Brian Confer: Photographer turned brewer

FRANKFORT — When he traded his camera for a set of home brewing equipment, Stormcloud Brewing Company head brewer Brian Confer took a big risk.

Once a photographer for Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, Confer emptied his dark room of photography equipment and instead filled it with a new home brewing setup. The risk paid off, and it soon led him down the path to opening his own brewery. Understanding that there were a number of good breweries already in the area, Confer spent a great deal of time experimenting and narrowing his focus before opening the brewery.

“I wanted to focus on home brewing Belgian brews and brewed what would become our flagships extensively,” Confer said.

In fact, he started brewing Rainmaker, Stormcloud’s flagship, early on. He believed in its potential, continued to tweak the recipe and eventually ended with a brew that was drinkable in any situation.

“It’s a great food beer. It has just enough hop to drink on its own, but the amber and caramel elements m

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