"In 1990, I got my first brewing job at the now defunct Humboldt Brewery. I was thrilled to be brewing for a living. At the time brewing jobs were scarce to say the least. I was hired as an assistant brewer at the handsome wage of five dollars an hour. I brewed Red Nectar on the 7 bbl. Ripley Stainless system that used to reside behind the bar in the original location. I also was hired at Mad River Brewing Co. Two weeks after I started at Humboldt. I worked at both jobs for a year. Three days a week at Humboldt and four days at Mad River. I used to drive around selling Mad River beer during the week and stop in at Humboldt Brewery to check my gravities when I was in Arcata. Well, things changed and soon I was only working at Humboldt.

I was able to attend Seibel Institute of Brewing Science in Chicago in 1992. I took courses in Brewing microbiology and microscopy. I kept brewing at Humboldt for 4 more years with my good friend and mentor Steve Parkes who now owns the American Brewers Guild in Vermont. We had a lot of great times in those days, and all the while I was still learning and honing my skills. Red Nectar got big in 1992 with a new 50 bbl. brewhouse where Steve and I brewed for 4 years. We went over 20,000BBLs there in 1993, an impressive total for the time.

However, in 1996 it was time for me to move on. I wanted to be the head brewer for a brewpub. I got my break when Six Rivers Brewery opened that year. I was able to secure the original Humboldt Brewery 7bbl. system which was sold in 1992 and lay dormant in a Reno warehouse, and convinced the owners to hire me since i was quite familiar with the equipment. Well, from there to now over 20 years and one transfer of ownership later... Here I am still brewing beer for a living."