But when the scene was only a fraction of what it has become , the Home Brew Mart did just well enough to expand into a startup brewery , and that mysterious back room became the birthplace of Ballast Point . While the brand would eventually become one of the biggest success stories in craft beer , back then it was three guys doing all they could to keep up . “ I was the jack of all trades on the technical side ,” says Cherney , “ doing everything from installing equipment to milling the grain , and learning from Peter [ A ’ Hearn ], who started off as head brewer . Jack led the business , right down to delivering kegs around town in his minivan . But the recipes we all came up with collectively , together on the weekends . And that continued even as we grew to more employees , many of whom likewise rose up the ranks from the shop . And when someone came up with a great recipe , we would put it into production .”
Cherney credits the brewery ’ s success to this collective spirit , the ability to listen and respond to people ’ s tastes and
THE NEED TO TEACH Cherney ' s brewing classes at the Craft Center evolved into the brewing certificate program through UC San Diego Extension , which he continues to lead .
cultivate a loyal following around them . He soon became head brewer and the recipes swiftly won over the craft beer aficionados , and also brought home a steady string of awards in competitions locally , nationally and globally .
The accolades peaked in 2010 when Cherney went to Chicago for the World Beer Cup , essentially the Academy
Awards for brewing . Ballast Point took home multiple gold medals that year , and was named Small Brewing Champion , catapulting the brand ’ s reputation . But as for the recognition that meant the most to Cherney , it was when he came back home to San Diego and his dad gave him a big pat on the back and said , finally , “ My son , the brewer .”
Photo : Will Parson ’ 08
GROWTH CULTURE
You can ’ t talk about UC San Diego ’ s craft beer pioneers without Chris White , MS ’ 93 , PhD ’ 96 , whose contribution goes well beyond the local brews .
White came to UC San Diego for a PhD in biochemistry , specializing in using yeast strains to make proteins involved in heart disease . After taking Yuseff Cherney ’ s homebrewing class at the Craft Center , the two became fast friends and ultimately brewing partners , forming a symbiotic relationship that enlightened Cherney on the nuances of yeast ’ s role in brewing , and introduced White to the unique opportunities for a chemist in the brewing industry .
“ When Yuseff was working at the Home Brew Mart , he noticed customers needed a yeast they could use that day ,” says White . “ Before , brewers would have to culture a small amount of yeast themselves , which took about a week , and what ’ s more , most of them weren ’ t doing so in a sterile environment .”
White became the first to create a ready-to-use , or “ pitchable ” yeast — a variety of high-quality liquid concentrate yeast cultures that brewers could add to their batches immediately and let it work its aromatic and flavorful magic . The concept caught on well beyond the Home Brew Mart , and White founded his eponymous lab in 1995 with former UC San Diego med student Lisa White as vice president . White Labs has since grown to several locations worldwide as it supplies brewers large and small .
With a mission to apply science to continually raise the bar in fermentation , White is dedicated to not just providing quality yeast , but educating customers on its nature . As such , every new White Labs location contains a classroom and a roster of courses . “ Since I came from an academic background , I always thought I ’ d go into teaching — it ’ s really important to me ,” says White . “ Most brewers don ’ t come in with experience in microbiology , and yeast to them is a very mysterious ingredient . But the more brewers know about yeast , the better their beers become .”
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