Customer of the Month – Josh Takacs

How long have you been homebrewing?

4 Years. I started with a brown ale boxed brew kit from Costco and quickly moved to full boil extract batches. Got hooked on the art and science and started all grain.

What is your favorite beer style to make?

No favorite. Trying to brew them all! My German beers seem to please the most of my friends and family.

Have you won any medals or awards?

Yes. I have had success in Brew Hut competitions, the Arapahoe County Fair HomeBrew Competition, and first round at NHC.

Describe your brewing system or equipment.

I recently switched to a 65L Brewzilla from Kegland. It allows me to do full volume mash for my typical 5.5 gallon recipe (BIAB). I then pump through a plate chiller to either a Spike Conical fermenter or a Grainfather Conical fermenter. I then hook up a glycol chiller to get things down to pitching temp and methodically monitor with a Tilt hydrometer. Once fermentation is complete I transfer to kegs and load up my kegerator.

What piece of equipment or brewing process has made the most difference in your beer?

I go back and forth on this one. It would either be my glycol chiller or my Tilt hydrometer. I believe the Tilt Hydrometer wins out as it stops me from sampling too much.

What other fermented beverages have you made?

None. I’m all beer

What other hobbies and interests do you have?

I recently got back into video games and love tabletop games. 

Is there anything else that you would like to share about yourself?

Working in IT supporting environmental scientists has proven to be a constant challenge and learning opportunity. Seeing meticulous methodology in practice has rubbed off on my home brewing and drives me to produce better beer in the most efficient way possible. I have had my fair share of issues with batches and have even dumped whole kegs, but knowing that I can find the issue and correct it keeps me thirsty for perfection.