Brewmaster Nick Pavlina from Humble Sea talks about their journey from homebrewer to pro, focusing on perfecting their award-winning Munich-style helles lager. They discuss the experimentation with mash-step times, Noble hops sourcing, and using a less common yeast strain. They also explore the swift growth of their 'foggy' IPA inspired by their West Coast roots.

Brewmaster Wouter Dely from St. Bernardus discusses adjusting classic recipes to modern brewhouse reality, using Belgian candi sugar in abbey-style beers, maintaining healthy fermentations, fostering ester production, and the mechanics of bottle conditioning. The episode delves into challenges faced by European brewers, the significance of water quality, and the impact of ingredients on drinkability and yeast performance in the brewing process.

Join Alex Lippens from Verzet as they strive to create the best oud bruin, blending tradition with innovation. They discuss pushing the boundaries of drinkability, rethinking brewing techniques, and blending barrel-aged base beers. The team aims to make oud bruin cool and relevant for a younger generation while maintaining Belgian brewing traditions.

Mythmaking and superstition may play a role in others brewers’ approaches to making lambic, but for Thomas Vandelanotte—brewmaster for Belgian breweries Timmermans, Bourgogne de Flandres, and Waterloo—science is a far better tool for achieving great-tasting beer that people want to drink over and over again. “I think it’s important, first of all, to not talk about lambic as a wonder of nature, but it’s something that can be completely scientifically followed-up,” Vandelanotte says. To that end, he and his team have engaged in deep study of their own brewery environment, the dynamics at play through fermentation and aging, and every barrel or foeder that finds its way into an oude gueuze blend. Their goal is balanced beer—flavorful, citric, not too acidic—and they’re intentional in both adhering to the historical parameters of lambic brewing while also using all the modern abalyticak tools at their disposal. In this episode, Vandelanotte discusses: the 118 different yeasts they’ve found in their environment and fermenting beer growth dynamics over time of different yeasts in lambic the similarity of young fermenting lambic to New England IPA using oxidized hop pellets without destroying what’s good about the hops themselves, because “lambic is not the [trash] bin of the hops industry” avoiding low-oil hop varieties and embracing hops of various origins, including U.S. hops the origin of barnyard character in lambic using a variety of barrel sizes and foeders for different fermentation and wood impacts analysis of foeders and barrels to build statistical basis for a theoretical blend that’s confirmed or adjusted through sensory flavor differences in types of acid that don’t track to titrations open fermentation at Bourgogne de Flandres to drive ester production fermentation dynamics in oud bruin 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) By partnering with ProBrew, brewers can fill and seam their canned product at ranges from 100-600 cans per minute. Our unique filling process also ensures low dissolved oxygen pickup and focuses on product quality during the entire process. Visit probrew.com or email us at contactus@probrew.com. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast’s DayBreak-V. We've genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Learn more at info@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. Yakima Chief Hops (https://hopandbrewschool.com). The 7th Annual Veterans Blend from Yakima Chief Hops will be available for pre-order June 24th! $3 from every pound sold of Veterans Blend will be donated to this year’s non-profit Stop Soldier Suicide. Plan ahead and pre-order on June 24th! Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest southern hemisphere hops. Mention this podcast for 20% off your first order. Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform.Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Jeremy Pryes, Co-founder of Pryes Brewing and creator of Idyll Forest Artisan Ales, shares his journey from Midwest IPA to wild, mixed-culture beers. Topics include brewing challenges, changing palates, evolution of IPAs, and creating unique beer flavors through blending and experimentation.

Tim Johnson, owner of Barrel Theory brewery, delves into the art of brewing hazy IPAs, sharing insights on yeast blending, hop selection, and water adjustment. He also discusses creating rich fruited sours with coconut cream and emphasizes the importance of passion in crafting innovative beer flavors.

Meanwhile Brewing in Austin is known for its award-winning lagers and IPAs, blending pilsner malts, managing mash thickness, adjusting for German hop harvest, building hop flavor with timing, using Augustiner yeast, slow carbonation, San Diego-style IPA, managing hop creep, and controlling hop characteristics through temperature.

Joe Lemnah of Burlington Beer discusses the evolution and processes behind their hazy IPAs, focusing on unconventional hops, high-adjunct grists, building middle notes, and maximizing interesting hop flavors. He explores the impact of different grains, yeast harvesting with London Ale III, and building character in pub-focused lagers with rye.

Ryan Miller, cofounder of Freak Folk Bier, discusses their unique approach to saison and hazy IPA, including using unusual ingredients, advanced hop products, and copitching yeast strains. They share insights on building compelling grain bills, controlling acidity, and adjusting gravity, highlighting their love story intertwined with brewing.

Bill Cherry, Co-founder of Switchback Brewery, discusses their slow approach to innovation, focusing on quality first. They won medals for their grodziskie beer and love the challenge of creating a market for smoked beers. Cherry talks about their unique Flynn on Fire series, yeast evolution, and the process of brewing a smoked Cezanne beer. The episode explores Switchback's journey from draft-only to unique beer styles and the influence of experience on beer consumption.