5 Tips To Successfully Brewing Homebrewed Beer

Today is "Learning to Homebrew Day!" Yes, this is an official holiday in the beer world!! In honor of this awesome holiday, we have presented 5 of the most helpful tips we wish we knew while learning how to make beer. 

1. The key to a successful brewed beer is in the sanitation. You can make the most yummy beer, but if you forget to sanitize, say goodbye to your 'liquid gold.' This happened to us once in the early years. We had sanitized EVERYTHING ( so we had thought.) We bottled our beer, came back two weeks later, and saw floaty-s in the beer. It wasn't just one bottle, it was all of them.  We thought it was yeast that got into the bottles during transfer. To make sure it was ok to drink, we took a bottle to Brewmaster, a local brew supply store, and they confirmed it as bacteria. We had to ditch the beer. We figured out we didn't sanitize the bottles good enough. Something must have been at the bottom of the bottles that we missed while cleaning them. Lesson learned!

2. Don't drink so much beer that you boil over.  You have to drink beer while you brew, it's the law of home brewing! But just watch yourself on brew day! We had a brew day where four different brewers (two had won awards for their beer, the others were just learning) came over, with their equipment and supplies. One of the award winners kept saying through out the day about not boiling over. You can lose a lot of beer when it happens and then your recipe is off. (There are work arounds, it just plain sucks when it happens!) This advice quickly turned into bragging rites, with the more beer he drank. Soon his warnings turned into jokes, "How can you tell a beginner brewer from an expert brewer? If he boils over!!!!!" And guess who was the only one to boil over that day? Yep, the "expert"of the bunch! He will never live this story down!!! 

3. Don't forget to transfer your beer! Always write down your transfer/ bottling schedule on a calendar. We forgot to transfer our beer into secondary in a timely manner ( 2 weeks is the norm, we transferred at 6 weeks!) As a result, the water in the airlock got so low that air got into the carboy and bacteria started to grow. We had to dump 10 gallons of beer. 

4. If you're brewing in California, or a place that is experiencing a drought, make sure to capture your water as you are cooling it with your wort chiller. We run our water into barrels so we can later use the water for hydrating our plants.

5. It's ok to start with an extract for for first time to get the hang of brewing. There is a big learning curve when starting to brew. Start slow and small. A kit is a great way to learn to process and jargon, while successfully creating  a drinkable beer!

So Happy "Learn To Homebrew Day!" We hope you find these tips helpful. We would love to hear any tips you have!  And feel free to learn more about brewing with our article, "Making Beer."

Cheers!

A Soap Makers Guide To Dress For Success!

If you take a hard look at a soap makers fashion, you might mistake them for an illegal drug manufacturer (think Breaking Bad!)  But in actuality, they are dressed for success!  They are dressed to make the best darn soap they can make!  Our attire gives us soap makers a sense of pride and protection as we produce our product. To have a better understanding of our "uniforms," I think a case study is appropriate here.  Let's examine this picture... It is of me (duh!)... Notice my 'essential dress for success.'

 Let face it, splatter happens in soap making.  Whether it be from your lye mixture, or your oils, a soap maker can get splattered at anytime. And boy do I know you need to be protected!  Hence the get-up in the picture above.

1) Face Shield: It is important to have something cover your eyes (a pair of glasses will do just fine!)  However, I use a face shield because I have gotten lye mixture on my face. By accident, I wiped my face with my gloved hand and to my surprise, there was lye solution on it. The face shield may be overboard for some, but it's a way to remind myself not to touch my face!

2) Gloves: These obviously protect your hands from the sodium hydroxide when adding it the your liquid or when you add your lye liquid to your oils.  They are also crucial when pouring your soap into their molds!  Oftentimes you will have to scrape out remaining soap (getting every last bit!) from your mixing container. These gloves will protect your hands from getting oily or burned.

3) Lab Coat: Protects your clothes. I have two different kinds. The first is my standard cloth lab coat. I don't recommend this.  Any splatter goes through the material.  And the wrists often get in the way, getting saponified oils on it.  Eventually the oils soak through the lab cloth and comes in contact with your skin.  The next thing you know, you are feeling a tingling, itching sensation and you know you have come in contact with your lye solution.  So, I suggest a disposable lab coat (I've been using the same one for the past year and it holds up to a machine washing, so who knows why they are considered disposable.)  The coat is made from a non-tearable paper and lined with plastic.  The wrists are elastic, so your coat wrists can't "hang" and get oils on it.  IT'S AWESOME!!!!

