Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

The 2024 World Beer Cup was quite a moment for Issaquah, Washington’s Formula. Head brewer Jesse Brown is no stranger to medals, but four in one year at the world’s most prestigious beer competition made a statement. His career as a brewer may look like “Swiss cheese,” with stints in Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington, but it’s hard to poke holes in any of his thoughtfully designed and thoroughly executed lagers or IPAs. In this episode, Brown discusses ingredients as well as the labor-intensive process behind his helles, touches on the hot-side versus cold-side fresh-hop controversy, shares his approach to New Zealand hops that won him a silver medal for New Zealand–style IPA at World Beer Cup 2025, and finishes with thoughts on what it takes to win when so many brewers are making such great beer. Along the way, he discusses: front-side decoction without a dedicated vessel extended saccharification rests to build malt depth gently handling lager to avoid bruising the beer the differences between 34/70 strains transferring before terminal to get a head start on clearing yeast the fresh-hop “controversy” the beauty of Dolcita and building mouthfeel with hops blending base malts for West Coast IPA selecting early-pick New Zealand hops for lower diesel character And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across North America and beyond. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need, and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly. Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Whether trending flavor additions or nostalgic favorites, the next best thing is around the corner at Old Orchard. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. Five Star Chemical (https://fivestarchemicals.com) Looking for a powerful, no-rinse sanitizer that gets the job done fast? Meet Saniclean PAA Pro from Five Star Chemicals. This EPA-registered, PAA-based acid sanitizer is tough on beerstone and perfect for everything from kegs to packaging lines. Learn more at fivestarchemicals.com. Canoe Wild Rice (https://breweryworkshop.com) Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809 Prairie Malt (https://prairiemalt.com) For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. Stop by the Roadhouse & Melvin booth at GABF to sample some award-winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more at prairiemalt.com. Sennos (https://prairiemalt.com) The Sennosystem platform delivers real-time fermentation control and predictive insights, while the SennosM3 modular in-tank sensor delivers continuous, real-time monitoring. Turn your tank into a smart tank. Order your SennosM3 at sennos.com. Briess Malting (https://BrewingWithBriess.com) Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold and Lighthouse Munich. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Ben Howe’s brewing career reads more like that of a chef than a typical brewer—stints in Denmark, brewing jobs on both the East and West coasts, weeks spent interning at breweries that intrigued him—but one fateful visit to the Zehender brewery in Monchsambach opened his eyes to Franconian lager and inspired a nearly decade-long quest to understand the beer and its mechanisms of flavor. More recently at Otherlands, he’s pushed boundaries of accepted brewing dogma, mashing with pH levels far past any sensible range in an effort to build color and flavor—and the things that shouldn’t work still obviously do work. In this episode, Howe discusses both his traditional methods and modern concessions, including: learning from Will Meyers and Megan Parisi at Cambridge Brewing capturing Franconian-ness in long-boiled lager beers old-style vs. new-style German lager brewing kräusening to carbonate rather than spunding before terminal never raising the temperature for a diacetyl rest while using ALDC to control precursors finding color with only pilsner malt hardening water for lager brewing with calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and gypsum mashing above 5.8 pH maintaining atmospheric pressure for yeast during fermentation boiling large amounts of low-alpha hops for a long time to build flavor and texture And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across North America and beyond. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need, and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly. Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Every beer menu could use a refresh button on the fruit flavors. Old Orchard's latest craft juice concentrate blend additions include Fruit Punch, Guava, Kiwi, and Pomegranate. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. Five Star Chemical (https://fivestarchemicals.com) Looking for a powerful, no-rinse sanitizer that gets the job done fast? Meet Saniclean PAA Pro from Five Star Chemicals. This EPA-registered, PAA-based acid sanitizer is tough on beerstone and perfect for everything from kegs to packaging lines. Learn more at fivestarchemicals.com. Canoe Wild Rice (https://breweryworkshop.com) Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809 Prairie Malt (https://prairiemalt.com) For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. Stop by the Roadhouse & Melvin booth at GABF to sample some award-winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more at prairiemalt.com. Sennos (https://prairiemalt.com) The Sennosystem platform delivers real-time fermentation control and predictive insights, while the SennosM3 modular in-tank sensor delivers continuous, real-time monitoring. Turn your tank into a smart tank. Order your SennosM3 at sennos.com. Briess Malting (https://BrewingWithBriess.com) Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold and Lighthouse Munich. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

