We Brew Beer

I love to talk about brewing, just ask my eyes-rolling wife,” insists Hanover, Pennsylvania homebrewer Keith Hipsley.

Although Keith was introduced to homebrew 12 years ago, “I didn’t buy a kit until about 5 years ago. Then it sat in my basement for a year and I finally made a New Years Resolution to finally use the kit and brew some beer. Instantly hooked!” Keith now brews about once every 3-4 weeks and has a collection of over 30 books on beer brewing, including The Brewmaster’s Bible and Malting and Brewing Science: Hopped Wort and Beer (Vol 2). Keith is a member of the AHA and joined Frederick’s Original Ale Makers (FOAM) four years ago when he lived in Maryland. He also lets the world know about his brewing through his website at http://userpages.umbc.edu/~khipsl1/

When asked whether he has ever considered making brewing beer more than just a hobby, this 32-year old firefighter/paramedic responds, “Many, many times! I love being a firefigher/paramedic but as a brewer you don’t have to worry about getting burned to death, accidentally stuck with dirty needles, working 24 hour shifts, getting assaulted by patients, picking up an illness from a patient, or being witness to many horrifying sights and incidents that most people only see on TV. But, once being a firefighter/paramedic gets in your blood, there’s no denying it. Plus, at times of economic difficulty job security is nice, especially when you have a family to support…I have not discounted being a professional brewer. I love brewing almost as much as I love being a firefighter/paramedic. I’ve been entertaining the thought of getting a job part-time as a brewer and working my way toward full-time brewing when I retire (14 years to go).”

Keith, a self-described “gear-head,” says his brewery is “a single-tier 1/2-barrel system. A good friend of mine restores old cars as a hobby and he has a 2-bay shop, complete with air tools, a MIG welder and plasma cutter. He did all the welding on my system and I assisted with using the plasma cutter and other small jobs.

“The system’s comprised of 3 converted kegs—one for the Hot Liquor Tank, one for the Boil Kettle, and one for the Mash Tun. All kegs have welded fittings…The system is set up for batch sparging, as it is single-tier and has only one pump. It used to be two-tier and gravity fed before I got a pump. The stand has 4 2″ casters on the bottom to make moving the system in and out of storage easy. Before I chopped it down to one level, I debated whether I’d keep it at 2 just to be able to fly-sparge. Since I always batch sparge and get good results, it’s easier at a single level—makes it easier to work with the mash instead of standing on the stand or a chair. It has two burners which are hard-plumbed with black iron gas pipe and fed from a propane cylinder (high-pressure). The March 809-series pump allows me to move sparge water to the kettle, wort from the kettle, recirculate the wort at the end of the sacc. rest, and recirculate cleaners and sanitizers through the plumbing and chiller. I use a Shirron plate chiller for chilling. I used to have a Chillus Convolutus (MoreBeer product) counterflow chiller before switching to the Shirron. It worked well but I was better able to hard-plumb the pump to the chiller and attach a thermometer and ball valve on the output than with the Chillus Convolutus. The Shirron works great. I use CPC Quick Disconnects, which allows functionality, neatness of not having pre-connected hoses lying around, and makes it easier to clean the hoses and equipment. The ‘cold side’ plumbing is stainless steel throughout, except for the plastic QDs.”

But Keith stresses that new brewers “don’t need to have a system like mine or a $2,000 commercially-made stainless steel system to brew good beer. It is indeed the brewer and not the equipment…Much of what I’ve done with my system makes things more streamlined, efficient, and time-saving. It doesn’t make better beer, just makes my life easier.”

Keith has used his brewery to make many different styles of beer. “The only styles of beer I haven’t made are Belgians and Lambics. I’ve recently found some Belgians that I really like, so I may try my hand at those. I’ll never brew Lambics at home, too many horror stores of brewers that can’t get that Brettanomyces out of their brewery…I brew a Kölsch regularly that the Bud Light drinkers in my family really go for, and it’s as good way to introduce them to good beer. This Kölsch has won quite a few 1st places in category at a few competitions, usually about 38-39 points.”

And apparently the output of Keith’s brewery is popular all around: “I made spent-grain dog cookies the other day after brewing, so I guess my dogs enjoy my brewing too.”