Boulder takes some weight off my shoulders.

After an unexpected depression bout in the middle of what is sure to be the greatest Motorcycle trip of my life (so far) I got the opportunity to work at Boulder Beer Co. in Boulder, Co. Boulder is the oldest craft brewery in Colorado. They got their start on what was essentially a goat farm in 1979. As you enter the building where they have been located since 1984 there are some pretty hilarious pictures of the good old days when a goat could still be used as a bottle opener.

 A little about Boulder Beer -















Boulder has been in the same single location with many of the original brewing and fermentation vessels still in use. Most of the original equipment is still in use today, with new additions made to keep up with customer demand. After 32 years of cranking out top-notch beers, there is actually a series of grooves worn into the Mash vessel from years of a mash rake sliding there. Since there were nearly no small breweries in 1984 most of the equipment in the brewery was adapted or custom made in the early years of operation at Boulder. This would be true for any of the early comers to the craft industry. Everywhere in the brewery,  from the adapted wort chiller that started it's life at a dairy farm to the insulation wrapped fermenters in the old cellar, there is evidence of the ingenuity that has made craft beer successful. When this brewery was started there was no network of raw materials vendors in place for the craft industry. This made sourcing malt and hops very challenging. In the beginning Boulder bought theirs from the good people at Coors. The mill used at Boulder is over 100 years old! Using a machine that is destined to be a museum piece is a bold move. If anything breaks parts must be made rather than purchased. Brewing beer isn't always pretty, it is messy work in a hot cramped environment. Most breweries in America are a far cry from what you will see when you tour a regional powerhouse or a national macro brewery. You will see transfer hoses rather than acres of gleaming stainless steel transfer piping. There will be few automated valves, and the floor will look like it's actually been walked on. When you are in a small brewery you will actually see brewers moving about quickly as they try to open or close valves to save precious product from being lost. When you enter the packaging area, rather than seeing 3 people calmly watching an operation status screen, you will see a group of workers who could easily be mistaken for extreme OCD cases due to the intensity and calculation of their every move.

            













Working at Boulder Beer -

When I entered the doors at Boulder I felt like I belonged there. I'm pretty sure this is a major key to the continuing success of this 3o,ooo Bbl brew pub. I was put to work immediately after a nice tour of the facility. This entire trip one thought has continues to follow me. If I were a brewery owner, or a production manager, and someone like me was offered up, I would work that person like a rented mule. I would give them the hardest job I could and see what happened. I have been hoping more people would do what I would do. Luckily for me, Boulder put me to work. I haven't worked on a packaging line that moves this fast where full cases are stacked by hand. I quickly realized my experience on a more automated bottling line had spoiled me. Bottling beer is hard enough when you have all of the luxuries afforded to you by working for a larger brewery. When every case needs to be placed on a pallet by hand that just makes you sore. Cheers to the people industry wide who do this each day. It's not easy. It is now two days later and my shoulders and back are still protesting.

                                                                                            

After the 12oz bottling run there was a 1 hour period of down time where the employees changed the line over to handle 22oz bottles. I'm sure this was made significantly slower due to me asking questions about the process along with general brewery questions. As it turns out a majority of the bottling personnel are new employees. This came as a complete surprise to me. It seemed they knew exactly where to be and what to do at every moment. I left the bottling line incredibly impressed.

                                                       

How I got here -

My day of work at Boulder is owed partly to my friend Tamar. She offered me her extra ticket to a beer event that Boulder was hosting for their 32nd anniversary. Once I was at the event I met David Zuckerman, Brewmaster of Boulder Beer. He seemed to like what I was attempting to do and invited me in for a day. Thanks David and Tamar.

David Zuckerman tells me about the brew house at Boulder.

The Beer Event -

As I have only been on the other side of the table at brewery events I grabbed the free ticket and ran with it. I wondered what it would be like to actually enjoy an event on such a basic level. Sure it's fun for the brewers when so many loyal beer lovers come out and tell them their beer is the greatest. Who doesn't want to be appreciated? The thing is, they already knew they made a quality product before they walked in the door. What they really want is to enjoy their weekend away from work with some beer of their own. What I really wanted to know was - Is it really as much fun for the guests as it seems to be? I was on my motorcycle so I was in no position to over-indulge myself. This left me calculating every beer choice I made. It basically came down to what I hadn't had before. This seemed like a solid plan at first.....I quickly realized I was in a state I had never been to, at an event dominated by beers I had never had. It got complicated very early. I had a lot more beer than I wanted to early in the event. This left me unable to try a few things I should have, it also left me unable to leave immediately after the end of the event. Normally I walk or take the train to a beer event. This time I had arrived by motorcycle. Since I am living on my bike I needed to leave by motorcycle. I ended up having an hour long phone conversation on the sidewalk to allow time between drinking and riding. This was after not having a beer for at least an hour before leaving the event. Next time I go to one of these things I will be arriving by any means other than personal transport. What I learned from this experience is this - It is really hard to pace yourself with so much awesome beer around, and so much competition to try the awesome beers you wish you could try. Having finally learned that I will feel a lot different about being accosted by - uhmm, overenthusiastic beer lovers when I'm on the other side of the table.

My experience at this brewery was a great one. I loved working there for the day. Had I done even a tiny bit of research (other than beer related) before walking in I would have realized they serve great food at this brewery! I had a burrito the size of my forearm paired with the Cold Hop ale. This beer was made to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the GABF. This ale was brewed with Maris Otter malt and the character derived from this choice of malt makes it a perfect pairing with a flour tortilla filled with greatness. If you're in the Boulder area don't miss a chance to experience the beer and atmosphere at Boulder Beer Co.

Cheers,


Ray


Today I am going to bail hops at a Hop farm in Paonia, CO. I would up here because I was tired and when I saw a small brewery called Revolution Brewery on the street I decided this would be a good town to stop. I me a guy named Rich who told me about a hop farmer in town. Minutes later the farmer walked in and we talked about his farm. That led to me asking if I could work there for a day.........