What is regenerative farming and what does it have to do with beer? In this episode, presented by Proximity Malt, we tackle that question with experts from each phase of the malt supply chain—farmer, maltster, and brewer. Joining the podcast: Walker Modic, environmental program director at New Belgium and Bell's Derek Heersink, barley farmer and brewery owner Zach Gaines, commercial director at Proximity Malt In this episode, they share their perspectives on what is and isn't possible through regenerative agriculture; how its context-dependent approach to soil health builds resilience in the face of increasing climate challenges; and how breweries can articulate value to consumers while managing their own supply-chain risks. This episode is brought to you interruption-free by Proximity Malt, the first new-generation, full-scale, regional malting facility in North America, leading the way in malt supply with premium grains; advanced technology that maximizes flavor, performance, flexibility and efficiency; regional sourcing for closer, fresher grain; and a deep focus on closing the loop between farmer, maltster, brewer, and the communities that support each. Learn more at proximitymalt.com—and if you’re a brewer who wants to give their malt a try, check out the Contact Us page to find your local sales rep. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

This year marks the 25th birthday of Simcoe, and when Russian River cofounder Vinnie Cilurzo suggested recording an episode of the podcast in Yakima to celebrate it, we weren’t going to say no. Rather than sit around a table, we took to the experimental hop rows at Perrault Farms and recorded while walking the field. The result is a wide-ranging conversation that covers history, business, agriculture, creativity, pivotal craft beers, hop evolution, and more. In this episode, Cilurzo and Perrault discuss: how Simcoe was bred by pioneering hop breeder Chuck Zimmerman its establishment on three family farms at the time—Carpenter, Perrault, and Smith how Simcoe brought the families’ kids back to the farms developing the Pliny the Elder recipe around this hop the evolution of Simcoe over the past quarter century virus-free Simcoe and its flavor and yield impacts the impact of pick date on Simcoe flavor and aroma Simcoe’s relationship with Mosaic selecting Simcoe and processing it into modern flowable formats how Pliny the Elder and the new Simcoe 25 beer use Simcoe in new formats And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across North America and beyond. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need, and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly. Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Custom blend development is available through our innovative R&D lab. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. XTRATUF (https://xtratuf.com) XTRATUF has been making rugged and reliable boots for 75 years. Built for the harshest conditions, the Legacy Collection styles are oil, acid, and chemical resistant with a non-slip rated outsole. Be prepared for whatever comes your way and shop the latest XTRATUF boots on xtratuf.com. Canoe Wild Rice (https://breweryworkshop.com) Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809 Prairie Malt (https://prairiemalt.com) For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. Stop by the Roadhouse & Melvin booth at GABF to sample some award-winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more at prairiemalt.com. Briess Malting (https://BrewingWithBriess.com) Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold and Lighthouse Munich. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

At Craft Coast in Oceanside and San Marcos, California, Blake Masoner is happy if you show up for tacos and stay for a beer. The fairly priced tacos are scratch-made, down to the tortillas themselves, packing loads of flavor into every bite. Fellow San Diego–area brewers refer to them as “The best tacos between here and Tijuana”—but the beer they brew here is anything but an afterthought. Eight medals in four years at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festical—in competitive categories such as hazy pale ale, American IPA, and international pilsener—are evidence of the brewery’s ambition on the quality side, and they’ve modified both classic and modern brewing techniques to serve their flavor and aroma goals. In this episode, Masoner discusses: abandoning a “no core beer” policy to keep customers happy brewing Mexican-style dark lager with dry yeast and vorlauf-only dark malts mitigating sulfur production with 34/70 yeast Australian-inspired XPA design without Southern Hemisphere hops using Mosaic at different times for different effects in West Coast IPA knockout hopping to find the true heart of new varieties pinpointing flavors through dry hopping building a team-wide winning mindset And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): If you are looking for a brewery chiller that’s worry free and tough on GWP, then look no further. G&D Chiller’s Elite 290 series chiller uses propane as a natural refrigerant with extremely low global warming potential. Visit gdchillers.com to learn more! Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): As breweries expand beyond beer into other segments like mocktails and CBD beverages, Old Orchard is here to help. We can formulate custom blends featuring specialty ingredients. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. XTRATUF (https://xtratuf.com) XTRATUF has been making rugged and reliable boots for 75 years. Built for the harshest conditions, the Legacy Collection styles are oil, acid, and chemical resistant with a non-slip rated outsole. Be prepared for whatever comes your way and shop the latest XTRATUF boots on xtratuf.com. Canoe Wild Rice (https://breweryworkshop.com) Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809 Prairie Malt (https://prairiemalt.com) For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. Stop by the Roadhouse & Melvin booth at GABF to sample some award-winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more at prairiemalt.com. Briess Malting (https://BrewingWithBriess.com) Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold and Lighthouse Munich. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

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.

