Keck's Page

	MCAB Brewer Profile


	Curt Keck	Lehigh Valley Homebrewers
	Homebrewery name	HiJinx Homebrewery
	e-mail	curt@kecksplace.com

	First brew: 1995	All grain brewer
	Got serious: 1995	All grain brewer

	If I had to pick just one thing ...	Plate chiller... shave an hour off your summertime brew day... more time to enjoy beer.

	Most important piece of equipment	Beer Alchemy brewing software. Pretty much like ProMash except it is better looking and built for Mac.

	Keys to success:	Sanitation; Yeast starters; Sanitation; Fermentation temperature control; Did I mention sanitation???
	History: I began brewing in 1995 making extract beers. After a few tasty batches I was hooked. I began to read every brewing book I could get my hands on. Within a year, and after many batches, I made the leap to All Grain. That same year, with a ton more batches brewed and a bit of luck, I became the Assistant Brewer at Old Lehigh Brewing Co. in Allentown, PA. Andy, the original Brewmaster, took me in and shared with me his knowledge and expertise. In 1997, I was offered a job as a brewer at Weyerbacher Brewing Co. in Easton, PA. Within a year I was the Senior Brewer. Weyerbacher is where I learned the ins and outs of professional brewing... the good and bad. I need to thank Dan Weirback for the great oppurtunity to learn about the many aspects of the brewing industry. I was fortunate enough to be able to share with him a homebrew recipe that was scaled up to become Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot Barleywine. Sadly, apparently for business reasons, I was laid off from the brewery. 6 years had passed in which I made only a batch or two each year. Then in 2006 my good friend Jay asked me... "Why don't you brew anymore?" My answer... I don't know. Jay's next Question... "Can we brew a batch?" My answer... Hell yes. As a result, my wife now loses me to the brewery at least two full days a month... to the basement to do beer stuff twice a week... and to the Lehigh Valley Homebrewers at least once a month. Funny thing is my wife thanked Jay. Wassup wit dat??? Opinions: If you take the time to thoroughly learn the basics you can make good beer. If you then take the time to learn your materials and how they work together, you can make great beer. Lastly, learning and understanding fermentation specifics will help you make stellar beers. Favorite beer quote: "A fine beer may be judged with just one sip, but it is better to be thoroughly sure."
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