Dorchester Brewing

Month: April 2019

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet the Team: Nafi Fraiman, Cellarman

Meet the Team: Nafi Fraiman, Cellarman

When it comes to the brewing process, most people focus on the beginning process that starts in the brewhouse as well as the last piece that packages up the final product in those beautiful can labels. However, there’s quite a lot that goes into the process between those two pieces. Today, we’re introducing you to Nafi Fraiman, a Cellarman on our team who works with our fermentation vessels to keep a close eye on the brewing process as the magic all happens. Born and raised in Boston while also growing up in Israel, you can find Nafi playing music or snowboarding on the weekends and during the week, he can be found hard at work supporting our team to get the freshest, high-quality beer directly to your glass! Read on to learn more about Nafi:

How did you get into craft beer and join the brewing industry?

My background is in engineering, but after a few years in the field I felt I needed to do something different.  During my search for a new career path I got into homebrewing and fell in love with the beer making process. I got to know a lot of people in the homebrewing community, and by extension, got familiarized with professional brewers. I started volunteering at breweries to try to get my foot in the door and eventually got hired for a full time position.

What do you like best about the industry compared to other fields?

Every day I work with a product that I really enjoy and can connect with through my sense of smell and taste. I get excited about all the new products that go through our facility and the innovative processes we implement day to day to solve problems. I love the craft brewing work culture, where people are expected to work hard and to have fun!

Tell us a little bit about what you do at DBco on a day to day basis.

Most of what I do includes handling the big 1800 gal fermentation vessels – preparing them to receive new batches of beer and adding hops, fruit or other ingredients as necessary. I also monitor the beer fermentation to ensure the process is going well, and when it’s done, I transfer the beer over to be packaged. Lastly, a huge part of the job is making sure anything that comes in contact with the beer is absolutely sanitary.

Favorite part of your job?

Overcoming problems with creative solutions, executing complex tasks…and then the reward of having that beer you worked so hard to make and sharing laughs with the people you made it with.

Favorite beer style

Anything that is balanced, especially if it is low ABV. My go-to styles are Pilsners, New England IPAs and kettle sours.

Favorite DBco beer

Currently it’s The Gateway Sour, a beer I designed for those who are not accustomed to tart beers but want to dabble with the style. Past beers I have really liked are Heavy Metal Grampa (A Dunkelweizen), Born to Be Mild and our annual Festbier.

By in Meet Our Team Comments Off on Meet Our Team: Peter Huhn, Lead Bartender

Meet Our Team: Peter Huhn, Lead Bartender

Continuing on our tradition of sharing the faces in the Tap Room and our Brewery, we’re bringing you another familiar face you may know if you visit our Tap Room! Meet Peter Huhn, a local who joined our team after converting from a dedicated local customer into employee. Next time you swing by the Tap Room, make sure to say hello!


How did you get into craft beer and join the brewing industry?

I had always been passionate about craft beer, so my roommates and I decided to brew at home. Needless to say the first few batches were awful, but that’s where it all started. I found myself working in restaurants with a selection of craft beers and spent my time drinking only craft beer and figuring out what I liked and didn’t like. I would taste as many different things as I could, learn about the process when I had time and discuss it with whatever bartender would let me.

So while helping open and General Managing a restaurant in Boston, I would walk past Dorchester Brewing Co. every night and stop in for a few. The staff started to know me and when they weren’t busy, we would all chat and hang out. Eventually I got wind of a position opening up, my new friends urged me to apply, and then all of a sudden I was in. When this opportunity came up I knew I had to take it. Haven’t looked back since.

What do you like best about the industry compared to other fields?

My first job was working in my Uncle’s hardware store when I was young talking to guests and helping them find what they needed. Helping out guests and making them happy always made me feel satisfied. My dad was a chef in restaurants in New York City, so my love for food came from that. Ultimate, I decided to combine the two and work the front of the house in restaurants. Since my first job in college bussing tables, I never looked back. This industry is incredibly rewarding but brutal. You work long hours, you have a lot on your plate, and you have to be practically crazy to do it. But the networks you make, the satisfaction of making someones day, and the friendships along the way all make it worth it. I cant see myself in any other field, because no other field is as crazy and as tightly-knit as the industry.

Tell us a little bit about what you do at DBco on a day to day basis.

Make sure the day runs smoothly! When I get in, I am in charge of making sure the staff has everything they need to operate smoothly. Guests have to be happy, beer has to be flowing, and rules have to be followed! You will either see me behind the bar, or strolling around the tap room making sure everything is fine and people are having fun. 

Favorite part of your job

Favorite part of the job has to be closing time. Not because people are leaving and the day is done, but because that tends to be the most personal moment at the bar. There isn’t much left for us to do, giving us a few minutes to actually talk and have more in-depth conversations with whoever is left at the bar. I get to hear about who they are, why they came to Dorchester Brewing Co., how we may or may not have made their day and whatever else is on their mind. Something about closing time just tends to be the most personal time of the day.

Favorite beer style

Tough to say! Beer is changing and evolving so much its hard to lock yourself in to one style of beer as your favorite. It all depends on the season and my mood I guess. If I absolutely had to choose, I would think I would have to go with any barrel aged imperial stout. So much flavor can be packed into it, plus you only need one or two to really feel it. Saisons are really starting to creep up on my list.

Favorite DBco beer

My favorite beer DBco has ever brewed was on tap when I was still coming as a regular. It was the Divination, a Bully Boy bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Heavy chocolate notes, very boozey, not overly sweet, and subtle smokiness from the barrel. I could drink gallons of it and never get tired of it.