Phil Jaglowski and The Hudecek Brothers
This video focuses on the Hudecek brothers, while the article below relates to Phil Jaglowski. Both are extremely passionate about beer and wanted to share their experiences. Read more about the Hudecek brothers in second part of the story below.
Video and story by Katy Kildee
Jaglowski, Hudeceks passionate about their beer... and Oktoberfest
When Phil Jaglowski’s wife Becca bought him a home brewing kit as a gift, the kitchen of their Sparta, Michigan home quickly fell into disarray. Phil and his setup were moved into the garage, where they remain to this day. Phil says he “suddenly found his passion for beer."
He brews between 12 and 15 ten-gallon batches annually, and although his beer is praised by friends and family, Phil refuses to take money in return. Instead, when a batch is finished, calls are made to friends and family and the beer starts to disappear quickly.
Every October, Phil holds his own Oktoberfest - a huge party with six beers on tap. Family and friends come to enjoy music, company and most importantly, Phil's signature beers.
He has an IPA, a brown ale and many more, but his most popular is an oktoberfest called “Eleanor," (after the car from Gone in 60 Seconds) which took first place in the 2010 National Homebrew Competition in the European Ale Division.
Normally a traditional brewer, Phil has experimented with different techniques. He once made a high gravity beer with 14% alcohol content that featured ingredients such as coffee from Sumatra and Kona, Hawaii, French baking chocolate and bitter chocolate from Brazil. That batch lasted for over two years, and as time passed, the flavor of the beer evolved, as the chocolate flavor replaced the coffee flavor.
Phil took a big step from his starter kit to more expensive and reliable equipment, which allows him to make small, precise changes in his process and really fine-tune each batch.
The tricky part, he says, is maintaining the right temperature at different points in the process. He begins with grain, water, hops and yeast, first mixing and crushing the grains. He then adds the water, bringing the mixture up to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit . That temperature is maintained for 90 minutes.
During that time, enzymes attack the grain, turning its starch into sugar. He then runs hot water through the grains, which picks up those sugars. That liquid is moved to a brew pot, where it's boiled and hops are added at certain intervals, depending on the type of beer desired.
Next, the liquid is crash cooled - brought to 70 degrees in a matter of minutes. It is then moved to the fermenter, where yeast is added. The yeast consumed those sugars from the beginning of the process and produces carbon dioxide and alcohol.
If you're a beginner like me, it might sound a little overwhelming. Phil's advice for those interested in making their own beer is to find a friend or acquaintance who brews, and to observe them at work. He says once you smell those grains and spices brewing, your mind will be made up.
Another family started brewing in a similar way. Brothers and next-door neighbors Andy and Joe Hudecek have been brewing beer since 1997 and have really gotten it down to a science.
Starting with a simple extract kit, their process now involves expensive and reliable equipment that fills Joe’s garage. On brew days, the brothers spend an entire afternoon walking through each step of the process, as friends and family filter in and out to assist.
The “Hudecek Compound” consists of Joe’s house in the middle, with Andy’s and their dad’s on either side. Each year they host their own Oktoberfest and brew approximately 250 gallons of beer for the occasion – the record for consumption in one day is about 165 gallons.
Next to their dad’s house is a garden where they even grow their own hops, which are sometimes used for dry-hopping (adding hops while the beer is fermenting). Watch the video above to see their brewing process first-hand!
Jaglowski, Hudeceks passionate about their beer... and Oktoberfest
When Phil Jaglowski’s wife Becca bought him a home brewing kit as a gift, the kitchen of their Sparta, Michigan home quickly fell into disarray. Phil and his setup were moved into the garage, where they remain to this day. Phil says he “suddenly found his passion for beer."
He brews between 12 and 15 ten-gallon batches annually, and although his beer is praised by friends and family, Phil refuses to take money in return. Instead, when a batch is finished, calls are made to friends and family and the beer starts to disappear quickly.
Every October, Phil holds his own Oktoberfest - a huge party with six beers on tap. Family and friends come to enjoy music, company and most importantly, Phil's signature beers.
He has an IPA, a brown ale and many more, but his most popular is an oktoberfest called “Eleanor," (after the car from Gone in 60 Seconds) which took first place in the 2010 National Homebrew Competition in the European Ale Division.
Normally a traditional brewer, Phil has experimented with different techniques. He once made a high gravity beer with 14% alcohol content that featured ingredients such as coffee from Sumatra and Kona, Hawaii, French baking chocolate and bitter chocolate from Brazil. That batch lasted for over two years, and as time passed, the flavor of the beer evolved, as the chocolate flavor replaced the coffee flavor.
Phil took a big step from his starter kit to more expensive and reliable equipment, which allows him to make small, precise changes in his process and really fine-tune each batch.
The tricky part, he says, is maintaining the right temperature at different points in the process. He begins with grain, water, hops and yeast, first mixing and crushing the grains. He then adds the water, bringing the mixture up to about 150 degrees Fahrenheit . That temperature is maintained for 90 minutes.
During that time, enzymes attack the grain, turning its starch into sugar. He then runs hot water through the grains, which picks up those sugars. That liquid is moved to a brew pot, where it's boiled and hops are added at certain intervals, depending on the type of beer desired.
Next, the liquid is crash cooled - brought to 70 degrees in a matter of minutes. It is then moved to the fermenter, where yeast is added. The yeast consumed those sugars from the beginning of the process and produces carbon dioxide and alcohol.
If you're a beginner like me, it might sound a little overwhelming. Phil's advice for those interested in making their own beer is to find a friend or acquaintance who brews, and to observe them at work. He says once you smell those grains and spices brewing, your mind will be made up.
Another family started brewing in a similar way. Brothers and next-door neighbors Andy and Joe Hudecek have been brewing beer since 1997 and have really gotten it down to a science.
Starting with a simple extract kit, their process now involves expensive and reliable equipment that fills Joe’s garage. On brew days, the brothers spend an entire afternoon walking through each step of the process, as friends and family filter in and out to assist.
The “Hudecek Compound” consists of Joe’s house in the middle, with Andy’s and their dad’s on either side. Each year they host their own Oktoberfest and brew approximately 250 gallons of beer for the occasion – the record for consumption in one day is about 165 gallons.
Next to their dad’s house is a garden where they even grow their own hops, which are sometimes used for dry-hopping (adding hops while the beer is fermenting). Watch the video above to see their brewing process first-hand!