Brewer Profile: “Friday Bob” Roepke of Flat Earth Brewing Company

This issue’s Brewer Profile uncovers the man behind the beer at Flat Earth Brewing Company.

Photos by Kristine Erickson

Name: Bob Roepke
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Works at: Flat Earth Brewing Company
Turn-Ons: A genuine smile, a conversation over a beer, riding my motorcycle.
Turn-Offs: Whiners/complainers, litterers, laziness, oh, and interviews.

The Growler: What’s in your fridge right now?
Bob Roepke: More beer than food. There are at least seven growlers from different Minnesota breweries.

G: What style(s) of beer do you see trending in 2014?
BR: I don’t see IPAs going away anytime soon.

G: What’s your favorite music to brew to?
BR: Don’t get me started on music. I’m truly all over the board. It largely depends on my state of mind that day. I’ll listen to ragtime all the way up to death metal. For today’s brew, I kept it local. Self-Evident, The Fuck Knights, Whither The Tide, and Vulgaari.

G: What is your brewing background?
BR: I started homebrewing in 1999. My studies at the U of M were centered on water quality and environmental conservation. Chemistry and Biology were the majority of my courses and helped immensely with my understanding of brewing beer. In 2007, I decided I wanted to work for a brewery and landed a job at Flat Earth Brewing Company. In 2012, I became the head brewer.

G: When did you decide you wanted to brew professionally?
BR: When I realized doing what I loved for a living was important and a priority.

G: How did you connect with the other guys at Flat Earth?
BR: When I was trying to get into the industry, I was told about Flat Earth Brewing Company and that they had just opened and may need help. During one of their tours, I found out he [the owner] just hired his neighbor and wasn’t going to be hiring anyone quite yet. I suggested I could volunteer my time in hopes to educate myself on a larger brew system. Two weeks later I was volunteering Fridays and Saturdays and trying to absorb all the information I could. Eventually, I was the second employee hired.

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