
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast
Listen to the podcast for those who make and drink great beer. Every week we talk to professional brewers and industry experts about practical brewing advice, in-depth coverage of brewing trends that matter to you, and tips for getting the most out of your homebrew.
Latest episodes

Mar 26, 2022 • 1h 23min
231: Cameron Owen of The Eighth State Can’t Afford to be Average
The Eighth State is small—very small. The three-barrel, open-vessel brewhouse sits adjacent to the taproom, with brewing gear spilling over on days when they’re not open. Barrels are packed into every inch of unused space, while an assortment of plants help to create a more comfortable vibe in the small ground-floor space. It feels cluttered yet relaxed—in that way that suggests creative minds are at work—and cofounder/head brewer Cameron Owen is determined to have some serious fun.
This tiny brewery has earned an outsized reputation for their flavorful beers—from tart fruit beers to ingredient-heavy barrel-aged stouts. Despite the limited capacity, Owens is committed to doing things his way—even if that means more tank time and slower turns—to get the exact flavors he wants.
In this episode of the podcast, focused on tart fruit beers and ingredient-laden stouts, he discusses:
using a solera process with Lacto and Sacch cultures to create the base for fruit beers
packing tart fruit sours with live cultures, but including sulfites to prevent refermentation
achieving “wild” flavors and minimizing sulfur expression without Brettanomyces
making complex beers more accessible to customers
blending fruits for contrast and juxtaposition, finding counter-notes while creating tension
achieving vegan-friendly results without lactose
building multiple layers of flavor in big barrel-aged beers
adjusting the multi-day brew schedule for bigger beers, to aid fermentation
using a two-step process for certain ingredient additions, to increase impact
And more.
At The Eight State, their goal is to stand out. They want to be exclusive but not impossible to get. Most importantly, for a brewery their size, they aim to keep excitement high and keep people coming through that door. As Owens says, “I really can’t afford to just be average.”
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Support from this episode comes from BSG and The Malt Haus by Rahr. The Malt Haus is your online source for cool and exclusive Rahr Malting Co. gear that you can’t get anywhere else. T-shirts, hoodies, hats, socks, glassware, and even gear for your pets. Rep the malt you brew with and look sharp doing it! Take the tradition home at themalthaus.com
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Supply chain challenges are here to stay for a while, so why not trust the experts to handle freight for your ingredients? Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your craft concentrate blends. When you order two pails or more of concentrate from Old Orchard, you qualify for freight quotes from various carriers and can stay up-to-date on the status of your shipment. To get started on a freight quote for craft concentrates today, head over to [oldorchard.com/brewer](oldorchard.com/brewer)
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Hop Revolution (https://www.hoprevolution.co.nz): If you’re looking for a direct partnership with an independent hop grower who is as fanatical about flavour and quality as you are, join the revolution! Hop Revolution’s only reason for being is sustainably farming and processing New Zealand’s most flavoursome hops. They get that great beer is not brewed to a past or a future ideal. It’s an ongoing journey of fresh thinking. Hop Revolution really is only here for your beer. Let them flavour your thinking stateside directly from Hop Revolution, or through Crosby Hops or Mill95. Learn more @ HopRevolution.co.nz. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Mar 18, 2022 • 60min
230: The Bitter Truth About Belgian Beer With Nino Bacelle of De Ranke
When Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos started homebrewing together in the 80’s, Belgian beer was in the midst of a sea change. Consolidation was afoot as larger industrial breweries swallowed up smaller concerns, while an earlier generation of brewers had reached retirement age with few of the younger generation interested in carrying on the brewing tradition. The beers that they loved and grew up drinking were disappearing—subsumed by a wave of sweeter mass-produced crowd-pleasing beers. To be fair, there were (and continue to be) some historical holdouts. But generally speaking, bitterness was slowly leaving the lexicon of Belgian brewing.
