Submitted by Parker Penley, Dick’s Brewing Company
When asked why he decided to start a brewery, Dick Young would often lean in with a straight face and tell people matter-of-factly, “because I was thirsty.” But it was always so much more than that. The thread that tied a much younger brewer perfecting his ales to the man that developed a large and well known brewery was an enormous amount of passion and determination, to say the least. (To read more about the history of the brewery, click here.)
Millions of Americans share a tremendous amount of passion for home brewing and this trend is only increasing. We are in a craft brewing renaissance which can be seen in new and innovative beers. This revitalization can also be seen in the drive of those that stay awake at night meticulously formulating and tweaking recipes.
Most of us know someone that has homebrewed. Often times this can take the form of a leisurely hobby by casually fermenting in a closet. In other instances, however, there are those that take it to the next level by obsessively culturing yeast in a home laboratory or snatching up any literature they can get their hands on.
The amount of craft beers available in the market today is mind numbing. Are you in the mood for a stout, IPA, or how about even an Imperial Red Ale? Go choose from the countless varieties which would have been unheard of in the not so distant past. But what prompted such a dramatic industry shift in the last three decades? Of the many potential things that triggered the “change of the beer tides,” one very apparent cause is the federal legalization of home brewing. This single act created a ripple effect.
One commonality of professional craft brewers, including Dick Young, has been that most started from humble brewing beginnings. It should be no surprise that of the literally thousands of new craft breweries in the United States, many, if not most of those that founded them started by home brewing five gallons at a time in the closet.
There are loads of home brewers that would love to become a professional brewer or start their own small brewery. Indeed, what an incredible dream to have. As a commercial brewer, I hear time and time again by passionate home brewers that they want to start a production brewery. Doing so is certainly easier said than done. Brewing is both a science and an art, and those that proclaim they are on the fast track to brewing stardom often tip the scales to one side in this equation. The vision of mass producing beer, however, is certainly obtainable. Just look around.
I should note that there are advantages to brewing at home over a production brewery. First, because home brewers are doing such small batches they have the ability to constantly change their ingredients. Commercially it is very important to be consistent. The home adventurer has the ability to experiment as much or as little as they want. In addition, they are also able to use expensive ingredients and brew with massive amounts of grain and hops without worrying about the bottom line. Costly contracts for brewing ingredients are not a factor. Who cares if I mess up a five gallon batch at home? Sure, it sucks. Then again, a 500 or 5000 gallon mistake or experiment gone wrong? Ouch.
Breweries are popping up everywhere in an increasingly saturated market. Although many talk about it and only a few succeed, just the thought of seeing your brand on the store shelves is incredible to even a novice brewer. I now realize that when Dick told people he started his brewery because he was thirsty, he wasn’t just talking about his beer. He was also thirsty for the dream that is alive and well in many passionate brewers at home.
Think you have a winning recipe? Sign up for Dick’s Brewing Company’s second annual home brew competition. The event will be held on August 18th from 2:00 – 8:00 pm.
Penley recommends Rocky Top Homebrew for shopping local for home brew supplies.
1617 Harrison
Olympia, WA 98502
