Brewing beer is a science in itself.
It is all the more remarkable when someone takes on this tradition in their spare time.
Like Anton Winkler from Helfenbrunn.
Helfenbrunn
- Anton Winkler had been preoccupied with the idea of brewing beer himself since his youth.
However, if the right equipment and the necessary information were still missing at the time, he used the corona pandemic to make his dream come true.
And so a beer is produced in Helfenbrunn several times a year that is not only impressive, but above all one thing: incredibly tasty.
Winkler is actually not a classic beer drinker at all: "Every now and then a glass, nothing more," says the native of Passau.
Rather, what appeals to him is the brewing process per se, the tricky things and the search for suitable solutions.
That is why Winkler never brews the same variety a second time, even if he has exactly hit the taste.
The dream of your own beer
Even at a young age he was fascinated by the following thought: How is beer brewed and can't you make it at home? Without the internet and a great deal of specialist knowledge, however, it failed because of the ingredients - because hops, for example, could only have been bought in a large container at the time. So why didn't Winkler become a brewer with so much interest in the Bavarian national drink? There is a simple explanation for this, because in addition to brewing, his heart beat for electrical engineering very early on. “I loved tinkering as a child,” says Winkler, who then turned this passion into a profession and put the passion for beer brewing aside for the time being. But he never completely let go of the idea of creating his own beer, not even in America.
For professional reasons, Winkler was traveling there, more precisely in Dallas.
"The beer selection is quite limited there," remembers Winkler, who surprisingly found specialties there.
Because it was precisely at this time that the craft beer scene in America, i.e. craft beer in a wide variety of taste nuances, was expanding.
Winkler then took this enthusiasm for such a high degree of beer diversity with him to Germany: The time was finally ripe for Winkler to finally brew his own beer - even though it was delayed again for private reasons, namely, he became a father.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
The pandemic and a work colleague who also brews then gave the final impetus to revive the tradition of Winkler's great-grandmother in Helfenbrunn. He knows from stories that it has already brewed it at home. However, her beer was already quite thin - and it would have torn a few bottles again and again, because a lot was brewed according to feeling and little according to recipe. And that is very important to Winkler: “Everything works like a recipe!” In addition, there is a golden rule, emphasizes Winkler: “If you don't like cleaning, brewing beer is nothing for you!” Because hygiene is the be-all and end-all when brewing, as Winkler emphasizes. The rest is specialist knowledge and trial and error - and of course the best ingredients. He gets them largely online,because there, for example, malt and hops do not have to be removed by the kilo, as he says. It started with a 20-liter pot, but has since switched to a 50-liter pot, because then the effort is simply more profitable.
Nonetheless, Anton Winkler emphasizes: "I would not have believed that it was all so complex - it is not a study for nothing!" The most expensive for him are hops and yeast, he currently needs around 190 grams of hops for almost 30 liters of beer.
The yeast, top-fermented or bottom-fermented, provides the most varied taste profiles - and here too, Winkler first had to find the right blend and variety for himself.
Before the yeast is added, however, the beer is poured into barrels - and fermentation takes place there, which Winkler keeps a meticulous eye on via a sensor.
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The hobby brewer measures the original gravity using a refractometer.
A science in itself.
© Lorenz
Cooking and preparation in the pot takes around eight hours, the fermentation process in the barrels can take around 14 days - depending on the yeast.
What is also important: The beer has to be cooled because otherwise it will change a lot as it progresses.
Winkler answers the question of when a beer is ready per se with an old brewing wisdom: "The beer is ready when the last bottle is empty!"
It can't be more than 200 liters
But how long can the hobby brewer get by with a ration of home-brewed beer?
According to Winkler, that always depends on who wants a bottle of it.
Because he likes to give his beer away to friends and acquaintances who in the meantime appreciate his beer very much.
He is allowed to brew 200 liters a year, and if more he would have to pay actual taxes.
But Winkler does not want to emit such a large amount, because he is still interested in having fun.
Nevertheless, Winkler comes up with two pieces of advice before the tasting: 1. If you want to save money on brewing, you are badly advised.
A liter of beer costs him 1.43 euros.
And 2. Beer is always brewing, it never comes out, as they say in Bavaria.
The tasting, however, shows: The Helfenbrunner Winkler beer can confidently compete with any other beer.
At any time!