Chicago's Best Brewers Cut Their Teeth in His Homebrew Shop — Now He Wins GABF Medals (Werk Force Brewing Co.)

<p>How do you build a 3-time GABF-medal winning craft brewery from scratch in 10 years with no investors, and one brewer with no sense of smell?</p><p>Brandon and Amanda Wright, co-owners of Werk Force Brewing Company in Plainfield, Illinois, trace the 10-year arc of how Chicago Brew Works — the homebrew supply shop they opened in 2012 — evolved into one of Chicagoland's most influential breweries, with multiple GABF medals to show for it. They cover what it's like to build a brewery as a married couple, the next big beer trend, the whole-bean coffee technique behind their stout series, and how Brandon brews award-winning beer without a sense of smell. </p><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>0:45 Welcome to Werk Force Brewing in Plainfield, Illinois</p><p>2:53 How Werk Force Started as a Homebrew Supply Store in 2012</p><p>3:27 From OfficeMax to a Winery to Homebrewing Full-Time</p><p>4:45 Brando's House of Awesomeness (And Why Amanda Said No)</p><p>5:32 How They Started Chicago Brew Works on a Kitchen Table</p><p>5:59 Building Chicagoland's Biggest Homebrew Supply Store</p><p>8:37 Why Werk Force Never Took an Investor</p><p>9:06 Where the Name Werk Force Comes From</p><p>11:16 What's It Like to Run a Brewery With Your Spouse?</p><p>15:28 Designing the Taproom (No TVs, Communal Tables)</p><p>17:07 The Six Degrees of Werk Force Brewing</p><p>19:15 What Was Werk Force's First Beer?</p><p>19:55 Why You Can't Call This West Coast IPA Pineapple Express</p><p>21:57 How West Coast IPAs Have Changed in 12 Years</p><p>24:10 The Next Big Beer Trend: Under 4.5% ABV</p><p>25:42 Really Decent: A 3.9% All-Malt Lager</p><p>27:04 Beer Break</p><p>27:47 Welcome Back: Meet Brandon's Brewing Team</p><p>29:36 How Werk Force Won 3 GABF Medals in 2 Years</p><p>32:38 What Are the Best Bourbon Barrels for Aging Beer?</p><p>34:44 Where Sleepy Bear Got Its Name</p><p>35:39 Polar Bear: A Two-Year Bourbon-Barrel Coffee Stout</p><p>36:24 How Werk Force Designs Sleepy Bear Labels</p><p>39:16 The Whole-Bean Coffee Trick That Avoids Off-Flavors</p><p>40:57 How to Decide on Sleepy Bear Variants Each Year</p><p>44:15 Brian Doesn't Have a Sense of Smell</p><p>45:37 How Brandon Brews Award-Winning Beer Without Smelling It</p><p>48:24 What's the Hardest Part of Brewing Without a Sense of Smell?</p><p>50:18 Does Werk Force Use AI to Design Recipes?</p><p>53:26 What Makes a Great Oktoberfest Beer?</p><p>56:08 Marzen vs. Fest Beer: What's the Difference?</p><p>56:52 Inside the Barrel Den: Werk Force's Event Spa