4) Closed Toed Shoes:  So the picture doesn't show this, but PLEASE wear closed toed shoes.  I've learned this the hard way in one of my 'cocky' moments.  Thinking I've been doing this for a while and that I was being careful enough, I stupidly wore flip flops while making soap.  The toe of my flip flop got caught underneath itself which caused me to trip.  While saving the lye mixture I was holding, some of it splattered out of it's container and landed on my other, uncovered foot.  Lesson learned!

These are just a few ways soap makers dress for success.  How do you do it?

Time Management Strategies for Small Businesses

I've been asked quiet frequently how I manage a soap business, consult part time for a Bay Area non profit, and manage a household of three kids the ages of 8, 4, and 7 weeks.  My usually response would be... "By screaming, yelling, and pulling my hair out."  Obviously, that hasn't been working. I've turned to time management books, and have implemented their strategies only to feel like crap because I couldn't sustain them for more than a day or two.  I was left feeling anxious and overwhelmed, a feeling that I had that was the motivation for leaving my 9-5 job. And my response to this feeling was, "F%#^ that! I've been down that road of anxiety, and that's why I'm creating my own entrepreneur path!" That's when I realized, it's not about managing time.  It's about managing ourselves with the time we have. How am I doing it? Well, here you go:

Step One: Make a schedule that is realistic!!! Identify when you can work. For example, I'm a morning person, but so are my kids. And though I love my little twerps with all my heart, I can't get anything done. And they deserve my attention. So my work happens during school. On some days, I only get two hours, while other day I get seven. So this brings in step two... My timer is my best friend!

Step Two: Give yourself a time frame to accomplish a task. This idea originated in order to motivate Eric, myself, and the twerps to cleaning up the house. We called it the "Quick Pick Up " time. Our family would pickup the house for 15 minutes as fast as we could. Each of us would have a room (and a super hero name!) and viola, the house appeared clean (good enough for that unexpected guest to stop by!) By focusing for a short amount of time on one task, something that we perceived to take a long time, took us 15 minutes. So I've applied this to Handbrewed Soaps. For example, I give myself 30 minutes to send out wholesale inquiries. 15 minutes to update/ update listings on website, 20 minutes to print packing slips etc.  I may not finish the task, but I can set up another time frame later that day.  Then I reward myself with a break... A walk or a shot of tequila ( I'm sooooo kidding, but what a great idea!) Then I go back to the timer with other tasks. By the way, this is actually a thing. Some guy made a technique called the Pomodoro technique.  I thought I was a genius for coming up with this strategy, but it looks like someone already claimed this geniusness.  There's even apps you can down load... Who knew?

Step Three: Find YOU time. With all the hustle and bustle in life, you have to find a way to wind down.  Whether it's exercising, or drinking a bottle of wine (each) with your friends, it's so important to recharge. And schedule that sh%* in, because it won't happen otherwise. Mine is Thursday nights at 6pm.  I vacate my house to go to yoga, dinner with a friend, or a cafe so that I can blog. Sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom to watch an uninterrupted episode of the Walking Dead on Netflix. Whatever it is, do it because if you don't, your business, family, and your health will suffer.  

So there you have it.. This is what is working for me now... Who knows what will work next week! What works for you?  

Why I Started My Own Business

It takes a lot of courage to create your own path in life. Oftentimes the people most closest to us will be the first to call you crazy, "You want to do what? You can't make money doing that! How are you going to support your family?" But that's the thing... Sometimes it's not about the money, sometimes it's about what makes you happy!

I was a classroom teacher in Oakland for 8 years. Then I became a teacher's coach for 4 years before I left my 9-5 job a year ago. Why did I leave a stable, ten-yeared position? Because I was anxious, overwhelmed, and depressed. If the word, "No Child Left Behind," "Common Core,"  "Rubrics," or "Assessment" came up in conversation, my blood pressure would rise to unhealthy levels. I argued with my husband and yelled at my kids all the time.  With the pressures of work, I couldn't think, I was drained. I had nothing to give to my family, let alone myself.  A change had to happen.

 I didn't just quit all of a sudden. I saw this move coming two years earlier, and slowly decreased my hours as an educator in order to increase hours in a more creative endeavor of starting my own soap business. My soap business infused hope into my life. I felt sane while designing and creating soap. I enjoyed hearing instant feedback from customers because I new immediately the impact my soap had on others.  (In my old profession, I never knew the impact on a child's life unless they told me years later.) Eventually, I started to feel motivated when I got up in the mornings, and the relationships with my family improved dramatically.  

