stream and down stream of what you are taking apart. There could be a lot of hot liquid under pressure somewhere up stream (or the other way). Oh yes, and which tri-clamp you are removing. The one after the butterfly valve on the full mash tun attached to the hose, or accidently the one before the butterfly valve holding back 200 gallons of hot sweet sticky wort! Ask me how I know.

Attending seminars at brewer’s conventions, reading books and magazines and as much as anything, getting together with other brewers just to talk shop will increase your brewing knowledge on just about everything andteach you a few tricks of the trade along the way. Brewers love to talk shop and pretty much we all share what we know.

As I have hammered in many posts, you need to understand your inventory and how the numbers work as well. The whole concept of FIFO (first in first out) so that grain or hops (yeast of course also) are used in the order in which they were purchased. You want to thoroughly understand what your beer is costing you so that you remain profitable. This sounds obvious, but it is typically that last of a brewer’s concern, but I feel it should be second behind quality.

As well you should add to your toolbox an understanding of personal relationships. You may or may not have employees, but you still have to deal with the bartenders, servers, and customers. I suggest an old book called the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven R. Covey. There is some really valuable stuff in that book. Becoming a great communicator and listener will pay huge dividends in this business, believe me I know.

There is a lot you can add to this toolbox that I haven’t included, but even the simplest toolbox will get you started, and you build from there. These are just some random thoughts I have while I am on vacation. I’m in France riding bikes with friends and my wife Sandy. I hope you have a great week ahead.