Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

204: For Julian Shrago of Beachwood Brewing, There Are No Additives, Only Ingredients

Sep 11, 2021

Julian Shrago of Beachwood Brewing discusses flavor-first approach, West coast IPA evolution, cross-pollination with New England IPAs, dry hopping bitterness, creating flavor walls in IPAs, balancing dark beers with acidity, using hop terpenes, and building expressive dark beer flavors.

01:15:10

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Episode guests

Julian Shrago

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Beachwood Brewing focuses on intense flavor-first creative process for their award-winning beers.

The evolution of West Coast IPA recipes at Beachwood involves reduced bitterness levels and emphasis on aroma and flavor.

Collaboration with coffee roasters is crucial for creating coffee-infused stouts with balanced roast profiles and fruity expressions.

Deep dives

Evolution of West Coast IPA Brewing Techniques

For Beachwood Brewing, West Coast IPA recipes have evolved over time, influenced by pioneers like Jeff Bagby and Tommy Arthur. Original IPAs featured a dry, hop-focused approach without heavy caramel malt character. Intensity of flavor and aroma became key with dry hopping playing a significant role. Bitterness levels have reduced from around 100 IBUs to 70 IBUs on paper, enhancing aroma and flavor while maintaining a moderate bitterness level.

Introduction

2min

Exploring the Transition from Aerospace Engineer to Professional Brewer through Homebrewing Passion

4min

Transition from Aerospace Engineering to Brewery Ownership: A Gratitude-filled Journey

2min

Exploring the Origins and Diverse Beer Focus of a Successful Brewery

5min

Evolution of Brewing Techniques and Regional Variations in West Coast IPAs

16min

Exploring Ingredient Choices and the Evolution of IPAs

4min

Evolution of West Coast IPAs and Dry Hopping Techniques

17min

Exploring Terpenes and Coffee in Beer Brewing

21min

Long-Term Vision and Growth Plans for Beachwood Brewing

2min

10.

Wrapping Up with Guitar Secrets and Brewing Insights

2min

Julian Shrago is not afraid to ruffle feathers. The outspoken brewmaster for Beachwood Brewing (Long Beach, California) has cultivated an intense persona, but that passion and focus is evidenced in the beers they brew and the awards they’ve racked up over the past ten years, including 19 GABF medals and 9 World Beer Cup medals.

In this episode, he discusses:

Beachwood’s flavor-first creative process
Building predictive sensibilities around recipe development
The evolution of West coast IPA in general, and the particular evolution of Beachwood’s IPAs
The cross-pollination between New England and West coast IPA brewing techniques
Bittering contribution from dry hopping
Creating a saturated wall of flavor in IPA
Using acidity to temper bitterness
Setting up biotransformation precursors through hop choice and terpenes
Building expressive balance in dark beers with coffee

and more.

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