A New Brewer in Town

Introducing Thomas, our new brewer!

I learned after my first batch that stovetop brewing was not going to work, so I bought a bigger brew kettle and started brewing with my dad in his garage.  We brewed a few more batches from kits using extracts that turned out pretty good.  It wasn't long before I made the switch to all-grain brewing in a bag (BIAB) and I felt the quality of our beer really improved.  Eventually, I upgraded to kegging my homebrews and serving them from a temperature controlled chest freezer.  With the help of podcasts like Brulosophy, Beersmith, and Craft Beer and Brewing, and YouTube channels like The Homebrew Challenge and Clawhammer Supply, I started to become more confident in my brewing. 

Since I was a teacher with my summers off, I applied for a job at Dodge City Brewing during the summer of 2018.  I started work behind the bar but also started picking up shifts in the back.  I cleaned fermenters and kegs to begin, but eventually got to hang out with Larry on a brew day.  I learned a lot that summer and I really think it helped with my homebrewing.

After the summer of 2018, I continued to drive to Dodge City to bother Larry with samples of my homebrew and he was awesome with his feedback.  In the spring of 2019, I purchased his three-vessel electric homebrew system around the same time the pandemic shutdowns were occurring.  Teaching online from home, I had all spring and summer to practice on this new set-up and improve my craft even more. 

As pandemic restrictions started to fade, homebrew competitions began to resume.  The first one I entered was hosted by Walnut River Brewing in El Dorado in November of 2021.  The unique part of this competition is you were encouraged to bring your homebrew set-up and brew on site at their brewery.  Groups of homebrewers packed in their parking lot on Black Friday for a day of brewing and great conversation.  I chose to brew a Black IPA and when judging day came in January 2022, I won!  It was on the drive home from El Dorado that I told my wife I was ready to switch careers and brew full time. 

I spent spring break applying to multiple brewing jobs in Kansas and nearby states, but the offer I received in May was one I couldn't turn down.  Larry asked me to come on board, learn from him, and eventually take over brewing here at DCB.  I resigned from my math teaching job and started working in May 2022.  After a few months of training, I took over brewing full time in August. 

Many of the beers I have brewed so far have been Larry's recipes with small adjustments that him and I have made together.  A few, including Long Branch Porter and Spruce Street IPA, are beers that I have designed.  With the wealth of knowledge I have learned from Larry, I aim to continue his legacy of brewing quality beer here in Southwest Kansas' first craft brewery.  I will be doing a lot of my brewing on Saturdays, so stop by the taproom for a beer sometime this summer and say hello! 

Cheers!

Thomas Derstein

Head Brewer

Dodge City Brewing