Fine beer, friendship — and lots of cleaning
Nearly two years on from opening his tavern, Alexandra man Sam Forsyth has developed his craft, going from strength to strength. Tom Kitchin asked him about the complexities of brewing beer.
Q
What jobs did you do before this one?
I had a retail motorcycle accessory shop in Perth for 17 years — I grew up in Mosgiel and Taieri but lived in Australia for 24 years. I came to Alexandra in 2004 and started my own drainlaying and excavation business.
Q
Why did you choose this job?
I got sick of the insipid beer being marketed by the duopoly Lion and DB. I drank other craft beer, e.g. Emerson’s, and they were great.
Q
How did you get into it and when?
I was inspired by a book I read by Sam Calagione, who started Dogfish Head Brewery in the US.
Q
What qualifications and training did you need?
I did a weeklong brewing course at Massey University in Palmerston North in 2013.
Also, you should listen to other brewers; you never stop learning.
Q
What personal skills do you need?
You need to be resilient, learn from mistakes, go to the school of hard knocks, have good time
management you do. and believe in what
Q Any physical requirements?
No physical requirements. There is nothing heavy to lift with the equipment I have.
Q What do you do on a daily basis?
Daytoday running of a tavern — brewing, washing kegs and fermenters and cleaning.
Q What is the most challenging aspect?
Compliance with food standards, which continually change, and trying to get my beer into other outlets — bars and stores.
Q Are there any particular health and safety issues?
Be very aware of hot liquid, boiling wort.
Q What is the most interesting assignment you’ve had?
Brewing enough beer for my first Alexandra Blossom Festival. We had to brew for one or two months before the festival.
Q How has the job changed since you started?
It’s much easier as my systems and procedures evolve. For example, we now have a purposebuilt temperaturecontrolled fermentation room.
Q What’s something people generally don’t know about the job?
All the cleaning and sanitising of kegs, bottles and fermenters involved — brewing is 90% cleaning.
Q What are the highs of the job?
Meeting likeminded customers that have become friends. Enjoying better beer.
Q What are the lows of the job?
Working 50 to 60hour weeks over seven days.
Q What are you proudest of doing in the job?
Opening the tavern and pizza bar. It took so much to get here and
get the beers up to standard.
Q What’s the strangest thing you’ve had to do?
A Czech couple got married here and came to sample my beers to use for the wedding and chose my Pilsner. Q What is the salary?
$30,000$50,000. Q Where will you be 10 years from now?
Still brewing, I hope, in Alexandra and selling further afield.
Q What is your holiday situation? Do you get normal leave?
I get the odd day/night away.