This interview is a part of a continuing series of interviews with the Brewers of the beer brewing community from across the World. Brewer World will share business and personal insights from Brew masters, Head Brewers, Brewing Managers each week to help build the industry network and consumers understand beer well.

This week, the Brewer talking to Brewer World is Satyam Awasthi, Head Brewer, The Pump House, Bengaluru.

Excerpts….

You make beer for a living. How cool is that?

I do make beers for a living. Indeed it’s a super fantastic job because I really enjoy it. I am kind of an artist who understands the science behind Brewing. A guy like me who never settles for less, crafting beer is a perfect job where permutation and combination of the recipes are endless.

How do you describe what you do?

Every beer comes with a recipe that includes a selection of malt, hops, yeast, and water profile. After that is how to execute it as per the brewing facility, looking after the fermentation process, and once the beer is ready, how perfectly it should reach the consumer. So you may say, I take care of the journey of grains until it is called ‘beer.’

What does your work entail?

A privilege and entailed part of this job is ‘Beer Tasting’. I do beer tasting almost every day to make sure beers are being served fresh and flavourful. So, one should be aware of beer faults too.

How did you start your career in the beer industry?

While pursuing my postgraduate programme, I explored the working culture and scope in the distillery, blending units, winery, and microbreweries. And what I observed in these mega production units is that there is not one person who will hold hands and take the time to guide me as per my skill sets. Craft brewing is a growing industry and the process gets me excited.

Tell us about yourself.

I am blessed with a great sense of humour, and a very easy-going person. I enjoy talking about beers, new beer trends, and all that I can offer to the craft beer community. And I am a big-time foodie who loves exploring new cuisines.

What do you like about what you do?

After a long brew day, enjoying my favourite beer is the best part of my job.

Is there something that you dislike about being a brew master?

Genuinely, everything comes with pros and cons, so there is nothing I can say expressly about disliking anything being a brew master.

What is most rewarding as a brewer?

The most rewarding thing as a brewer is when people really enjoy the beers I brew, especially for a new recipe. After putting my heart and soul into a recipe and the process, if someone appreciates it, that is the best feeling in the world I guess.

You have a degree in Fermentation technology. Could you tell us about it?

Fermentation is the soul of any kind of alcoholic beverage. Just that we manipulate it as per our requirements. During my fermentation technology course, I studied fermentation in the dairy industry, molasses-based distilleries, grain-based distillery, winery, brewery, and baker’s yeast production. In addition, I intensely learned about the biochemistry of yeast and other microbes.

How do you come up with new beer recipes?

Inspiration for the new recipe can be drawn through even a small talk. It could also be guest suggestions, local ingredients, sometimes we come across something interesting while travelling, or also while playing around with the favourite malt or hops. Sometimes I would just want to see the behaviour of any specific yeast and a new recipe is formed.

Which is your favourite Brewery and beer?

I am very fond of Rauch. Schlenkerla from Bamberg makes the best Rauch I have ever tried which makes it my favourite brewery too. If there is an award for the Best Brewery In India, my vote goes to Doolally, where I learned how to be true to the beer style.

Who do you look up to in the industry?

I like to appreciate the beers more than to appreciate the person who made it because it will be made for a particular reason. You need a team to make a good beer. I believe in learning from everyone in all possible ways. Definitely, my career is phenomenal because of the people who guided me, especially Doolally’s team, with whom I spent over four years.

Have you read about the Brewer Who doesn't drink beer yet?