Brewing and Relaxing in the East Bay
One of the biggest improvements made to the beer brewing of Derek Pizzagoni has been that now he can “relax a bit more. Sure, there are steps to follow, but I used to be so uptight about getting everything perfect (temps, time, etc.), that I wasn’t having much fun. Now, I’ve realized this is my hobby, and I should enjoy it.” Derek most likely wouldn’t want to own a microbrewery or brewpub because he fears that “once it became ‘work’ I wouldn’t enjoy it as much anymore.”
Derek, who lives in the town of Clayton in the San Francisco Bay Area, tells us about his home brewery: “I make yeast starters, and propagate the yeast on a home-built stir plate. I brew on a 3-tier sculpture, with stainless steel kettles. I ferment in glass carboys, in a temperature-controlled refrigerator. I keg, and store/serve out of a home-built kegerator (converted chest freezer)… I don’t brew nearly enough. I’d love to brew a couple of times a month, but I probably brew an average of once a month. My setup allows me to brew about 5 gallons per batch…I currently brew at the edge of my garage, but I plan on moving outside. Maybe I’ll put up a tarp to keep myself in the shade…I’d like a temperature-controlled stainless steel conical fermenter. I’d also like a counter-pressure bottle filler.”
Derek admits that his biggest beer brewing mistake came when he first tried to make the leap into all-grain. “My mash temp dropped more than I wanted it to, so I turned the flame back on. Temps shot way above where I wanted, and quickly. I added ice to cool it down, but by the time I got the temps where I wanted them, the mash was almost done.”
Fortunately, things have gone better since then, and Derek had been able to create some great tasting homebrews. “German Hefeweizen is my favorite. I created an Amberweizen that I really enjoyed. I haven’t ever seen anything like it.”
Derek is a member of a homebrew club called The Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts or DOZE. “The club keeps me motivated and gives me good resources to bounce my ideas off of. I enjoy attending the meetings, and soaking up as much information as possible.”
For those looking to get into the brew hobby themselves, Derek advises, “Start small, and relax. Only brew what you know you will drink (or can give away easily). Also, if you have access to another homebrewer, sit in on at least one of their brew sessions…Like many hobbies, this one can be done without much expense, but can easily draw you in with all of the gadgets available. Brew within your means, and always remember to keep it fun. Relax, have a homebrew.”
Derek chronicles his brewing hobby on his website at pizzagoni.com/hobbies/homebrewing/
