Andrew Byer
What is your occupation (outside homebrewing)?
Professional Firefighter.
What got you into homebrewing?
Living in a house of squalor with friends.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of homebrewing?
Currently opening my brewery, Rhythm & Brews Brewing Company, in Cambridge, Ontario.
How long have you been brewing and how many batches last year?
15 years. ~75 batches last year
Do you have any favourite styles you like to brew?
German. While I love every style, I respect German beer's difficulty in brewing and their nuanced tastes.
What kind of setup do you use?
Just ordered a 15hL brewhouse with 30hL fermenters. For homebrewing (now Rhythm And Brews' pilot system) a 30 gallon electric brewery I build powered by Hosehead controller (which I highly recommend if electric is the direction you want to go in).
What is the worst beer you have brewed?
A long time ago we were brewing a summer ale and ran out of propane 20 minutes into boil.
What did you learn from that worst beer?
DMS was ingrained into my palate that day and helped me become the judge I am today.
What is the best beer you have brewed?
A Belgian Tripel that won gold at the 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards. Thank you Escarpment Labs for the awesome yeast!
What is a change you have implemented that you feel made a big improvement in your beer?
O2, Temp, Pitch rate, Timing, Knowledge.
What advice would you give to a new homebrewer?
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Keep it so that you love it, and grow with the hobby.
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Love the good and the bad batches.
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Love learning.
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Love the awesome communities (GTA Brews, etc.).
Do you have any certifications related to beer and/or homebrewing (BJCP, Cicerone, etc…)?
BJCP judge (National), Prud'homme Sommelier, Certified Cicerone.
If you could be a tree frog, what colour tree frog would you be and why?
Purple. I like purple a lot (reminds me of music).