In some regards owning my own business is harder than teaching. I don't always know where my next check is coming from. I was not formally trained to own a business like I was becoming a teacher, so I've had to learn about sales tax, city codes, marketing etc. on my own. Finding supports like the Indie Business Network (IBN) have been instrumental in my learning. Most importantly, I am blessed with the support of my husband as he is the main bread winner while I get Handbrewed Soaps up and running.  I still dabble in education by consulting for a music education non profit, but it's at a level that doesn't give me a heart attack. Now I am able to make my own rules, lead the life I want to lead, choosing my own path.  Yes I have times where I think all the odds are against me in this crazy world of entrepreneurship! What I've learned so far on this journey, is that if you are truly passionate about it, if you work hard for it, you'll figure it out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd be owning my own soap business! 

Meet Morgan From Buffalo City Jug Shop

Attention North Carolina, Handbrewed Soaps can be found at Buffalo City Jug Shop in Nags Head! (I think Eric and I are going to have to fly out and visit this fine establishment!!!)  I got a chance to ask the owner, Morgan Myshin, his inspiration behind the store (which opened about a month ago), what his favorite beer is, and advice for those that are thinking about going into the beer industry. Here is what he had to say:

Who you are and what inspired you to open your store?

Morgan Myshin- I grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and after brief experiences in teaching elementary school and working in the film business, I moved to Tahoe to work at Heavenly. While in California, I fell in love with craft beer, and it became a real passion for me. After moving back to the beach in NC, I noticed that the craft beer business was booming in North Carolina. Currently there are over 90 breweries in the state. My small beach town was lacking a bottle shop that could showcase NC beers to the over 1 million vistors to the area each summer. After a year of traveling around the country looking at bottle shops and growler filling stations, Buffalo City Jug Shop was born.

What is your favorite beer / beer style and why?

My favorite beer style is Stout. Not sure why, just a dark beer kind of guy. I do love a nice punch in the face with hops from time to time too though.

What advice can you give someone who wants to go into the beer industry?

My advice is to ask questions. I have found that most people in the industry are really receptive to helping out others in the business, so pick brains!! The advice I have received from across the country has been priceless, and has allowed me to avoid a lot of common mistakes. Also, get to know your local beer reps and breweries. Those individuals can help make or break your business!

Thanks Morgan for your thoughts!  Looking forward to meeting you in person!!!

3 Effective Ways To Train An Intern

Meet our newest intern, Matthew! We are excited to have him as our newest addition to the Handbrewed Soaps Team! Over the next few months, we will be training him in the ways of soaping. We are pretty hard-core around here, so we will definitely be watching him to see if he’s cut out for the soaping lifestyle.  He’ll be going through some intense training that I can recommend for all businesses.

1) Find out what your intern is naturally interested in or wants to learn more about. You might find that he/she has strength in an area that you need to be filled.

2) Allow your intern to experience all responsibilities in your company.  There will be days when you really need to make your product, but priorities have shifted.  You need to get a large order out and write an article for a partner company.  By having your intern educated on multiple aspects of your business, you can have he/she do tasks that will free you up to do what you need to do!

3) Provide feedback in a reflective way.  Let’s be honest, no one likes to be yelled at when learning a new skill.  So phrases like, “What the hell are you doing?” is probably not the best approach.  I like to find about 10 -15 minutes at the end of each training session to talk to the intern about their learning. Most people know when they do not understand something and will most likely discuss it with you.  If not, you can constructively add it to the conversation.  Some questions I usually ask are:

• So how did today go for you? 
• What are your 3 biggest takeaways or ‘ah-huh’ moments?
• What are some things you would like to know more about? 
• What area’s do you think you need more practice? 
• What questions do you have for me? 
• If something that you want to point out doesn’t come out in the conversation, you might want to say,  “I’ve noticed that …..  I suggest you try it this way, as it has worked best for me….”

So now you might be wondering where our newest member fits into this?  We are pleased to report that Matthew is cut out for the life of soaping.  He currently enjoys working as the supervisor in our packaging department.  He serves as a great reminder not to drop the soap… or him!   lol

It Has Been 11 Years!

As I get older, I realize how time flies.  I remember back to my elementary days (first grade I think), standing in the lunch line thinking, "When is this year going to end?  I've been in the first grade FOREVER!"  (Note: I have no idea why I remember this, but it's very vivid!)  As I got older, and my perspective changed, especially about time, experiences started to fly by.