Bacelle, who grew up around beer (his father was a guezesteker, or blender, but did not brew), longed for the beers he had tasted growing up. Together with homebrewing partner Devos, he decided to launch a beer brand, De Ranke, to address the opportunity they saw in the market for beer that embraced bitterness. First was their Guldenberg Tripel, followed closely by what is now considered a paragon of hop-forward beer, the aptly named XX Bitter.
Today, these beers feel familiar, but they were groundbreaking in their time and remain somewhat unique today due to the peculiarities of De Ranke’s process. In this episode, Bacelle explains that process and more, including:
The challenges of buying and brewing with whole cone hops
Working with growers to source local Belgian hops
Understanding the qualitative difference between whole cone and pellet hops
Brewing with a kettle purposely designed for whole cone hops
Using closed fermentation vessels to mimic open fermentation
Two-stage cellaring with a free-rise fermentation followed by a cooler secondary fermentation then bottle conditioning
Stylistic changes over time in classic Belgian abbey styles
Differences in hop terroir
De Ranke’s blended approach to acid-forward beer
And more.
“The Belgian public is so used to sweetness from all the industrial beers they know,” says Bacelle. “Sweetness is easy selling, and bitterness needs a public that is more aware … and is willing to experience other tastes.”
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): What if you could chill your beer with a more efficient chiller? The Answer? G&D Chillers new Micro Channel Condensers! G&D’s Micro Channel Condensers are highly efficient in hotter regions, use a fraction of the refrigerant over traditional chillers which provides less opportunity for leaks along with lower global warming potential. G&D Chillers’ Engineers are committed to green technology design, while developing a more energy efficient chiller for the brewing industry. Contact G&D Chillers today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) This episode brought to you by BSG and Rahr Malting Co., the home of fossil-free malt. Rahr’s headquarters in Shakopee, Minnesota is powered by renewable electricity. Malthouses and kilns are fed by an electrostatic boiler fueled by agricultural byproducts, much of which is waste from the malting process. By eliminating the use of natural gas, Rahr Malting Co. reduces CO2 emissions by 260,000 tons per year while filling 25% of the US brewing industry’s malt needs. Put the power of Rahr Malt in your beer at go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Looking for innovation in your next beverage break-through? Think outside the purée box and let your brand stand out with Old Orchard's craft concentrate blends. Even smoothie seltzers can benefit from the extra boost of flavor and color. Old Orchard is based in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area—also known as Beer City, USA—and supplies craft beverage categories ranging from beer, wine, and cider to seltzer, spirits, and kombucha. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Hop Revolution (https://www.hoprevolution.co.nz): If you’re looking for a direct partnership with an independent hop grower who is as fanatical about flavour and quality as you are, join the revolution! Hop Revolution’s only reason for being is sustainably farming and processing New Zealand’s most flavoursome hops. They get that great beer is not brewed to a past or a future ideal. It’s an ongoing journey of fresh thinking. Hop Revolution really is only here for your beer. Let them flavour your thinking stateside directly from Hop Revolution, or through Crosby Hops or Mill95. Learn more @ HopRevolution.co.nz. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Mar 11, 2022 • 57min
229: Au Baron’s Xavier Ballieux Carries on the Family Farmhouse-Brewing Tradition
It’s a striking spot for a brewery—the site of a former mill on a winding stream, with the village church looming overhead. Out behind Brasserie Au Baron in Gussignies, you can literally throw a rock and hit Belgium in the neighbor’s front yard. Yet this is a French brewery, officially, even if its influences are many—the traditions of Hainaut saison and French bière de garde mingle in beers such as Cuvée des Jonquilles and Saint-Medard, leaning into a distinctive heirloom yeast strain and locally grown ingredients.
Brewing runs in the Ballieux family; while Xavier Ballieux represents the second generation to run Brasserie Au Baron, his grandfather Roger brewed in Belgium, France, and the Congo, moving from brewery to brewery as 20th century industry consolidation shuttered one after another. In his later years he advised his son Alain on setting up a brewhouse at the family restaurant in Gussignies. Their idea was to brew beers like those farmhouse ales that Roger remembered from his younger days in Hainaut.
