We recently had the pleasure of inviting Isaac Overacker, an avid homebrewer, to spend a day at Standing Stone Brewing Co. and take part in the professional brewing process. Isaac was the lucky winner of a raffle prize we donated to a homebrewing event hosted by our friends at Grains, Beans & Things (supplies for homebrewers). It was a great experience so we thought we’d share it here.

Homebrewers are vocal proponents of small craft breweries. As a professional brewer I always enjoy conversing with homebrewers who are as passionate about their avocation as I am about my work. Here at the brewery, we love to welcome our hobbyist friends and help them advance their craft. So, when Dennis Dye of the Bear Creek Homebrew Club called for a raffle prize for a “Learn to Homebrew Day” event hosted by Grains, Beans, & Things as part of an annual, nationwide celebration sponsored by the American Homebrewers Association, I was glad to help. After musing about what a home brewer might like most, I thought they’d probably enjoy working on professional equipment and being able to share questions and insights with a brewmaster. So, we offered the grand prize of “Brewer for the Day,” providing the lucky winner with the opportunity to spend the day brewing at Standing Stone Brewing Co., including sampling our range of beers, eating a delicious lunch and taking home a Standing Stone t-shirt.

Isaac sent us a note reflecting on his experience and has allowed us to post it here:

I stopped by Grains Beans & Things a few weeks ago to pick up a few supplies for my next batch of beer. While I was there, I entered a drawing to be a “brewer for the day” at Standing Stone Brewing Company. I’ve been brewing all-grain with my dad for two years, but when I won the opportunity to help brew a batch of beer at Standing Stone, I knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to improve my techniques. Spending a day helping a brewer as skilled and friendly as Larry was certainly one of the best things I’ve done for my brewing! Incorporating some of his tips and tricks, we improved the mash efficiency of our next batch by 50%. But more importantly, I had a lot of fun. Thank you, Larry, and the rest of the Standing Stone staff, for a great day! ~ Isaac

We had fun too, Isaac! Thanks for coming by, and thanks to Grains, Beans & Things and the American Homebrewers Association for supporting the growing movement of homebrewers. If you’d like the opportunity to be a “Brewer for the Day,” or know a special someone who would, we offer this package for purchase with other merchandise and gift items . . .perfect for the holidays or any day.