340: Jason Thompson of Calusa Is Brewing Hazy IPAs That Glow
Jan 19, 2024
auto_awesome
Jason Thompson, Cofounder and head brewer at Calusa, discusses managing variable minerality, brewing hazy IPA with flavorful malts, increasing wheat component for haze stability, ultra-low-temp whirlpooling for aromatic contribution, taking care of yeast for 50-plus generations, recirculation and rousing dry hops for increased contact, developing interesting hop combinations, making Sabro work in hazy IPA, and using barrels for bitterness in barrel-aged stout.
Calusa Brewing focuses on creating hazy IPAs with vivid flavors and a bright, sunny color.
They utilize technical practices to enhance quality, including recirculating and rousing dry hops.
Calusa Brewery experiments with unique hop combinations and barrel aging to create distinct flavors.
Deep dives
Creative hop selection and combinations
The creative process at Calusa Brewing starts with hop selection, building relationships with hop suppliers like Yakima Chief. They experiment with different hop varieties, selecting ones that complement and balance each other. They consider hop characteristics, like citrus or dankness, and how they can be harmonized in their flagship beer or other styles. The team collaborates to determine which hops to incorporate and how to use them effectively. They use spec sheets and spider graphs to guide their decisions and maintain consistency. They also explore experimental hops and draw inspiration from other brewing recipes to innovate and create unique flavors.
Water treatment and hazy IPA
In Sarasota, Florida, where the water quality can be challenging for brewing, Calusa Brewing strips down the water using reverse osmosis (RO) to remove impurities and build up a suitable water profile. They target specific calcium, chloride, and sulfate levels in order to create a stable haze and ensure the smoothness of mouthfeel in their hazy IPAs. They have discovered the benefits of adding wheat to their grain bill for improved haze stability and mouthfeel. They focus on creating a range of hazy IPA colors, from pale straw to burnt orange, by varying base malts and wheat percentages.
Technical practices in hazy IPA production
Calusa Brewing utilizes technical practices to enhance the quality and flavor of their hazy IPAs. They employ a slow and gentle trickle carbonation method to reduce foaming. After dry hopping, they re-circulate the tank to achieve maximum contact and even distribution of hop flavors. They rouse the tank with CO2 bursts to ensure complete saturation of hops in the beer. Calusa Brewing has observed that allowing a few days between dry hopping and transferring the beer helps avoid a strong, dank aroma. Finally, they employ a soft crash followed by gradual carbonation to achieve optimal drinkability and flavor.
Creating Flavorful Hazy IPAs with Unique Hop Combinations
Calusa Brewing, known for their hazy IPAs, employs unique hop combinations to create distinct flavors. For example, their Florida Flavor Amber Lager combines Sapphire and Centennial hops, resulting in a surprising and tasty combination that customers love. They also experiment with barrel aging to create balanced and drinkable high gravity beers. The aging process, with low levels of oxidation, mellows out intense malt flavors and adds bitterness, resulting in a more approachable beer. The use of barrels and gradual oxidation along with careful temperature control contribute to the overall flavor and drinkability of their beers.
Focus on Enhancing Beer Experience and Variety
As Calusa Brewing matures, their focus expands beyond making exceptional beer to providing a complete beer experience. They strive to complement their beer with food and create brews that are enjoyable in abundance without compromising coherence. While their hazy IPAs remain popular, they have noticed a shift in customer preferences towards lighter and lower ABV beers, such as loggers. This diversification allows them to explore new flavor profiles and cater to a wider range of tastes, ensuring a memorable and enjoyable experience for their customers.
Sarasota, Florida’s Calusa has become a fan favorite in the Sunshine State, focusing on compelling hazy IPAs that capture vivid flavors, consistent drinkability, and a bright, sunny color that cofounder and head brewer Jason Thompson describes as “glow.”
In this episode, Thompson discusses:
managing variable minerality
brewing hazy IPA with flavorful malts such as Weyermann Bohemian Pils
increasing the wheat component of his recipes to aid haze stability
mashing out to improve lautering
ultra-low-temp whirlpooling, to allow greater aromatic contribution without added bitterness
taking care of yeast so they last for 50-plus generations
recirculation and rousing dry hops, to increase contact and extraction post-fermentation
developing interesting hop combinations, such as Saphir and Centennial
making Sabro work in hazy IPA
using barrels for bitterness in barrel-aged stout
And more.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller! ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) Turnkey brewery systems. Production line design services. Retro-fitting processing systems. ProBrew™ can do all this and more with any brewery, old or new, small or large. For more information, fill out our contact form on www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard has supplied flavored craft juice concentrate blends to over 46 states for the production of fruit-forward beer, cider, seltzer, wine, spirits, and more. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Streamline efficiency with Omega Yeast’s Diacetyl Knock Out series. The DKO series is comprised of 8 familiar yeast strains engineered to knock out the formation of diacetyl before it starts. The strains you know, now better. Contact Omega Yeast today at omegayeast.com. ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com). ABS Commercial are proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and preventative maintenance parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact them today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. Ss Brewtech (https://SsBrewtech.com). "Ss Brewtech was founded by a group of home and craft beer brewers, dedicated to bringing an engineering-first approach to brewery equipment. Ss brewhouses are used to formulate new beer recipes at some of the world's greatest breweries. To learn more, head over to SsBrewtech.com" Christian Hansen (https://www.chr-hansen.com/en/legal-notice): Christian Hansen are the fermentation experts with over 100 years experience in dairy and wine, and are now bringing that knowledge of microbes to brewers with their SmartBev range of frozen liquid yeast and freeze-dried bacteria.Go to Chr-Hansen.com to learn more.