In this episode of the podcast, recorded at the brewery in Gussignies, Xavier Ballieux shares the story of their family trade and approach to brewing rustic ales. Among other topics, he also discusses the character and temperamental nature of their house yeast culture, which was originally sourced by his grandfather; his own perspective on the difference between saison and bière de garde; the use of elderberries in the darker version of the Saison Saint-Medard; and much more.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) This episode is brought to you by BSG, exclusive distributors of Rahr Malting Co. Since 1847, Rahr malt has been a benchmark of quality and consistency for brewers, from the 19th century through today’s craft beer pioneers. Whether you’re creating classic lagers, resin-clouded hazies, or barrel-aged behemoths, inspired malts like Rahr North Star Pils, Malted Oats, and more are here to make your brewing dreams a reality. Get in touch today at go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Is your brewery struggling to source or afford berry ingredients? Historic heatwaves devastated U.S. berry crops, causing supply to dwindle and prices to skyrocket. That’s why brewers are switching over to Old Orchard’s craft concentrate blends, which mimic straight concentrates but at a better price point—and with more reliable supply. Is it any surprise that Old Orchard’s best-sellers are Raspberry and Blackberry flavors? Reclaim your margins and order your craft concentrates at oldorchard.com/brewer
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Hop Revolution (https://www.hoprevolution.co.nz): If you’re looking for a direct partnership with an independent hop grower who is as fanatical about flavour and quality as you are, join the revolution! Hop Revolution’s only reason for being is sustainably farming and processing New Zealand’s most flavoursome hops. They get that great beer is not brewed to a past or a future ideal. It’s an ongoing journey of fresh thinking. Hop Revolution really is only here for your beer. Let them flavour your thinking stateside directly from Hop Revolution, or through Crosby Hops or Mill95. Learn more @ HopRevolution.co.nz. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Mar 4, 2022 • 1h 6min
228: Paula Yunes and Valéry De Breucker of Brasserie Atrium Are Shaking Things Up in the Famenne
She’s a native Brazilian, beer sommelier, and former reality TV host. He’s a Brussels native who has worked in every aspect of the industry, including the brewhouse at Fantôme. Together, Paula Yunes and husband Valéry De Breucker launched a brewery in Belgium’s Luxembourg province. Now, Brasserie Atrium, is turning heads with fresh takes on saison and other classics while turning up the heat with trendier styles such as hazy IPA and barrel-aged stout.
It’s no small task to launch a new brewery in Belgium and gain acceptance for it there. Belgian beer lovers have their established brands, and their brewing community is relatively slow to change. However, the small town of Marche-en-Famenne, near Rochefort, was the right place for them to launch—the street they’re on is Rue de Brasseurs (Brewer’s Street), after all. And grabbing a European Beer Star gold medal for their saison, The One, is the kind of thing that tends to get people’s attention.
In this episode, Yunes and De Bruecker discuss:
building a more expansive idea of beer in a conservative beer market
their cooperative process of developing recipes together
creating a local, small-town brewery with cosmopolitan influences
the business-driven need to break from tradition
brewing a noteworthy, award-winning saison in a country known for them
using local water and yeast with glucoamylase enzyme toward the end of fermentation, to get their saison to full dryness
brewing hazy IPA with the Belgian twist of house abbey yeast
using high mash temperatures along with wheat and oats to build body
the challenge of using Brazilian woods such as amburana and cumaru for barrel-aging
breaking down the gender barrier in Belgian brewing
And more.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Support for this episode comes from Hop Solutions by BSG. The Hop Solutions portfolio is a joint effort between the brewers, hop specialists, and brewing scientists of BSG and the Rahr Technical Center that takes a flavor-first, application-specific approach to hops. Whether you’re seeking biotransformation in a juicy IPA or dialing in a classic West Coast profile, BSG has a Hop Solution for that. Get in touch with the hop nerds at BSG by emailing LetsTalkHops@bsgcraft.com for samples, spots, and contracts.
