Presenter: Eric C. Baumann, Oskar Blues Brewery, Brevard, NC
As breweries grow and expand, there comes a time when it
no longer takes one brew to fill a fermenter, but several to fill
one larger vessel. Knocking out multiple batches in the same
fermenter quickly becomes standard practice. However, with
multiple knock outs and extending total fill times, there are
several factors that come into play to achieve the same flavor
profile and product as is seen with single-fill batches. Batch
consistency can be maintained by analyzing data collected from
baselines established in each series of subsequent brews. If the
appropriate baselines are not established or managed correctly,
a finite fermentation curve and flavor profile is hard to achieve.
This presentation will show process changes, analysis, and
improvements made throughout the subsequent knock-out
brewing process that equate to desired beer quality.
Eric C. Baumann is currently director of fermentation and
quality control for Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC. He
has been with Oskar Blues for more than four years. Within hi
first few years at Oskar Blues, as cellar manager, Eric saw the
growth of 70,000 bbl. He worked closely with brewhouse, lab,
and plant managers to execute and achieve process improvements,
plant expansions, and product quality control steps. In
October 2012, Eric moved to Brevard, with a team of four others,
to build and oversee the production of Oskar Blues newest
brewery, which has an initial capacity of 50,000 bbl/year. He
has previously worked at Uinta Brewing Co., Salt Lake City,
UT, and Grand Teton Brewing, Victor, ID. Eric received his
B.S. degree from the University of Utah in anthropology, with
a minor in history. Eric started, as many do, home brewing on
the side while pursuing a career in archaeology. Growing tired
of archaeology and wanting to pursue a career in brewing, Eric
got his foot in the door washing kegs at Grand Teton Brewing.
Since then, he has been a part of several successful breweries
and teams that have shaped his overall brewing background
and passion to continue to push craft brewing further.
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