Thirteen years ago, I met my best friend.  We were both teachers at Thornhill Elementary School in Oakland.  I was a fifth grade teacher, and he was the music teacher.  When I first met him, I thought his last name was Swinhart (like a pig) and proceeded to call him that until my students corrected me.  I'm sure I actually called him Mr. Swinhart to his face, but he never said anything.  (Ahh, what a nice guy!)

After clearing up the situation about his last name, flaking on 3 dates with him, and giving each other awkward colleague hugs (once I actually showed up for dates,) we soon made plans to travel to Peru together and once we got back home, I proceeded to ask him to move in with me, and a year after that asked him to marry me.  Now, it's been eleven years since we've been married (today!) We have two very awesome girls (with a boy on the way), we've laughed (boy have we laughed), and we've cried.  It's been the quickest eleven years of my life, and it's the one area that I wish would slow down, because I'm having to much fun!

So Eric, this year on our anniversary, I'm not writing how amazing you are in a card... you get a whole blog post!!! Thank you for teaching me to:

1) Take risks:  This guy moved out to California, got a day job, and started playing in multiple bands.  My favorite band he played in was STUNG: A Tribute to the Police... They still play (minus Eric), but you should still check them out!

2) Follow Passions:  Eric has BIG IDEA's.  Whether it be growing 12 hops strains in our backyard, raising the back of our house, or starting a Music Education Research Project for the kids of Oakland, he does it.  Eric is amazing at seeing a problem, making a plan to try to fix it, and implementing it.  

3) Be Kind to EVERYONE:  Eric is one of the nicest people I know.  He can turn anyone's frustration or bad day into a great one with his corny"Middle School" jokes, smile, and damn those dimples... apparently he's been getting out of trouble since preschool by flashing those dimples!

4) Give Loyalty/Support to Others:  Eric is a great supporter.  Without his support, Handbrewed Soaps wouldn't be here.  He pushes me to focus all of my energy on my passion of beer soap!  He comes up with new ideas for me, and is usually the brains behind our shenanigans.  And he sticks with you, through good and bad times. He does this for all of his friends and family

5) Laugh:  I have never laughed so much with a person.  Eric has a talent for using  his corny-ass humor to deflate conflicts and brings humor to serious situations that may not need to be so serious (if you know what I mean.)  He is goofy ball.

6) Care:  Eric is very caring, so much sometimes that he worries himself to death.  He cares for/about things that many people would look over.  But this is what brings him back to his passions.  And if it's a passion, Eric will pursue it!

There are many more things he has taught me, these are the big six!  Thanks Eric for these past 11 years...  I can't wait to see what the next 11 will bring! Happy Anniversary!

How to Make A Calculated Risk In Life

There come times in your life when you have to make choices that involves risk.  These choices are risks because they have an unknown outcome such as job/ career changes, relocation from family and friends, leaving or starting a relationship, following your dreams when others think it's silly.  Taking a risk is exciting, but scary.  By taking a risk, you are entering uncharted water.  Depending on your personality, you may thrive by risk taking or be scared to death of it.  Either way, you know you need to take the risk because you hope that by following this choice, you will be happier and more fulfilled then you currently are.

I'm in the middle, I love risk taking because it's exciting and challenges my creativity.  However, I'm also scared of it because I I need to think about how it with affect my growing family. Over the past week, I have had to make a choice that involves a risk regarding Handbrewed Soaps.  The biggest question I had was, "Why would I take this risk?"  To discover the answer, I took out a piece of paper and did a brain dumb on the following four sub -questions.

1)  How does this risk match with my mission and goals for my business and personal life?
2)  How does this risk challenge me in a creative, fun-way?
3)  How will this risk open me up to new opportunities and experiences?
4)  What fears does the potential risk bring up for me?

Questions 1-3 are more about practical application.  My family and how I structure my business life around them is VERY important.  If it fits into our family/business lifestyle, then it's a go!  If it's a fun challenge that will open doors for me, then count me in!  Question #4, however, is the most important sub question because this is usually my "NO!" instinct!  This is what threatens my comfort zone. By naming this fear, it has been acknowledge and the "sting" is taken away!  If #1-3 point to yes, but #4 points to a no, well then, I'm taking the risk!  But if there is any concern in #1-3, it's a no go... no matter how tempted I am.

Again, I am no expert, but this worked for me! And yes, I am taking the risk... (details to follow!) What process do you go through when contemplating a risk?

