318: Ex Novo’s Dave Chichura Reflects on the Dynamic Decades of a Brewing Career in Motion
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast
Reflections on a Brewing Career and the X Novo Community
The hosts wrap up their conversation and acknowledge sponsors, including X Novo brewery in Corralis. They share updates on the brewery's beer garden and reflect on their experiences since their last meeting.
Dave Chichura loves brewing, and loves to work. He's always lived simply, and maintained a lifestyle that allows him to move around. And move he has, from breweries in the Midwest as well as up and down the Rocky Mountains. Now, as Director of Brewing Operations at Ex Novo in Corrales, New Mexico, he's putting in practice all the lessons he's learned, building and managing the brewing team as they make beers that have brought home four GABF and World Beer Cup medals over the past two and a half years.
In this episode, Chichura recounts:
- The challenges in making beer in rural environments
- Scaling medaling-winning Melvin beers from 3bbl to 20bbl
- Developing his recipe-writing skill set
- Selecting and using hops in West Coast IPA
- Dry hopping techniques that do and don't work
- Managing hop creep
- Asking for help with problems outside of his expertise
- Becoming a better manager
And more.
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