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Supply chain challenges are here to stay for a while, so why not trust the experts to handle freight for your ingredients? Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your craft concentrate blends. When you order two pails or more of concentrate from Old Orchard, you qualify for freight quotes from various carriers and can stay up-to-date on the status of your shipment. To get started on a freight quote for craft concentrates today, head over to [oldorchard.com/brewer](oldorchard.com/brewer)
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Hop Revolution (https://www.hoprevolution.co.nz): If you’re looking for a direct partnership with an independent hop grower who is as fanatical about flavour and quality as you are, join the revolution! Hop Revolution’s only reason for being is sustainably farming and processing New Zealand’s most flavoursome hops. They get that great beer is not brewed to a past or a future ideal. It’s an ongoing journey of fresh thinking. Hop Revolution really is only here for your beer. Let them flavour your thinking stateside directly from Hop Revolution, or through Crosby Hops or Mill95. Learn more @ HopRevolution.co.nz. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Feb 25, 2022 • 1h 10min
227: Tom Jacobs of Antidoot Is Searching For Simplicity
Antidoot’s Tom Jacobs didn’t set out with the goal of launching a brewery. It was more a natural outgrowth of his and his brother’s homebrewing, which grew too large to remain just a hobby. Still, Jacobs pursues every one of the small batches they brew with the exploratory zeal that informed their homebrewing days.
The brewery and batches are small, intentionally, for two reasons. First, Jacobs is not willing to compromise their creative vision to achieve the scale necessary for a larger corporate entity. Second, they prefer to use the fruit and herbs from their own trees, grapevines, orchard, and gardens—something only viable at their minuscule size.
Despite their self-imposed guardrails, Antidoot forgoes other mainstream brewing conventions such as style categories because, as Jacobs says, “It’s hard for people to appreciate things without a concept, but if you give them a concept, they judge against the concept.” Moving beyond preconceived notions of what a beer should be, and encouraging drinkers to approach the beer on its own terms, with an open mind, is Antidoot’s raison d’être.
In this episode, Jacobs discusses:
building a self-sufficient, agriculture-driven lifestyle with a seasonal approach to brewing and growing
finding a brewing mode between ester-forward Belgian beers and too-acidic sour beers
foregoing the one-dimensional term “sour”
blending acidity with bitterness
using diverse herbs for bittering, such as gentian and wormwood
selecting for wild Saccharomyces over Brettanomyces to preserve terroir flavors and nuance
brewing wild cider without losing apple character
And more.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Support for this episode comes from BSG. Did you know that BSG sources hops directly from growers and processes them in their FSSC-certified facility in the Yakima Valley? From Azacca to Zappa, BSG’s hops are pelletized for optimal dispersion in the boiler or FV, and packaged in nitrogen-flushed bags to preserve all those tasty and enticing aromatics. To learn more about how your hops go from farmer to fermenter, get in touch with BSG at LetsTalkHops@bsgcraft.com
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Looking for innovation in your next beverage break-through? Think outside the purée box and let your brand stand out with Old Orchard's craft concentrate blends. Even smoothie seltzers can benefit from the extra boost of flavor and color. Old Orchard is based in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area—also known as Beer City, USA—and supplies craft beverage categories ranging from beer, wine, and cider to seltzer, spirits, and kombucha. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Hop Revolution (https://www.hoprevolution.co.nz): If you’re looking for a direct partnership with an independent hop grower who is as fanatical about flavour and quality as you are, join the revolution! Hop Revolution’s only reason for being is sustainably farming and processing New Zealand’s most flavoursome hops. They get that great beer is not brewed to a past or a future ideal. It’s an ongoing journey of fresh thinking. Hop Revolution really is only here for your beer. Let them flavour your thinking stateside directly from Hop Revolution, or through Crosby Hops or Mill95. Learn more @ HopRevolution.co.nz. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Feb 18, 2022 • 1h 15min
226: For Cantillon’s Jean Van Roy, Brewing Comes Naturally
Jean Van Roy, a fourth-generation brewer at the historic Cantillon brewery in Brussels, shares insights on the evolution of lambic brewing. He reflects on keeping tradition alive while adapting to modern tastes. Jean reveals how the brewery has embraced innovative techniques like the turbid mash process and natural cool ship inoculation. He discusses the importance of family legacy, blending craftsmanship, and sustainable practices, all while navigating the challenges posed by changing consumer preferences and climate change.

