Neil Brent is currently a production assistant at Wyeast Laboratories in Hood River, Oregon. Brent graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in microbiology. He has worked at various breweries in Oregon with duties as a Yeast Technician at Viking Braggot Co. and a Brewing and QC intern at Oregon Trail Brewery.

How did you get into brewing?

You could say my Dad got me into it, although, he doesn’t brew. My original plan when I entered college was to go into the medical field. One of my roommates was the type of guy who liked to decorate the house with the empty 22s, like a wall of trophies. My dad came down to visit one time and after seeing the wall, said to all of us, “Well is sure seems like you’re drinking enough…why don’t you just make your own!?”. The following school year, I decided I didn’t want to go to med school, I needed to find something that catered to my interests. I then switched to Microbiology. I didn’t have to try at it, it just came naturally. My dad suggested that I brew my own, but this time not in the sense of for drinking, but as a way to apply the science behind my major. I decided to get myself a small home-brewing setup. I brewed my first beer, it was better than PBR, but not by much, I knew I could do much better…and that’s how I got hooked.

How did you evolve from a beginning brewer to where you are now?

A lot of dedication. You can’t want it more than you’re willing to work for it. After that first beer I started doing a lot more research, reading book after book. The biggest transition in my brewing career is when I decided to start culturing yeast strains, both from wild sources and commercial. After a number of good brews I decided that I could culture and propagate yeast on my own. My schooling taught me a lot on the subject, and I was using all the same kind equipment as in the classes I was taking. All the work I had been putting in got the attention of a number of friends who pushed for me to end up where I am now.

What feelings do you get when a batch is finally ready that you are proud of?
Mixed emotions. I want to share it with everybody, and hoard it all to myself. I always end up sharing it in the end.

Why is brewing important to you?

Aside from being one of mans longest cultivated beverages, the process as well as the product produced by it bring people together.