247: Allagash, Cantillon, and Russian River Weigh in at the Spontaneous Brewing Roundtable
Jul 12, 2022
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Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash Brewing, along with Vinny Cilurzo from Russian River, dive deep into the fascinating world of spontaneous brewing. They share captivating stories from the early days of American spontaneous fermentation and discuss the unique sensory profiles of their beers. The trio explores the art of blending characterful base beers, the challenges of aging hops, and the environmental factors that impact fermentation. They emphasize the significance of connecting these artisanal brews to consumers, making for a rich and enlightening conversation.
The podcast explores the ambitious collaboration among Allagash, Cantillon, and Russian River to create the Wild Friendship Blend, showcasing innovative approaches to spontaneous brewing.
Challenges in spontaneous brewing, such as managing acidity and achieving flavor balance, highlight the careful orchestration needed for a successful blend.
Engaging consumers through storytelling and experiential events is essential for fostering appreciation of spontaneous beers and their unique brewing processes.
Deep dives
Introduction of Wild Friendship Blend
The podcast features a significant discussion about the Wild Friendship Blend, a spontaneous beer created collaboratively between notable American breweries Russian River, Allagash, and Cantillon from Belgium. This initiative began with an event known as Quintessence, which encouraged collaboration among various breweries, leading to the idea of creating a spontaneous beer blend that utilizes unique fermentation techniques from different regions. The first blend involved taking beer from each American brewery and blending it with Cantillon's traditional Lambic, showcasing the diverse flavors and methodologies employed in spontaneous brewing. The success of this collaboration not only celebrates the craft but also serves as a testament to the growing acceptance and recognition of American spontaneous beers in the global brewing community.
Spontaneous Brewing Traditions
The hosts discuss the evolution and impact of spontaneous brewing within American craft beer, particularly the adaptation of traditional Belgian Lambic brewing techniques. As American brewers explore and experiment with spontaneous fermentation, they face skepticism from some traditionalists who question the capability of achieving authentic Lambic flavors outside Belgium. However, with decades of experimentation and development in their own brewing environments, breweries like Allagash and Russian River are producing unique spontaneous beers that garner respect from international peers. The hosts emphasize that successful spontaneous brewing is not merely an accident; it is a careful orchestration of ingredients, procedures, and local environmental factors.
Balancing Flavor Profiles in Blending
During the blending process for the Wild Friendship Blend, the brewers focused on achieving a harmonious balance of flavors from their individual batches. Each brewery contributes its own distinct characteristics, such as the fruitiness from Allagash and the more earthy, Bretty qualities from Russian River, alongside Cantillon's traditional Lambic. The blending process presented challenges, particularly in managing acidity levels and ensuring that the final product reflects a unified flavor that celebrates the heritage of spontaneous fermentation. By tasting and adjusting different elements from each brewery's offerings, the team worked to create a complex yet cohesive beer that highlights the strengths of all participants.
Crafting the Environment for Fermentation
The discussion highlights the importance of the brewing environment in producing quality spontaneous beers, including temperature control and the microbial community present in each brewery. Brewers at Allagash and Russian River have adapted their processes based on the seasonal variations of their local climates, focusing on temperature ranges that promote desirable fermentation behaviors. They share experiences of early batches that were less successful and emphasize how the evolution of their brewing facilities and techniques has led to improved outcomes over time. The development of a 'lived-in' space, where the microbes have time to flourish, is seen as crucial for the success of spontaneous beers, requiring continual attention and adaptation.
Connecting with Consumers Through Experience
The brewers express the necessity of storytelling and creating unique experiences to engage consumers in the world of spontaneous beers. They recognize that as the novelty of spontaneous brewing begins to fade, it is vital to highlight not just the quality of the beer but also the love and passion that goes into its creation. Events, tours of the breweries, and tasting experiences are integral in helping consumers appreciate the intricate processes of spontaneous brewing. The camaraderie forged through collaborations and shared experiences, such as the blending events, enriches the narrative around these beers, ultimately creating lasting memories for consumers that enhance their connection to the craft.
This roundtable discussion with Allagash, Cantillon, and Russian River kicks off a new series of Tuesday episodes to be released every other week—in different formats, including roundtables and Q&As featuring your questions for the pros.
Recorded in the coolship room at Russian River the morning of their Wild Friendship Blend event, the conversation among Rob Tod and Jason Perkins of Allagash, Jean and Florian Van Roy of Cantillon, and Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River explores both bigger picture questions about spontaneous brewing and particular implementations and adaptations employed by the American breweries in making compelling beers using the traditional process.
Topics include:
stories from the earliest days of American spontaneous brewing
sensory differences between spontaneous beer made at Allagash, Russian River, and Cantillon
the challenge in building a blend with “characterful” base beers
creating environments that support better spontaneous brewing results
tuning coolship rooms for more consistent and reliable production
the dynamics of spontaneous fermentation through a season
reducing opportunities for failure
the various (and very different) ways each brewery ages and uses hops
connecting spontaneous beer to consumers through experience
And more.
This episode is brought to you by:
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