For as long as I can remember, I have always been the youngest Brewer around: youngest student, youngest trainee and youngest teacher.
I was on the brewing bandwagon about 10 years before it became trendy, and by the time it did, I thought myself lucky. I was a legal brewer before I could legally drink, and in a world where everyone seemed to be getting certified, I was ahead of the game. Or so I thought. While I’m still the youngest, I’m starting to notice the age gap slowly closing. Not because I’m getting older, but because the trainees are getting younger. What does this mean for our profession? What does this mean for our teaching? What does this mean for our students? I’m not going to lie, all of my favourite brewers are older than me. They have been brewing for over a decade, and there is a quiet competence in their brewing. I haven’t stumbled upon many young brewers who are as intelligently submersed in the brewing. When new brewers come to me for training, I send them to my teachers—older, wiser, more experienced—people whom I trust to give a good, solid answer. Why am I not giving these answers myself? I sup...