Pucky Aiken.

The Basics

Where are you from?
West Jordan, Utah

I’ve been a Lauter Day Brewers member:
Just over two years

Do you have a homebrewing disaster you’d like to share?
I bought a 200K btu burner, which I still use today, and didn’t quite follow the directions to burn off the paint (why they’d even bother painting it is another question). For the first two batches I brewed, both beers tasted like I added a cup of paint to the recipe. They each had a moderate amount of paint ash float into the boil. I’m sticking to that as the cause, but I am probably wrong.

Do you have any pets or kids named after beer styles or ingredients?
No. I’m not that creative. My wife would also disapprove… of having any kids.

Do you have a good Homebrew club story you’d like to share
The last December holiday party was, in my opinion, an absolute madhouse of people. Getting anywhere in the brewery was extremely difficult, and I’m fairly sure that is why we have a code of conduct today.

If you could serve your homebrew to someone famous, who would it be and what would you give her/him?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – lemon citra pale ale

List some of the names you’ve given your beers. Which is your favorite?
Pucky’s Chocky Milk Stout, Summer Porch Citrus Pale Ale, SMaSHing Indeed, and Lemony Citrus – a Series of Unfortunate Ferments. The last one is my favorite, just for eyeroll reasons.

Have you won any homebrew competition medals? If yes, what place and for what beer(s)?
No medals, just swag from ReAle Section 26 competition. 10th annual 2018 – 1st place with Creamy Coffee Ale. 11th annual 2019 – 2nd with Creamy Coffee Ale and Cucumber-Melon Farmhouse Saison.

Brewing Experience

How long have you been homebrewing?
About four years.

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it turn out?
Belgian Wit extract kit. I’m sure it was infected, but it turned out with a pleasant mild sour flavor.

What is/are your favorite style(s) to brew?
IPAs, Porter/Stout, Experimental ales

What style(s) would you never brew?
Gruit, Biere de Garde, Rauchbier

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that you’ve found to make your beer better/brewing easier, etc?
I’m open for reasonable suggestions.

What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever used in a brew?
Chai spices – not recommended. No, I mean it. Stay away from it.

How I Brew

Describe Your Brew system
Labor-intensive all grain setup with a mash tun stacked on a chair supported by sawhorses. Precarious, step-stool assisted batch sparging, and gravity lautering to the boil kettle. Counterflow chilling into fermentation bucket, and oxygenation by fish tank aerator.

How frequently do you brew?
About once a month

Are you an indoor or outdoor brewer?
Garage

Do you brew alone, with friends or with someone you live with?
Alone… so… alone

Do you have a favorite hop? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
No real favorites, just some I tend to use more often out of familiarity.

Do you have a favorite malt? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
Golden Promise, more robust than 2-row, yet not as full as Vienna or Maris Otter

Do you have a favorite yeast? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
Denny’s Favorite. It tends to leave more biscuit maltiness than US-05, though it’s specific to only a few beers I brew.