Feb 11, 2022 • 1h 13min
225: 3 Fonteinen’s Next Generation Is Going from Grain to Gueuze
Groomed by retired master blender Armand Debelder, a new generation has assumed the stewardship of the 3 Fonteinen lambic brewery and blendery in Beersel and Lot, Belgium. Their focus is on preserving their mentor’s approach to brewing, blending, and passion for the lambic tradition, while also looking for ways to root that product more deeply in its history and in its region.
Led by managing director Werner Van Obberghen and brewer Michaël Blancquaert, the 3 Fonteinen team has been navigating the rough seas of the pandemic, looking ahead to ambitious plans for expansion while working to maintain the reputation of 3 Fonteinen Oude Geuze. One project, now under way, is to brew lambic using heirloom wheat and barley varieties grown in the region by Pajottenland farmers.
In this episode recorded amongst the barrels of the famed lambic cellar, Van Obberghen and Lukas Van den Abeele—who has done extensive research on the grains—discuss that program as well as how it fits into Debelder’s vision for the future of 3 Fonteinen.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) This episode is brought to you by our friends at BSG. We all know that the best brewing results come from the best ingredients. BSG offers the largest variety of quality ingredients to create outstanding beers. BSG brings the best malt, hops and additives from around the world to your brewhouse. Their knowledgeable and dedicated staff comes from the brewing industry and can assist you in product consultation for your recipe formulation. Contact your dedicated sales or customer support rep, or become a customer at BSGcraft.com/BeACustomer
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Supply chain challenges are here to stay for a while, so why not trust the experts to handle freight for your ingredients? Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your craft concentrate blends. When you order two pails or more of concentrate from Old Orchard, you qualify for freight quotes from various carriers and can stay up-to-date on the status of your shipment. To get started on a freight quote for craft concentrates today, head over to [oldorchard.com/brewer](oldorchard.com/brewer)
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Five Star Chemicals (https://fivestarchemicals.com): Are you involved in your local Homebrew Club? Want to receive even more benefits? Sign up today for Five Star Chemicals Homebrew Club Program. It’s free, and you could have the chance to test out new products before they hit the market, receive exclusive swag, and enjoy discounts on brewing cleaners and sanitizers. Head on over to their website to sign up. You won’t want to miss it. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Feb 5, 2022 • 1h 8min
224: Julia Herz of the American Homebrewers Association Connects the Dots Between Beer and Flavor
Julia Herz is only a couple months into her new role as Executive Director of the American Homebrewers Association, but she's long been a craft beer voice and advocate with deep experience in the realm of food and beer pairing. As the former Craft Beer Program Director for the Brewers Association, she developed a library of resources to help brewers understand the nexus of beer and food, and to increase the number and quality of occasions for beer drinking. Now, in her new role as head of the world’s largest association of homebrewers, she starts her next chapter thinking about how homebrewing, and craft beer in general, can mean more to even more people than it has in the past.
In this episode, Herz discusses:
The immediate challenges to homebrewing and long term goals
Connecting the professional and amateur sides of brewing
Thinking about flavor in a way that’s externally relatable
Understanding the food flavor triangle
Pairing strategies with bridges, links, hooks, and echoes
Developing a mind-palate connection and articulating a language of flavor
Overcoming flavor bias
Making brewing more relevant to those from all walks of like
And more.
“So many brewers are world-class sensory experts when it comes to beer, but I still want to see brewers come along and understand how to describe flavor and what their beers go with,” says Herz. “Winemakers do know how to do that. Winemakers are in that arena, day in and day out.”
