Max Kleber.

The Basics

Where are you from?
I grew up in Colorado; I moved to Utah about five years ago for work.

I’ve been a Lauter Day Brewers member for:
I’ve been involved in the club for about a year and a half now.

Do you have a homebrewing disaster you’d like to share?
The first batch I ever made was the Salt City Brew Supply Dry Stout. While bottling, I forgot to add the priming sugar before siphoning the beer into the bottling bucket, and I didn’t stir it either. Two weeks later, after I had a bottle of somewhat flat but otherwise tasty beer, I decided to have another. Upon opening it, I had beer shooting up onto the ceiling. And that is how I learned how important it was to evenly distribute priming sugar throughout a batch of beer.

Do you have any pets or kids named after beer styles or ingredients?
No, but that’s a good idea.

Do you have a good Homebrew club story you’d like to share
One of the best times I had at a club meeting was when I had the opportunity last October to host a meeting at my house. It was the first opportunity we had since moving in to host people, and I remember having lots of great beer and fun conversations at that meeting.

If you could serve your homebrew to someone famous, who would it be and what would you give her/him?
A chance to drink beer with Danny DeVito would be amazing.

List some of the names you’ve given your beers. Which is your favorite?

“I recently brewed a German Leichtbier that I called “Kraftstunde.” I got the name by typing “power hour” into Google Translate.

I also have “I Think Therefore I Amber Ale,” which usually gets a chuckle. When I was serving it at RSL this year this guy looks at my table and sees the name, and in an effort to impress the girl he was with said “Ah, Shakespeare beer!” I myself had a good laugh about that one (after he walked away, of course).”

Have you won any homebrew competition medals? If yes, what place and for what beer(s)?
Not yet, but that’s my next big brewing goal.

Brewing Experience

How long have you been homebrewing?
Four years.

What was the first beer you ever brewed and how did it turn out?
The aforementioned dry stout from the kit at Salt City. Other than the carbonation problems, it was a pretty good beer!

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

What style(s) would you never brew?
Sours/Wilds.

Do you have a favorite homebrew trick or gadget that you’ve found to make your beer better/brewing easier, etc?
Kegging has made homebrewing so much easier for me. Getting a Grainfather has also improved my brewing experience.

What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever used in a brew?
I’ve used raisins in a stout before.

Are you a BJCP Judge? If so, what is your rank and how long have you been judging?
No, but I hope to be someday.

How I Brew

Describe Your Brew system
I’ve been using a Grainfather for about four months now.

How frequently do you brew?
About twice a month.

Are you an indoor or outdoor brewer?
Indoor.

Do you brew alone, with friends or with someone you live with?
Usually alone, but always happy to have a friend join me.

Do you have a favorite hop? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
Citra. I think it can be great for IPAs or Pale Ales either by itself or with other hops.

Do you have a favorite malt? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
I’ve recently been using Maris Otter as my base for a lot of recipes. I generally enjoy beers with a good malt flavor to them and I’ve achieved this pretty well with it.

Do you have a favorite yeast? If yes, what is it and why do you like it?
Anything from Imperial Yeast; I’m always pleased with the results I get when I use Imperial.

Anything else on your mind?
Y’all are wonderful.