Josh Penney, the head brewer at Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, brings a wealth of experience from his time in Southern California's vibrant brewing scene. In the conversation, he dives into the secrets behind his unique hoppy lagers and hazy IPAs, including the use of thiol-enriched hops and flowable hop products. He shares insights on optimizing fermentation profiles, the art of enhancing flavors with terpenes, and the delicate balance of yeast strains. The episode is a treasure trove for brewing enthusiasts eager to innovate and elevate their craft.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Career Path From Sam Adams To Threes
Josh Penney moved from Boston to California, worked at Golden Road, Beachwood, then Highland Park where he learned lager discipline.
He later returned to New York to join Threes and adapted West Coast techniques to their program.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Tweak Gradually, Don't Reinvent Classics
When updating established beers, make subtle, iterative tweaks instead of drastic recipe overhauls.
Use small changes (water, sulfate, hop timing) to preserve brand familiarity while improving quality.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Lager Yeast For Hop Stability
Use lager yeast (e.g., 3470) for hoppy beers to improve stability and preserve hop character over time.
Manage generations and fermentation timing so dry-hop scheduling aligns with yeast harvest windows.
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Before joining Threes, Josh Penney spent the better part of a decade brewing in Southern California, with nearly half of that time at hoppy-lager innovators Highland Park. Now at the helm of Threes in Brooklyn, he’s taking the knowledge he built in lager fermentation and layering in hops of various formats to create beers that pop from the package and the glass.
In this episode, Penney discusses:
the preservative power of lager fermentation and modern hop products in hop-forward styles
building hazy IPA to evoke “hop ice cream” that doesn’t feel heavy or sweet
using flowable hop products during active fermentation
using thiol-enriched hops such as Freestyle’s Mega Motueka
selecting for positive characteristics in New Zealand hops
optimizing contact time with Southern Hemisphere hops
adding terpenes during active fermentation and building deeper flavor blends with advanced hop products
fermentation profiles that optimize dry yeast performance
adjusting the timing of diacetyl rests based on dry-hopping regimens
And more.
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