Wirfttaler Craftbeer, Uwe Sibiak

Local Specials - Specialities from Gerolsteiner Land
"Sipping" versus "Tipping" - Craft beers from Gerolsteiner Land

As is well known, enjoyment is a matter of taste and one of the most popular German beverages is discussed particularly strongly on the basis of traditional quality and taste criteria. Pilsner, Alt and Kölsch are among the best-known representatives of their kind in Germany and, according to the German Brewers Association, up to 7,000 different varieties are produced in this country. Yes, we are talking about beer.

Brewed according to the German Purity Law, we are talking about a craft with a long history, but even traditions change over time and so the so-called "craft beer" movement has been stirring in Germany for about 10 years. This is about craft beers brewed with special types of malt, yeast and hops, and the production quantities are also much smaller. In general, one can speak of character beers with special nuances of taste, sometimes fruity or hoppy and made from high-quality raw materials. The first priority is product quality.
A committed brewer from Stadtkyll has dedicated himself to this movement. Uwe Sibiak is a trained brewer and maltster with 40 years of practical experience and a lot of passion for his profession. His main occupation is working for a Rhenish brewery company. Born in the Rhineland, he has grandmotherly roots in the Eifel and has lived in our region for around 28 years.

His motivation to brew craft beers is derived to a great extent from the experiences of everyday working life. In addition to his professional routine, he wants to create something new, away from the mainstream. “Brewing still gives me a lot of pleasure,” says Uwe Sibiak, who has dedicated himself to his passion since the end of 2019. With his microbrewery, he produces local quality and character beers. The small facility fits into an adjoining room of your own house and is really mini with 1 hectolitre compared to the big breweries. 100 litres, i. e. about 300 bottles per week, are theoretically possible to produce. In this respect, the motto is “small, but fine!” it does not depend on the sheer mass. The factor of time during fermentation also plays a major role, because “Good things need a while!”, one wants to produce down-to-earth quality products in traditional craftsmanship. This is how the Stadtkyller brewer formulates its motto of “Nipp- und Kippbier”. Craft product versus mass product is the comparison here. This does not speak for poor quality of mass-produced products, but the character characteristics of craft beers are quite different in Germany. In the end, customers decide what to drink and pay a higher price for a particular product.

Visiting the brewery kitchen quickly becomes clear, here is a convinced professional in his element. With great passion, Uwe Sibiak talks about his craftsmanship, explains the subtle differences between hops and malt and explains what is important in the brewing process. Many technical terms fly through the room and it becomes clear how much craftsmanship has to be invested up to a finished bottled Craftbeer.

It all started with one type, the Wirfttaler Urtyp, and a little later the first Bock beer followed, says Uwe Sibiak. After about 3 years of “Wirfttaler Craftbeer” a certain operating routine has arrived in a positive sense. Saturday is the main wedding day, smaller activities such as bottling the individual bottles are also done during the week. Initially, the question arose as to whether the craft beers would find enough customers. Concerns in this regard dissipated very quickly, however, and so far the character beers have been well received by customers. There are now around seven beers in the assortment and at least one new beer is added every year. The majority of consumers are positive, as it is often lovers of craft beers who appreciate the taste and quality characteristics. You can buy the Wirfttaler specialities at many local retailers or directly at the brewery's doorstep.

In addition to his expertise in craftsmanship, Uwe Sibiak also knows the stories behind the individual beer styles such as “Bock, India Pale Ale, Stout” and many more. Why were beers hopped more in the past or how did brewer's yeasts develop?! The stories take the audience on a journey around the world and you can learn a lot about beer.
The Stadtkyller brewer answers the question of what is important to him in his craft with the slogan sustainability. As far as possible, he gets his raw materials from the region, the malt comes from Koblenz, hops sometimes get more difficult and the beer crates are produced by EuWeCo gGmbH in Weinsheim. Everything is well thought out and even the labels are made of pure paper, unlike many large breweries.
At the end of the conversation, Uwe Sibiak expresses a wishful thought. The networking and promotion of local producers are very close to his heart. From sales to joint projects that benefit regional products and ideas, he is open-minded. We would like to support this idea and offer the Wirfttaler Craftbiere for sale from March 2023 in the Tourist Information Gerolstein. Have fun enjoying!

Contact
Wirfttaler Craftbeer
Inhaber: Uwe Sibiak
Telefon: +49 174 33 66 775
E-Mail: craftbeer@wirfttaler.de