October 11, 2006
Why I Brew Beer (and more)
As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m an engineer (electrical). Engineering is the study of how things work, and the science of using that knowledge to make something happen. While most engineers are seen as analytical types, design engineering is an inherently creative process. An artist wants to draw a picture. He has a picture in his mind, and uses paint, charcoal, even computer graphics, to build a final picture that meets what he has in his mind. A design engineer does the same thing. He has a problem to solve, or a product to create. Instead of paint, he uses other materials, but the knowledge and process of adapting those materials to the task is creative.
I’m a creative guy, but I’m not a design engineer. Frankly, I’m okay with that. Design engineering, while it can be very creative, can also be very repetitive. I’m sure if you design one computer motherboard, designing the next isn’t that much different. Not that being a painter is all that different; often, if you’re a “commercial” artist, you rarely get to paint what you want, you’re forced to paint what your employer wants. I’m not sure I’d like a job where I sat in a cubicle all day designing different variations of the same thing over and over and over. What I am is a “Field Applications Engineer”. This is a much different job, where I am the technical contact for customers implementing our products. I don’t do any design, but help customers figure out why certain things in their designs aren’t working. It’s a dynamic environment, where I’m exposed to a wide range of industries, of new people, and am forced to use a lot more than my engineering abilities to be successful.
But I’m still creative, and I don’t get much creative satisfaction from my job. So I look for outlets where I find them. Blogging is one outlet, as writing is an inherently creative activity. But it doesn’t pique some of my other senses, and it’s not very interesting to talk about in the meatspace world. I need something that I can build, craft, and admire.
Enter brewing. It has everything I want in a hobby. First and foremost, I am learning how things work. As an engineer, I have a deep-seated tendency to try to understand anything I look at. Beer is one of those things, to realize how different yeast strains, different fermentation temps, mash temps, boil times, combinations of grains and hops, all result in a much different final product. There’s science, and big words like “flocculation” and “melanoidin”, which are always fun to use at parties!
Even beyond understanding, though, it’s creating. Because I have control over the process, I can choose to make a beer that I want to drink. From the initial recipe, to tweaking the various parts of the process to magnify or reduce the various taste components I want, I am making this beer “my own”. And when you create something, you are proud of your creation. Even more importantly, when it comes to brewing, you can drink it!
Last, though, is sharing. Most creative people have a certain vanity. We like to be told that what we did was good. I love sharing my beer with other folks, and seeing if they like it. Just this past weekend, I took some of the Belgian Strong Dark Ale over to our neighborhood Oktoberfest party, and got some rave reviews. As an engineer, whenever I try to describe to family or friends what I do, their eyes glaze over. When I talk about politics or blogging, the same thing happens. But when I pour them a glass of beer, it’s a universal thing. I have something that I’ve done that I can share with others, which is always fun.
So tonight, I will be drawing my first pint of the Bloody Leprechaun Irish Red Ale, to again experience the rewards of the best hobby I’ve ever had…
3 Comments
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Cheers. Nice post.
I think what you do as an engineer would be much more creative than a design engineer. I am surprised that you do not get that kind of satisfaction from your job, but I am glad that you have found your creative calling.
VRB,
I love my job, but it’s not all that creative. I do think I prefer this job to being a design engineer, but I’m glad I’ve found something to do outside the 9-5 that I enjoy so much.