220: Kyle Harrop of Horus Aged Ales Pushes the Edges of Adjunct Technique

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Jan 11, 2022

Kyle Harrop, the innovative founder of Horus Aged Ales, shines in this engaging conversation. With over 400 collaborations, he discusses his unique adjunct techniques that elevate beer flavor. Dive into his strategies for balancing complex ingredients like coffee and nuts, developing a family of barrel-aged recipes, and optimizing bourbon barrel selections. Harrop shares his journey from accounting to craft brewing, revealing how community and creativity fuel his passion. Get ready to explore the fine art of pushing brewing boundaries!

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ANECDOTE

From Beer Nerd to Brewer

Kyle Harrop started as a craft beer enthusiast, homebrewing extensively during grad school.
He even wrote his master's thesis on a brewery business plan but initially pursued a career in aerospace.

ADVICE

The Power of Collaboration

Leverage existing relationships within the brewing community to facilitate collaborations.
Building connections with other brewers can open doors to learning and sharing knowledge.

INSIGHT

Brewing for the Barrel

Kyle Harrop focuses on brewing stouts to a higher finishing gravity than typical.
This compensates for the absorption of sweetness during barrel aging, resulting in a balanced final product.

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If there was a Guinness world record for most beer collaborations, Kyle Harrop of Horus Aged Ales would surely hold it. The 400-plus beers Harrup has brewed with other breweries are even more impressive when you consider that brewing is still a side hustle for the full-time accountant.

Today, Horus Aged Ales is known as much for its collaborations as for the beers he brews and releases to club members from his small fermentation warehouse in Oceanside, California. However, one thing that defines all Horus beers is an aggressive yet nuanced approach to using adjunct ingredients.

In this episode, Harrop discusses the myriad of ways he and his collaborators employ adjunct ingredients in the pursuit of flavor, including:

building base beers with eventual ingredient additions in mind, for better balance
brewing barrel-aged beers to high finishing gravities for more robust aging
the best bourbon barrel ages and sources
developing a family of base recipes for aging and blending
developing Cryst-Ale, a barrel-aged beer made with 100 percent crystal malt
ingredient methods and variety selection for coffee, vanilla, and coconut
using difficult adjunct ingredients, such as nuts
pasteurizing for better longevity and flavor

And more.

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