A Great Day at Rogue Farms

I must say, I am falling in love with Oregon. It's beautiful country and the people are super friendly! The food is amazing! I ordered a side salad expecting iceberg lettuce with carrots and tomatoes, but instead received a bed of fresh mixed greens with beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, croutons, corn, and carrots! Then when I ordered milk for the kids, the server asked, "Cow or soy?" "One of each!" I responded as my lactose intolerant daughter beamed because no restaurant EVER has soy milk! I can go on and on about how awesome Oregon is (there are gas attendants that pump your gas. I mean they tell you to get back in your vehicle if you try to pump your own!), and I just did!!! The day kept getting better. We then went to Rogue Farm in Independence, OR. Basically, everything they grow is what they put into their beers.  We were greeted with acres of hops fields. As you enter the actual farm, there is a tasting room on your left that offers food with a kids menu.There are picnic tables that line the perimeter of lawn where you are welcome to play corn-hole, frisbee, giant chests, or giant scrabble! You can take a tour with an employee or walk around yourselves (just make sure you don't go into any areas that say Employees Only). We spent a good two hours there and would have stayed longer had the heat not gotten to us! So the next time you are in Oregon, stop at Rogue Farms! It's a very chill, family beer environment!

Behind the Scenes: The Building of the Handbrewed Soaps Studio

             Sometimes there needs to be a separation between soap and family. Last Fall, my awesome Father came up with a brilliant idea.  This idea was spurred by the fact that he couldn’t distinguish where my kitchen and living room began and where my soaping ventures ended.  Everything was mixed together.  “Hey Alyson, have you ever though of getting a soap studio?”           

The Blank Slate

                 Of course I had, but our business was not making enough money to pay Bay Area rent.  Though we had an extra bedroom, our family was expanding, and we needed it for a bedroom! Instantly, we both looked out into the backyard, which at the time was filled with weeds (aka a blank slate to build and grow things on!)    To make a REALLLY long story short, by the following Fall, I had my soap studio, empty, but a studio!  We went with Casita Shed of Castro Valley,CA to construct the studio. If you look at their prices, it beats the price on any Home Depot / Lowe’s shed by square footage and the labor was included in the cost.  The fact that it went up in two days was AWESOME. I recommend them to anyone who has the ability to add one to their backyard!  It was so affordable, that we built two…  his and her studios… now everyone’s happy!  I highly recommend this Bay Area Company.  We had a great experience!         

The solution that keeps our family from hurting each other!  lol

Meet the Team behind Handbrewed Soaps

Handbrewed Soaps is a family operation! As we have expanded, we've enlisted more family members and friends to help! As they say, to raise a business, it takes a village!

Beer Brewmaster: Eric Swihart

The talent behind the homebrewed beer.  When he's not brewing, you can find him teaching middle school band and orchestra here in Oakland!   Eric enjoys the outdoors, playing with his kids, and playing in his band Fast and Vengfully. He is also the mastermind behind many of our slogans, video ideas, and other Handbrewed Soaps shenanigans!

Soap Brewmaster: Alyson Swihart

That's me!  I'm the soap maker!! When I'm not making soap or any soap related activity, you can find me hiking, hangin' with the kids, or gardening.

Assistant Brewer: Fred Noel

That's my dad!  He's the brains behind the expansion.  He's always into making things bigger.  For example: he's the dad that when you say you want a dog as a child, he thinks Mastiff or Great Dane when you ment Yorkie. Or as a child you want to decorate the outside of the house for Christmas, he's the Dad that makes a bigger than life size wooden Santa Claus to stand on your lawn, when you were thinking maybe just some lights on the porch? So, he's built bigger soap molds, a soap studio, and now helps make soap as I get bigger in my pregnancy. 

Soap wrapper extraordinaire/ Daytime child overseer: Donna Noel 

That's my Mom!  Without her, soap production would slow WAY down! She watches the kids when soap needs to be made! And she's the person that wraps the majority of the soap! She is such a master of soap wrapping, that she goes into a zen like state reciting the mantra, "Peel, Wrap, Stick."

Soap testers: My kids

They are the ones who are first to wash their hands with a newly made batch of soap! They are also marketing managers as I often find video on my ipad that they have made talking about Handbrewed Soaps: See recent video.

Promotion Guru's: Friends, Family, You!

These are the people that have answered the call when we needed help with running a booth at a festival, needing homebrew because we have run out, mentioned us on social media, walked into stores and have talked to retail owners about our products both here in California and out of state.  Most importantly, it's the users of Handbrewed Soaps that enjoy and give feedback to what we do!! Thanks for all you do!