Episode 263: Bale Breaker Brewmaster Kevin Smith Lives the Hop Life

Brewers and hop growers are closer today than they ever have been before, but Bale Breaker—in the Yakima valley town of Moxee—takes that proximity to a level rarely seen in beer. The brewery literally sits on the Loftus Ranch, in the middle of a hop field, with trellises and bines surrounding the production brewery and taproom. Trellises surround the taproom patio. Trellises stretch out from the parking lot. Hops are everywhere, so it’s no surprise that Bale Breaker focuses on hop-forward beers. Brewmaster Kevin Smith started his brewing career on the other side of the cascade range, in Seattle, before returning to the family farm and joining with his sister and brother-in-law to launch the brewery. But through Bale Breaker, he’s been able to showcase a hop-forward identity that embraces the crop he grew up around. Hoppy West coast and hazy beers are the brewer’s forté, and in this episode, Smith stays focused on hops. In it, he discusses: building a new approach to West coast IPA and pale ale understanding the impact of cohumulone levels on bittering creating unexpected hop blends with underutilized hops like Loral the sensory range driven by pick time in popular hop varieties like Citra and Mosaic dry hopping methods that maximize hop flavor and minimize vegetal matter building a common sensory language in the brewing team selecting and processing hops from the farm and more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): 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 Probrew (https://www.probrew.com) Check out www.probrew.com for info on patented ProCarb inline carbonation technology, ProFill rotary filling & seaming can fillers, the Alchemator inline alcohol separation system, 7–50bbl brewhouses and more! Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard has partnered with a leading logistics firm in the craft beverage industry to transport your craft concentrate blends. To get started on a freight quote for craft concentrates today, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit Fermentis.com. ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com): ABS Commercial is a full-service brewery outfitter, proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, and small parts to brewers across the country. Contact one of their brewery consultants today at [email protected] to discuss your brewery project. Perfect Puree (https://perfectpuree.com/beer): Craft the perfect pour with superior fruit from The Perfect Purée. But don’t just take our word for it, experience flavor first-hand by curating your own complimentary sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer. Samples are complimentary for brewing professionals only.