By Leila Crockett
GILBOA & CONESVILLE — Even a quick visit to the Weiss Ferments website reveals an attention to meticulous detail—A characteristic that is often the lynchpin of successful businesses. Their website is simple yet tasteful with images depicting beers with minimalistic labeling and stylistic yet rustic loaves of sourdough, so perfectly executed that no labeling is needed.
Husband-and-wife duo Erica (the brewer) and Brian (the baker) Weiss moved to the county 4 years ago with the pandemic in full swing and a wealth of knowledge stemming from years of work in the hospitality industry. Erica as a sommelier and Brian as a bartender.
Talking to Erica confirmed my suspicion that Weiss Ferments is deeply committed to quality and consistency as well as to a deeper calling around camaraderie and fellowship.
Erica explained that even after working in wine for a decade that beer was her first love. Having worked in Boulder, Colorado and finding herself in proximity to many breweries, she was able to explore, and gain an appreciation of their inherent communal culture. Later moving to Brooklyn, her exploration of breweries continued. She discovered that a great beer, after a service at 11 Madison Park, was a worthy reward.
Brian’s bread obsession began with a trip to Italy in which he discovered the regionality of grains and bread making styles. After returning home he felt compelled to begin researching bread making methodology. A few weeks later he was able to present Erica with his first naturally leavened loaf. His success in breadmaking is indisputable. Meticulousness is a quality which has served him well whether as a baker or a mixologist. One thing is certain, it helps to have the palate of a sommelier on which to test your creations.
This year, the commitment to quality and meticulousness paid off when Erica entered her Porter, “Hold Fire” in the “2024 New York State Craft Beer Competition”and won first place. 1,421 beers were entered by 232 breweries. Erica is humble about this success though it is extremely impressive for a brewer to win the first competition they have ever entered. This speaks volumes about the power of her palate and the knowledge she had acquired as a seasoned sommelier. A Georgia Tech Graduate, with a background in engineering and a supernatural palate is well equipped to apply the technical knowledge required to produce beer of this quality.
Erica was surprised that she won as her beers do not ascribe to the more popular beer making trends like hazy IPAs or kettle sours—especially with the inclusion of rye in all varieties. “Hold Fire” for instance was brewed using old school traditional standards that originated in the countryside of England. She explained that brewing in small batches allows her to hone in on quality and defining characteristics. To hear her explain it sounds almost like she is sculpting these beers. For instance she avoids using lactose or flaked oats to impart creaminess but instead imposes texture explicitly through technique. Other old school preferences which are aimed at a dry clear finish include a distinctive gentle carbonation, and avoidance of hops or yeast that imparts either a sweetness or perceived sweetness.
Weiss Ferments Biergarten will reopen on April 26.
For more information about Weiss Ferments visit: weissferments.com
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