In the early days of our brewery, a bunch of biology students lived just around the corner. They would often come to have a taste of Amsterdams exciting new beer, either after or during classes. Founder Kaspar made good use of their thirst and their flexible attitude towards their studies. He would call on them whenever his malt would be delivered. They would carry the bags of grain in, and a crate of beer of their choice out.
Despite the proximity of the brewery, the students managed to graduate and most even found proper biologists’ jobs. Paul however, looked for something a little more pragmatic.
While he was contemplating what exactly, he was asked, based on his experience in carrying empty glasses, to join the brewery’s bar team. But a simultaneous job opening in the brewery itself suited his biological background much better. Kaspar decided to give it a try: Paul started learning how to brew. That is, well, long ago. Paul is a head brewer now and nobody has been brewing our beers longer than he is.
Much has changed along the way from apprentice to chief. Brouwerij ‘t IJ evolved from a more or less improvised brewery into a modern craft brewery. Paul is rather happy with the more professional course we are on these days. It allows him to get to know more about the beer that he brews. He looks forward to the establishment of our new lab. It will enable us to measure better. To figure out what the exact bitterness is, for example. Or what the ester profiles look like.
Yes, it is biologists’ stuff and as such it makes Pauls heart beat a little faster. But the brewer in him is very pleased to, as it allows him to brew even better. Adding the right amount of malt and hops might have become routine, setting all the parameters for a flawless brew session right is still something he considers a daily challenge. Come over and taste how he keeps tackling it.
