A taste of what's brewing for the Startup Homebrew Challenge, batch 2

On May 30, nine startups will be competing at the Homebrew Challenge at Ping Identity in Downtown Denver- here's a little preview of what some of them have been fermenting. Register here to claim your tasting ticket! We'll have food from Lucky Pie Pizza & a killer DJ to start your weekend right.

[ibimage==27729==Medium==none==self==ibimage_align-right]

CaptainU Weissmasters: Eric Lake of the customer engagement team

How did you start brewing?

Eric: I started brewing 3 years ago. I started exploring the beer scene while living in Portland, OR and making my own beer seemed like a fun way to learn more about what makes up the different tastes of my favorite beers.

What's your favorite Colorado brew?

Eric: Renegade. It's a stone's throw from the CaptainU office and we grab a growler of one of the their great beers every week.

What beer are you working on for the challenge?

Eric: We actually have two beers in kegs that are carbing up and we'll have our final taste-test shortly to see which we'll submit. It's down to our Acidulated Weissbier with traditional raspberry syrup or our West Coast-style double-IPA. The Weissbier pours with a big head and is a nice straw-colored yellow. The aroma is fairly strong of bananas from the Bavarian yeast strain, but the taste is subtle and balanced with a slight twang from the acidulated malt making it the perfect summer session beer. The double IPA pours yellow/orange with a bit of haze. The aroma is of srong citrus and pine from the extended dry-hopping. There's a solid base maltiness, but the aroma and bitterness hops are the focus of this beer and the taste truly reflects that.

What's the weirdest brew you've made?

Eric: I prefer to try to focus on making decent versions of classic beer styles, but the weirdest beer I've brewed was a dill-amber that turned out... drinkable.

How does the CaptainU culture lend itself to supporting your brew-centric habits?

Eric: At CaptainU, we start with small ideas and test for viability, then scale it if we're successful. In the same way, this culture of testing an idea, then scaling is how I've made some of my favorite beers. I love to split a batch of beer into smaller fermenters, then test different yeast strains or dry hops to see what result is the most delicious. I then can repeat the winning recipe on a larger scale and fill up the kegerator to share with my friends and family.

ReadyRye Brewer: Mark Brooks, Inside Sales Rep at ReadyTalk

[ibimage==27750==Medium==none==self==ibimage_align-left]

When did you start brewing?

Mark: My brother-in-law got me a homebrewing book for Christmas about three years ago and I have been brewing ever since.

What are you working on for the challenge?

Mark: My entry is a RyePA. It uses base malt from the San Luis Valley of Colorado. I taste strawberries and citrus from the Cascade and Amarillo hops. The mouthfeel is medium with a slight bitterness at the end.

What's your favorite Colorado Brewery?

Mark: Elevation Brewery in Poncha Springs

What's the weirdest type of beer youve ever brewed?

Mark: Ginger lemon grass wheat. It sounds strange but it was really tasty!

What's the hardest part of homebrewing?

Mark: Fermentation control. I'm not into doubling my heating or cooling bill so I try to brew beers which are more in tune with the season.

How does brewing fit into ReadyTalk's company culture?

Mark: My co-workers love beer so I get their feedback on my brews as often as I can. We also have two kegs in the office so that helps get the creative juices flowing around what beer I should brew next!

HopXchange Brewmaster: Andrew Kutting, Director of Software Engineering at SpotXchange

[ibimage==27751==Small==none==self==ibimage_align-left]

When did you start brewing?

Andrew: I started brewing about 9 years ago. At the time I was looking for a cheaper way to have high quality beer. I learned after a couple batches that my beer was neither cheaper nor higher quality, but I enjoyed the process and continued the hobby anyway!

What's your favorite Colorado brewery or beer?

Andrew: Brewery: Avery. Beer: New Belgium Rampant.

What are you working on for the challenge?

Andrew: We are submitting the 'Christian Bale Ale', a traditional Witbier. It should have lots of orange peel and coriander flavor.

What are some challenges to being a homebrewer?

Andrew: The biggest challenge is simply that it’s so time consuming. I need to dedicate at least an hour to pre-brewing preparation, four or five hours on brew day, and then another few for bottling or kegging. It’s hard to find that kind of time with a family.

How well does brewing fit into SpotXchange's culture?

Andrew: It’s easy to cultivate a love for beer in a work environment that includes a keg and multiple fridges containing beer! A large percentage of our engineering employees are beer geeks like me, and a handful of others also homebrew.

The Slice of Lime 6 Pack: founder and CEO Kevin Menzie

[ibimage==27757==Medium==none==self==ibimage_align-left]

What's your favorite Colorado brew?

Kevin: Our latest favorite is Wild Woods Brewery, a nano-brewery with an outdoorsy theme to their beers, located near 55th and Arapahoe in Boulder.

What are you submitting to the challenge?

Kevin: We've been brewing for about three years and brewed an IPA for the Homebrew Challenge. It's unique in that there is a honey / sweet flavor with a hoppy finish and a special hint of a Slice of Lime (of course!).

What are some challenges to being a homebrewer?

Kevin: Well, that would be the wait, of course.

How does the startup culture lend itself to supporting your brew-centric habits?

Having a keg-orator in the office sure lends itself to that. We also embrace the idea of iterating on ideas and experimenting. Beer is a nice example of that. You only have to wait a couple of months to see how it turned out - then you can get user feedback (everyone's favorite part when it comes to beer) and try something new from there!

GoSpotCzech Brewmaster: Ben Ertz, Data Analyst at GoSpotCheck

[ibimage==27874==Medium==none==self==ibimage_align-left]

When did you start brewing?

Ben: I've been brewing for roughly 3 years now with a few buddies. I started after my fiancee's mom got me a starter kit for my birthday.

What are you working on for the challenge?

Ben: We brewed "GoSpotCzech" a belgian style blonde ale featuring a spot of Czech saaz hops. The malt should be fairly restrained with a refreshing ester profile - banana, clove, bubblegum flavors.

What's your favorite Colorado brew?

Ben: I think O'dell is one of the best breweries - their Cellar series is top notch.

How does startup culture lend itself to supporting your brew-centric habits?Ben: Creativity and progressive ideas is a huge part of homebrewing and startup culture. In brewing beer, there are 4 distinct variables - water, malt & other fermentables, hops, and yeast. Any of these can be adjusted just slightly and create a completely new beer. I tend to take the Ina Garten thought process when imagining what kind of beer to brew - "How bad could that be?"

Read about the Batch 1 brewers

Recent Articles