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): What if you could chill your beer with a more efficient chiller? The Answer? G&D Chillers new Micro Channel Condensers! G&D’s Micro Channel Condensers are highly efficient in hotter regions, use a fraction of the refrigerant over traditional chillers which provides less opportunity for leaks along with lower global warming potential. G&D Chillers’ Engineers are committed to green technology design, while developing a more energy efficient chiller for the brewing industry. Contact G&D Chillers today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Get back to the future with Weyermann® Isaria 1924®. Made from the oldest German malting barley variety, Isaria shows malty-sweet flavor and a soft, biscuit-like aroma. This heirloom malt makes amazing traditional Bavarian-style lagers, not to mention modern craft lagers and malt-forward ales. For more info, samples, and orders please visit go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Looking for innovation in your next beverage break-through? Think outside the purée box and let your brand stand out with Old Orchard's craft concentrate blends. Even smoothie seltzers can benefit from the extra boost of flavor and color. Old Orchard is based in the Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area—also known as Beer City, USA—and supplies craft beverage categories ranging from beer, wine, and cider to seltzer, spirits, and kombucha. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Five Star Chemicals (https://fivestarchemicals.com): Have you heard of PBW Tablets? Yeah, that’s right, the PBW powder you’ve known and trusted is now in tablet form from Five Star Chemicals. In two sizes-1 per 32 oz and 1 per gallon of water to optimize your cleaning. Simply add one per gallon for all stainless equipment, growlers, kettles, or carboys. Purchase on their website or your favorite homebrew supplier.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Feb 1, 2022 • 1h 4min
223: Matt Sampson of Hacienda Believes in Flavor Over Style
Matt Sampson, director of brewing operations for Hacienda Beer and Door County Brewing in Wisconsin, never set out to be a brewer. The PhD chemist figured on life in a lab—but life had something else in store. He found his way into brewing through the side door—vaulting from a somewhat unique position as brand manager and QC tech. That led to cellar and brewing work. Now, years later, Sampson still manages the Hacienda brand while overseeing all brewing for both Hacienda and Door County.
Door County focuses on the reliable, tried-and-true craft standbys. Hacienda, meanwhile, is their hub of experimentation—where flavor and exploration are priorities—and their Milwaukee taproom is the best place to experience it.
In this episode, Sampson focuses on the Hacienda approach, where a focus on tropical flavor spans beer styles, from their high-volume hazy IPAs to their mixed-culture and spontaneous beers. Along the way, he discusses:
focusing on tropical Brettanomyces flavors over “barnyard”
fermenting directly in oak with Brett primaries
transitioning from grown and dreg cultures to commercial pitches
brewing spontaneously with a coolship in the Upper Midwest
foregoing aged hops to allow more tropical hop flavors to emerge
using hops directly in the coolship
understanding Michigan- and Wisconsin-grown hop flavors
taking a fruit-first approach to choosing blending stock
prepping cherries for beer maceration with a carbonic process
controlling THP in finished beer
the importance of dry-hopping every mixed-fermentation beer
And more.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Support from this episode comes from BSG and The Malt Haus by Rahr. The Malt Haus is your online source for cool and exclusive Rahr Malting Co. gear that you can’t get anywhere else. T-shirts, hoodies, hats, socks, glassware, and even gear for your pets. Rep the malt you brew with and look sharp doing it! Take the tradition home at themalthaus.com
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Is your brewery struggling to source or afford berry ingredients? Historic heatwaves devastated U.S. berry crops, causing supply to dwindle and prices to skyrocket. That’s why brewers are switching over to Old Orchard’s craft concentrate blends, which mimic straight concentrates but at a better price point—and with more reliable supply. Is it any surprise that Old Orchard’s best-sellers are Raspberry and Blackberry flavors? Reclaim your margins and order your craft concentrates at oldorchard.com/brewer
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Five Star Chemicals (https://fivestarchemicals.com): Are you involved in your local Homebrew Club? Want to receive even more benefits? Sign up today for Five Star Chemicals Homebrew Club Program. It’s free, and you could have the chance to test out new products before they hit the market, receive exclusive swag, and enjoy discounts on brewing cleaners and sanitizers. Head on over to their website to sign up. You won’t want to miss it. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Jan 27, 2022 • 1h 13min
222: Good Word’s Todd DiMatteo Goes Big on Little Beers
Todd DiMatteo never intended to head up the production side of Good Word Brewing and Public House in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. However, after a rocky start with a previous brewer forced him to quickly step up to the brewdeck, he embraced the role with verve. Thankfully, his homebrew experience plus more than a decade serving beer at Atlanta’s legendary Brick Store Pub provided a palate and a point of view—two things that he’s leaned into while further developing Good Word’s beer program.
