Release: Kreaturebier Vienna Lager

As part of our San Diego Homebrew Summer program, a dozen local breweries are producing recipes from local homebrewers at their breweries during the sunny season. The next to debut will be a Vienna lager from QUAFF (Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity) vet Jim Connor, who found an unlikely brewery partner in operation, Creative Creature Brewing. That El Cajon-based operation is known for its exotic, modern, style-pushing beers, the ingredients of which regularly go far beyond mere hops, grain, water and yeast. As much as the Creatures enjoy being avant-garde, the opportunity to go a simple, traditional route appealed to them and, as a result, Connor’s “Kreaturebier” will debut on-tap and in cans at Creative Creature’s tasting room Wednesday, July 28. Mark your calendar and keep scrolling to get some background on the recipe and how Connor found a clever way to get out of a significant percentage of the grunt work on brew day.

Kreaturebier | Vienna-style Lager

Commentary from Creative Creature Brewing co-founder Derek Carnation

Scaling this recipe was easy as it was fairly standard and straightforward…which is something we normally don’t do. I think making a Vienna lager is a style the brewing team has been wanting to do for a long time and San Diego Homebrew Summer gave us an excuse to do it.

Q&A with homebrewer Jim Connor

When did you develop this recipe and what led you to submit it for consideration?

I first developed this recipe in 2019 to share at the Southern California Homebrewers Festival. I had been thinking about brewing it again for a while, so it was on my mind when the submission entry was due. I feel that the Vienna lager style is one that doesn’t get enough attention. I entered this beer in the San Diego County Fair Homebrew Competition in 2019 and it received a second-place ribbon for the category, so I knew that it was a good recipe and beer to enter.

What are some fun memories from your brewing session at Creative Creature?

I started the brew day by going to the wrong location. After realizing my mistake, I made the journey up to San Marcos for the brew day. I met with the brewers, Brian Kelly and Demetra Hamill. They had been working on scaling up the recipe for the brew day. Mashing-in started at 5 a.m. and I made it there by 9 a.m. as the wort was boiling. I was able to help grain-out, add hops to the boil and collaborate with Brian on the fermentation schedule for the Vienna lager. The wort was cooled and transferred to ferment over another beer or two. It was a great experience to watch my recipe come to life.

What’s the most exciting aspect of having your recipe brewed by a commercial brewery?

I’m excited to share my passion and recipe with friends, family and San Diego. Being able to work with Creative Creature to bring this recipe to a commercial scale has been an experience that I won’t forget.