Profile of Keith Brady
Profile of Keith Brady Maybe a little History to start things off. For the longest time I was a strictly a High Life, MBL and Miller Lite guy, mainly due to the financial hardships that go along with High School and College. I hated bitter, hoppy beers and big strong dark beers. Pretty much if it didn't come in a 30 pack, I didn't like it. I attended the University of Iowa where my knack for all that is science steered me into pursuing a degree in Biology followed by a Masters degree in Microbiology. Then one day in 2005, one of my close friends (Magnet) started aggressively homebrewing. As a microbiologist I found the process of brewing extremely interesting and a natural hobby. I slowly started to taste his brews and appreciate the ingredients utilized to make beer and slowly developed a taste for other beers outside of the Commercial light beer world. I quickly became his full time brew assistant or “Brew Padawan” as he would say. As my interest in brewing grew so did my palate. It started with what I call the "Gateway Beer" Fat Tire and then Sam Adams Boston lager. From there the flood gates opened and before I knew it there wasn't a beer I wouldn't try and the majority of the time finish. More importantly I became addicted to Hops. There was not an IPA out there I wouldn't try, but only a few that could truly satisfy my addiction to the Bitter Beast. I began gathering basic brewing equipment to brew on my own in the Winter of 2006, and attempted my first batch the following spring of 2007. My first batch was an amber ale I named “Master Dale’s Amber Ale” after my old man who was assisting me that day. From that day on I was hooked. After completing graduate school, I decided it was time to get serious about homebrewing and began accumulating all the necessary homebrew equipment. I naturally switched to all grain brewing from extract and scaled up to 10 gallons batches. I purchased a brand new refrigerator in 2009 and had no ill emotions to immediately voiding its warranty by drilling holes into it and transforming it into a kegerator. I enjoy not only the end product of homebrewing, but more importantly the process required to obtain the end product. To me it’s more than just being able to kick back a few beers, it respecting all that goes into those beers and enjoying a beer that no one else has ever tried. A creation of my own hard work, that good or bad, I can say “I’ve created something unique.” Every batch is a new adventure! Slainte` Brady