Plenty of Swag to Go Around...

Being that the club is comprised of creators, be it Landscape Architect or Graphic Artist, everything we do must be accomplished with a unique touch. Simply brewing beer, bottling beer and drinking beer wasn't enough to pass the time (kind of).

Our thought is that only half of the creativity involved in brewing beer has to do with the ingredients of the beer itself. The other half should be applied to the bottle's face and cap...and t-shirts...and glasses. You can see where this uncontrolled creativity could get out of hand. Since each of our styles varies, we needed something to brand our club's efforts and provide a framework for each member's 'bursting' creativity. This is where our dedicated Graphic Artist (and wife) stepped in. Our brand was established through the custom OCBC logo and applied to shirts and glasses. Many friends, family and fans are already able to take part in our club with the nearly 100 glasses and t-shirts that have been ordered and distributed in the past few weeks.

The OCBC logo, t-shirts and glasses weren't enough. We wanted to create an identity for each beer through artwork and by name. Keeping the OCBC brand in mind, our Graphic Artist (and wife) created a template package for our labels to be placed within. These templates act as the unifying element for our distinctly different designs (and beers). When a member creates a beer and names it, that member then designs artwork inspired by that beer and places it into the template creating the BEER LABEL (At Home IPA shown). Each beer and its label is unique and shows insight to its originator.

We are all creators, liking many different types of beer and design, brought together by the sport of brewing!

Brewing At OCBC Is A Team Sport

The OCBC has learned lots of things about brewing in the past few months, but one of the main things that we have learned is that working as a team, and using our numbers, helps make a better beer and a better time.

When we started the club we knew that we wanted several members to not only help split the costs, but also to help split the work. Some of that work is the menial tasks of cleaning, removing bottle labels, and just watching water boil. It also helps that more people are available to run and get ingredients or equipment when emergency or convenience arises. It also seems that the biggest tasks that we need more numbers on is the mental tasks of keeping all of the tasks straight and in order. It is also to get everyone's opinion on how some of these processes are to be done.

Do we mix the yeast straight into the carboy? Do we really need to sanitize that? Weren't we supposed to rack that beer today?

We have simplified the brewing schedule with an Outlook calendar, but on some days when we are brewing, bottling, and racking on the same day, the steps get muddied. We have gotten these tasks streamlined and all able to be completed in 3 hours. That being said, all it takes is forgetting to sanitize something or in which order things need to happen to add an extra 30 minutes or more to the process.

Luckily we are doing this for fun and time isn't really money, but is just time. Of course extra time brewing isn't so bad since we are drinking beer and hanging out, but we can do that sitting on the couch watching football. I guess we wouldn't appreciate the success of tasting a delicious craft beer as much if it didn't take a little sacrifice and hard work, and is why there is no "I" in OCBC.

Orlando Brewing Fieldtrip

Tonight was an education field trip for the OCBC. The Club was due a visit to our local professional brewery (1 of 27 in the state), Orlando Brewing Company. Orlando Brewing is Florida’s only certified organic brewery, and is only 1 of 9 in the entire US! We also found out what it actually means to be organic; It means that ingredients used in crafting their ales are grown without insecticides, bioengineering, genetically modified organisms, sewage sludge or irradiation. Orlando Brewing's Blonde, Pale, Red & Brown Ale, Olde Pelican, Blackwater Dry Porter and European Pilz, are officially certified Organic by the USDA. All our beers are the only ones declared “Fresh From Florida” by the State’s Department of Agriculture. Not only can you taste the difference, but you can see the freshness of the "live" brew.

The main things that the Club took away from the brewery tour and visit with the guide was:
1. We have to move to kegging
2. Recipes are non proprietary
and 3. The only difference in their operation and ours is scale


Moving to kegging was something that we were already exploring, but the explained that going to this process is a big step in growing as a brewing operation. It allows us to skip 2 weeks of the brewing process by adding carbonation through CO2 instead of sugar in the bottles. They even said that if we wanted bottles we could keg the beer, and then turn around and bottle them and drink them immediately. It also made it easier to store and transport than 50 glass bottles.

We also learned that the recipes that we were using from stores, books, and the internet were non proprietary If we can execute the recipes correctly, make good beer, enter it in a competition, and win, it is our prize and our beer. The names and logos that we create are the only things that are proprietor and cannot be taken by anyone else. I am glad we have Michael and Susie to make such an awesome logo and guide us through our label making.

Lastly we learned that the process of making beer doesn't change, just the size of the operation. The owners of Orlando brewing started out like us, with 5 gallon carboys and experimenting with recipes. We did learn all of their processes and how they treat their water, equipment, and ingredients, but it still came down to good water, malt, hops, and yeast.

Orlando Brewing was an impressive facility, with 12 solid beers that are always on tap there and then another 8-10 that they brew seasonally. They have a cool volunteer program that allows curious home brewers the chance to gain knowledge of larger scale brewing by helping clean and do any tasks that are required to make the brew and ship it out. Best of all it showed us that brewing attracts good people and brings people together in good fellowship.