One Year in The Game

Well, I turned 1-year-old at the Oak Creek Brewing Company yesterday. The past year has moved fast and it hardly seems possible that 365 days have past since I started. I can't even begin to list all the things I've learned. It's pretty amazing. A year ago, I walked through the door not knowing what to expect or how things would go for me. Yesterday I walked out the door feeling good. I've got a long ways to go, but I feel solid about what I've accomplished so far. For the first four months all I did was bottle, keg and clean tanks. Occasionally I would be given the task of prepping the filter. Slowly, OCBC Head Brewer Jim Strelau started to give me more responsibility as I earned trust. At the end of a day around my six-month mark, he told me, "You now know enough to be really dangerous. Be careful at all times." Right around this time, I began to start a rather intensive brew-training program. I shadowed Jim and OCBC Brewer Zach Beckwith, taking notes and direction and most importantly asking a lot of questions. One day while working with Jim, he had to unexpectedly leave the brewery, just as the boil started. He came up to me and told me that he was turning the brew over to me. "You're brewing now and I'll be back later," he said. I remember asking him if he thought I could handle it. He replied, "I guess we'll find out." His reaction to my question wasn't harsh, it was honest and I think he said what he did to keep me level. I watched him walk out the door that day and thought, "Holy Shit...I'm in charge of this brew." Not too long after that, I was given my first solo brew day and a true shot at becoming a member of the brew staff. It's been a challenge -- this job is not easy. It doesn't involve sitting around sipping brews mid-afternoon. It's hard, dirty work.....but it's also the best job I've ever had.