Small beers are a big deal for DiMatteo. Through collaborations and core brews, he routinely plays across the beer map—from “petite IPA” to Czech-style dark lager and English-style bitter. In this episode, he talks about the challenges and techniques to brewing small beers, including:
sharpening critical faculties to focus on constant improvement
finding inspiration in source material for beer styles
staying respectful of style and naming conventions, in part to keep styles alive and vibrant
key points for maximizing character and minimizing detracting notes in small beers
the value of decoction in low-ABV beers
evaluating ingredients and selecting them for flavor
using multiple lager and ale strains while remaining efficient from a production standpoint
spunding for natural carbonation
And more.
*This episode is brought to you by: *
G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For nearly 30 years, G&D Chillers has set the mark for quality equipment you can rely on. G&D stands above the rest as the only chiller manufacturer that engineers your glycol piping for free. G&D also stands alone as the only chiller manufacturer with an in house team of installers and engineers, with 30 years of real world, field labor experience in breweries, wineries and distilleries. Contact the total glycol system design experts today at gdchillers.com
BSG (https://go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us) Support for this episode comes from BSG and Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation. SafBrew LD-20 is a new all-in-one Saccharomyces Pastorianus yeast and enzyme blend designed to produce lower-carb, dry lager beers. SafBrew LD-20 is capable of high attenuation at low temperatures, making it the perfect choice for clean lagers with very low residual sugars. To harness the power of SafBrew LD-20, or to learn more about Fermentis’s range of fermentation solutions, get in touch with BSG at go.bsgcraft.com/Contact-Us
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Supply chain challenges are here to stay for a while, so why not trust the experts to handle freight for your ingredients? Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your craft concentrate blends. When you order two pails or more of concentrate from Old Orchard, you qualify for freight quotes from various carriers and can stay up-to-date on the status of your shipment. To get started on a freight quote for craft concentrates today, head over to [oldorchard.com/brewer](oldorchard.com/brewer)
Precision Fermentation (https://precisionfermentation.com/brewing): BrewMonitor, from Precision Fermentation, is the first real-time, comprehensive fermentation monitoring solution. It works with your existing fermentation tanks to track dissolved oxygen, pH, gravity, pressure, temperature, and conductivity in real-time, from any smartphone, tablet, or PC. BrewMonitor provides detailed insight into your fermentations that helps improve beer consistency, reduce tank-time, and increase overall efficiency–saving your brewery time and money. Get started for 30 days, risk-free. Visit precisionfermentation.com/brewing.
Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): From the rotatable pick-up tube on Rogue Brewing's pilot brewhouse to the integrated hopbacks on Sierra Nevada's twin prototyping brewhouses, Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com
Five Star Chemicals (https://fivestarchemicals.com): Have you heard of PBW Tablets? Yeah, that’s right, the PBW powder you’ve known and trusted is now in tablet form from Five Star Chemicals. Available in two sizes so you can use just one tablet in either 32 ounces or one gallon of water, to optimize your cleaning. Forget measuring, just add a tablet to water and quickly clean all stainless equipment, growlers, kettles, or carboys. Purchase on their website or your favorite homebrew supplier.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast