Johan Hesselberg, our latest brewery helper.

Our staff are the reason Beerbliotek is what it is. And what would a brewery be without its fair share of interns helping out from time to time?

Johan Hesselberg has been shadowing our brewers and participating in all aspects of beer for the past 4 weeks. This has given him the time to gain more knowledge and experience, and be in a space to ask questions during his internship with us. There have been a lot of firsts for Johan whilst settling into the busy brewery environment, the one we’re most proud of, is his very own beer. 

From years of home-brewing “limited styles using limited resources in a very small space”, Johan accepted the challenge of designing and brewing his own beer, on a much bigger scale. Through his education with us here at Beerbliotek, we were able to provide him with a lot more freedom, opportunities and guidance to make the most of his creation. 

Whilst his beer ferments, let’s get to know a little bit about Johan, and his time here with us.

Hej Johan!

So, where did your interest in Craft Beer come from?

A few years ago I visited a friend who worked in Brussels. We visited many nice bars, and had many good beers! That’s when my interest in Craft Beer started.

Why a brewery education?

When I turned 25, I got a home brewing kit from my friends. I then started brewing beer at home and became more interested in the brewing process. As my interest in beer grew, I realised that I wanted to take it a step further. So, I applied for a brewery education.

When you’re not in the brewery, what are you doing?

I play basketball, do a lot of running, hang out with friends and drink beer.

You joined us at this year’s All In Beer Fest – how was working at a beer festival?

It was a blast! Great people and great beer – what more could you ask for?

What’s the next step for you after this internship?

I will move back to Malmö and continue my brewing studies in Kristianstad. Next up is a course in sensory, which luckily I learnt a bit of here.

What did you learn when brewing your first bigger-scale brew?

The brewers taught me how to work with ingredient combinations, and how to use them to create a successful recipe. I learnt that it’s more important to select hops that lift each other up, that work well together, than simply picking your preferred ones.

Can you tell us about your beer?
I took inspiration from two of my favourite Beerbliotek beers for the malt profile: Hip Hops & Silly Season. I wanted to keep the beer easy-drinking, with a lower ABV, but for it to still be fun and have lots of flavour.

I made a Hazy Pale Ale with Simcoe, Idaho 7 and Columbus hops. Simcoe brings underlying tones of pine and citrus together with tropical fruits from Idaho 7. The result is an easy-drinking 5,2% Hazy Pale Ale ,with overripe tropical fruits, candied peaches, pine and lemon flavours. Columbus hops accentuate a nice, dank bitterness to end with, for balance.

As Johan is from Malmö, his beer Experimental Brew: Hazy Pale Ale will be released at Hyllie Bryggeri Tap Room on Saturday 11th December. Everyone is welcome!