american days
In a short time, Dan got so good at creating and finessing his own beers -- and winning awards and a large following of admirers of his brews along the way -- that when he graduated from college, he was immediately scooped up by the fast-growing world of ‘Brew Pubs’ and ‘Micro Breweries’ who were desperately in need of individuals who understood the art of brewing and could set up brew house systems.
He became one of the leading forces/personalities involved in the sea-change in beer drinking sweeping the States during the 90’s.
Discerning beer drinkers of all ages and stages were seeking and demanding the notably better tasting and more interesting beers brewed in small, hands-on breweries.
getting the hang of it
While studying there, a relatively nearby German brewery, DeBassus Schlossbrauerei zu Sandersdorf, hired J Daniel Carter to work at their brewery while he was studying as soon as they head that one of the Weihenstephan students had already had years of hands-on brewing experience.
Dan added the priceless experience of working hands-on in a major German beer production facility to all the chemistry and physics he was studying. After his first year, Dan wrote to a friend that, "Now I know why my beers always tasted so good!"
While there he also meets Tanja who came back home with him when he returned to the US. When they later married in North Carolina, they had a reception in the brewery where Dan was working at that time.
the journey begins
J Daniel Carter (Dan) returned to the States from Germany to attend a US University. Before that, he, along with his parents and younger sister had been living in Germany for the previous 10 years because his Dad was singing opera there. During that time, in addition to learning to fish, speak German and play guitar, Dan also developed a refined pallet and nose for the fine brews of his adopted Heimatland.
However, when he returned to live in the States to study at a US university, he couldn’t stand the taste of the popular beers most students were drinking, so he started brewing his own; he became a “home-brewer.”
the return
Dan’s skills and growing reputation took him all over the eastern half of the US where his art was needed! From Baltimore --where he created the now-classic “Raspberry Wheat,” – west to Kansas City, south as far as Key West and eventually back north to NYC where his family was based.
But Dan wanted to know more -- and to better understand the “whys” behind the "hows" of the beers he was creating.
He decided to go back to the home of his first beers, to Germany, to study brewing in the world´s oldest brewery and the internationally most important university to instruct all aspects of the science of beer brewing, the University of Weihenstephan in Freising, Bavaria.
the beer and the music