Diego Lurati.

Brewer of the Month – Diego Lurati

Home Town (City, State): SLC, UT via NJ (SLC via The Humane Society)

Homebrew Club: Lauter Day Brewers

I’ve been a homebrewer since: 2013

Do you have a homebrewing disaster you’d like to share? I’ve got tons. My personal favorite, is when I was still living in my apartment, I had my wort chiller hooked up to my washer feed line and dumping into the washer itself. I thought I was a genius. Well, I walked away for a few minutes, and I came back to the sound of gushing water hitting the floor. I forgot to tighten the hose clamp. Fortunately my very patient girlfriend helped me use every towel we owned to clean it up. And my landlord was none the wiser.

What is your favorite style(s) to brew? My last 4 batches have been a blonde ale.

What style(s) will you never brew? Rauchbier. It just isn’t for me.

What was the first beer you ever brewed?  How did it turn out? A Blue Moon clone. It was horrendous. I have learned since then, that temp control is a beautiful thing.

Have you ever had a homebrew mistake that turned out great? Not at all.

What is your favorite beer recipe? This is a modified version of Gordon Strongs American Blonde Ale that I found a few months ago.

Citra Blonde Ale:
* 5 lbs 2 Row
* 5 lbs Pilsner
* 0.75 lb 10L Munich
* 0.5 lb Caravienne
* 0.5 oz Citra @ 10 mins
* 1 oz Citra @ 5 mins

Ferment @ 65* F on WLP051 (Cali Ale 5)

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that you’ve found to make your beer better/brewing easier, etc? Raspberry Pi, there is so much you can do with them. From the brewing process to the fermentation.

Describe your brew system: A carbon filter. 15.5g keggle (shout out to Emperor Andrew). A 10 gallon Igloo mashtun with a bazooka tube. A 40 plate chiller with a 50′ pre-chiller. And a chugger pump that I’ve yet to actually use. My system changes every time I brew. I’m waiting on my stand to really focus and learn my system.

How frequently do you brew (times/month or /year)? I try to shoot for 2 to 3 times a month. Its been hard lately the last few months, I’ve really been slacking.

What is your favorite hop? Whatever Nils shows up with, or Cascade.

Do you brew alone, with friends or with someone you live with? I would say its 50/50.

Are you an indoor or outdoor brewer? Due to a certain aforementioned mishap, I stick to the outside.