Frank Bilello, founder and head brewer of Noble Savage in Glen Cove, Long Island, shares his unique brewing journey. Known for his standout hazy IPAs, he uses 100% New York-grown craft malt and innovates with New Zealand hops. Bilello discusses the importance of malt and yeast blending for flavor and the impact of minimal boiling on beer character. He also delves into the intricacies of hop management and the importance of pH in crafting balanced brews. His creative process allows the beer to evolve naturally, leading to delightful flavor expressions.

Tony Bellis, cofounder of KCBC, and Bobby Rolandi, head brewer, dive into the bustling NYC craft beer scene. They share the challenges and triumphs of brewing in a competitive market and how KCBC embraces innovation through creative branding and unique beer styles. Listeners will learn about their experimental approach to crafting hazy IPAs with innovative yeast, the blend of East and West Coast IPA techniques, and their commitment to community-driven brewing in the vibrant Bushwick neighborhood.

Ben Clayton of Brooklyn’s Test honed his approach to brewing while working in the context of a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Today, building a deep, meaningful supply chain for interesting ingredients animates him more than lighting up the beer-trading boards. Accolades have followed, and today he’s finding stories to tell in thoughtfully sourced grain and the novel ways he uses it in everything from Mexican-style lager to hazy IPA. In this episode, Clayton discusses: brewing Mexican-style lager with nixtamalized heirloom Oaxacan corn blending floral corn notes with complementary Noble hop notes using oats in multiple forms in hazy IPA why hazy IPA might be the “perfect” beer style tweaking pH to preserve texture, flavor, and aroma promoting biodiversity in beer And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across North America and beyond. With our 24/7 service and support, your brewery will never stop. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need, and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly. Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Custom blend development is available through our innovative R&D lab. Our bulk division supplies a wide range of beverage segments, making it the one-stop shop for flavoring beer and beyond. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. XTRATUF (https://xtratuf.com) XTRATUF has been making rugged and reliable boots for 75 years. Built for the harshest conditions, the Legacy Collection styles are oil, acid, and chemical resistant with a non-slip rated outsole. Be prepared for whatever comes your way and shop the latest XTRATUF boots on xtratuf.com. Brewery Workshop (https://breweryworkshop.com) If you’re launching a brewery or acquiring an existing one, consider our brewery workshop and new brewery accelerator, September 14 through 17th in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over four days, we engage in panel discussions, technical brewery tours, networking, and small working group sessions that help you better understand and prepare for the challenges of brewery operation. Tickets are on sale now. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

The best beer isn’t brewed in a vacuum—it’s brewed with your guests in mind. Every pour, every seasonal release, every new recipe starts with one question: What do people actually want to drink? In this episode, we dive into how breweries are using real taproom data to answer that question—and brew what sells. From tracking style velocity to spotting daypart trends, our guests break down how they translate point-of-sale insights into production plans that make sense for their business and their fans. Guests on this episode include: Juan Torres, cofounder and chief operating officer, Tripping Animals (Doral, Florida) Brandon Stirewalt, director of operations, Town Brewing (Charlotte, North Carolina) Ben Wolff, customer success manager, Arryved (Denver) This episode is brought to you interruption-free by Arryved, the all‑in‑one brewery platform trusted by hundreds of craft breweries nationwide. Built specifically for the craft-beverage industry, Arryved combines powerful, customizable tools that simplify service and operations, keep sales data in one place, and help breweries turn insights into action. Arryved works side‑by‑side with taprooms to meet their needs in real time—because no two service models, beer lists, or guest expectations are exactly alike. By elevating the guest experience and streamlining the back of house, Arryved lets makers focus on what really matters: their product, their people, and their community. Learn more at arryved.com. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast