The BrewDeck Podcast

Made with pride, brewed with purpose. In the craft beer world, stories matter, especially when they reflect diversity, authenticity, and community. On this episode of the BrewDeck Podcast, Adri sits down with Dennis Ramey and Osbaldo Hernandez, co-owners of El Sueñito Brewing in Bellingham, WA, to discuss how they've built a brewery rooted in identity, community, and intentional hospitality.  From queer-owned and Mexican immigrant-owned values to beers that tell a story, this conversation is all about creating space where people feel seen.Because great beer is even better when everyone has a seat at the table.

Join us on the BrewDeck Podcast as we dive into the world of IPAs with two legendary guests! From the West Coast, we have Winslow Sawyer, the founder and owner of Pure Project in sunny San Diego. Discover how he brings sustainability and innovation to every brew.Representing the East Coast, Geoff Wenzel, Director of Brewing at Industrial Arts Brewing Company in Beacon, NY, shares his expertise on crafting the perfect IPA.

Beer is considered food and should be treated that way. Whether you are homebrewing or making thousands of barrels a year, it ends up in people’s bodies. So, parts of the production process, packing, holding, and transporting beer, are regulated. Today’s guests are Jan Landry, Food Safety Manager at Canada Malting Company, and Steve Harrah, Quality Services Manager at Country Malt Group. They talk about food safety related to ingredients and materials before arrival at breweries or distilleries and proper cleanliness and storage at facilities.

Today we're going to switch it up a bit and talk more about homebrews and recipe formulation. We celebrate our podcast birthday today, so it's time for some cake, beer, and good conversation.  Our guests have 50 plus years of combined knowledge working in the brewing industry and are plugged into the latest craft beer topics. Oh, and remember, next Friday is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans as you join us for a more casual, less Lumberg episode of the Brew Deck.  We guarantee that all of today's guests have more than 15 pieces of flair. 

In Yakima Valley, born and raised Trellises are where they spend most of their days Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all year  With a beautiful view of Mt. Ranier When a couple of guys grabbed their harvesting gear Started making all the bines disappear Getting instantly frozen, YCH cheered, "You're being frozen, shipped, and used in fresh hop beers." Fresh hops; once reserved for those breweries within 1-2 days of transit. Thanks to Instant Quick Freeze (IQF), fresh hops are now available to brewers worldwide!  In today's episode, JT Wattenberg from Yakima Chief Hops discusses how using the IQF process preserves those sought-after, "right off the bine" flavors and aromas, how much fresh hops to use per barrel, and much more.  We also had the pleasure of speaking about fresh hops with Ben Edmonds of Breakside Brewery in Portland, Oregon. We cover how long they've been brewing beer with fresh hops, where they get them, and what "shattered hops" are.

What do millet, buckwheat, sunflower seeds, and hemp have in common? They are all non-cereal grains malted at Colorado Malting Company in Alamosa, Colorado. The obscure malts can be added to a traditional grain bill or singularly to produce gluten-free beer and spirits.  Today's guests, brothers Josh and Jason Cody, take farm-to-tap to a new level as the only brewery in the world where every ingredient in its beers comes from the family farm.  Josh and Jason's grandfather started the family-run Colorado Malting Company and then passed it onto their father. Located in San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado, Alamosa, this farm-to-glass operation is positioned in a unique climate with crazy heat/UV indexes, making it exceptional for growing small grains and bringing those to harvest high-quality status.

In this episode of The BrewDeck, we speak with experts from three exceptional malt companies discussing the science behind Munich Malt as well as the high-quality Munich Malt options available from each maltster. First up is Teri Fahrendorf, Malt Innovation Center Manager at Great Western Malting, followed by Betsy Roberts, Quality Manager from Briess Malt & Ingredients and Jessica Görick, Technical Support representing BestMalz out of Germany. This episode is packed to the top of the malt bag with some great info and technical insight - you don't want to miss it!

Barley is not an easy crop to grow and creates a lot of stress about color, weather, and premium over feed. Today’s episode is all about Barley and features a Barley crop update from Ryan Dodd, Director of Grain at Canada Malting;  Dustin Camphouse, Grain Field Representative at Great Western Malting; and John Egan, Territory Manager for Country Malt Group.

Smoothie Sours are an emerging infamous beer style.  They’ve been around for a few years and have grown in popularity among craft beer consumers. The style consists of a soured beer with the addition of lactose (milk sugar) and different fruit purees combined to make a malt beverage big on fruit flavor and aroma with an added sour kick to enhance the flavors. The resulting beer tastes a lot like a typical fruit smoothie.  While it may be a polarizing beer style, it is becoming an industry standard, even though it’s been criticized, perhaps unfairly, by many in the beer world for not being a beer. Why? Smoothie Sours tend to gush and slush out of the package. Yet, new Smoothie Sour releases continue to be some of the most sought-after and traded craft beer styles. Today’s guests are Dan Russo of Oakshire Brewing and John Galante of Alvarado Street Brewery, experts who share their different experiences as well as tips and tricks to brewing Smoothie Sours successfully.      

Cold IPA is a newer term for a style of beer that aims for a crisper IPA coined by Kevin Davey, Brewmaster at Wayfinder. Today Kevin joins us on The BrewDeck to help us learn more about what sets this IPA style apart. We kick off the discussion, hearing a little more about Kevin’s background, and then dive right into how he came up with the idea to mix his favorite parts of an IPA and put them all into one thing. Kevin gets into the distinct flavor profile of the Cold IPA and how this feeds into his decision to name it as such, and then we take a deep dive into the types of hops, barley, and adjuncts that go into it. Here we explore Kevin’s decision to move from rice to corn, the barley growing industry in the US and its effect on cost, and the choice to use adjuncts instead of a malt-only recipe. Toward the end of the discussion, Kevin weighs in on a few top tips for anybody interested in brewing a Cold IPA of their own, making sure to cover water profile, base malts, mash temperature, and his unique technique of developing in the middle of the hop creep. Kevin wraps up with a final description of the Cold IPA as an antithesis to a Hazy: it’s more carbonated, drier, more clear, more bitter, more everything! So for all this and more about Relapse cold IPA from Wayfinder Beer, tune in today!

Our guests weigh in on the essential attribute of pilsner malt, their favorite pilsner malt, hop, and, in their opinion, a pilsner malt all brewers out there should try! Each of our guests dives deep into these questions, giving advice on many different malts and hops on their radars, some of which are household favorites, and others a little more niched! They also sign off with some of the most exciting beers coming out of their breweries, so for all this and more today, be sure to tune in!

Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness is essential to brewing beer, and many brewers could produce a better product by taking sterilization more seriously. Today we have Dana Johnson and George Allen from Birko on the show to share their expertise on best practices for sterilization in the brewing lifecycle. Dana is Technical Director of Craft Brewing and Distilling at Birko, and George is the Business Development Director for Brewing and Distilling at the same firm. Our conversation starts with George and Dana giving listeners a window into their different careers the how they got to occupy their current roles at Birko. We then take a deep dive into brewing hygiene's technicalities, talking about the other chemicals and processes for cleaning tanks, cans, heat exchangers, lines, and more. On the subject of passivation, George and Dana weigh in on techniques old and new and share their thoughts on the best method to use, especially considering the lower grade stainless that many brewers have to work with nowadays. George and Dana talk about using different acids, caustics, and surfactants in the cleaning process. They share their views on temperature and dose, how to best apply them under which conditions, and how flavor, longevity, and more will be affected depending on the choices brewers make in this regard. We explore some common mistakes smaller-scale breweries make and what they should consider as they transition into professional ones. So, for an expert briefing on keeping things clean no matter your process or scale, be sure to tune in today!

Dextrin malts are specially made to boost your beer’s body, taste and mouthfeel. To dive into the secrets of brewing with these malts, we’re joined by Mike Heinrich, Sales Manager at Great Western Malting, local expert Bob Hansen of Briess Malt & Ingredients Co, along with Dirk Schneider and Tom Lembrick of BESTMALZ in Germany. We open our conversation with Mike, talking about Great Western Maltings Dextra Pils malt and then get right into the scientific details of what makes dextrin malts special. We follow that up with Bob, chatting about his brewing history. He then unpacks what dextrin malts are before sharing what Briess’s Carapils malt adds to the brewing process. While reflecting on why their malt is so unique, Bob untangles the differences between malt types. After talking about the history of two and six-row barley growing in the US, Bob opens up about the beers he’s drinking and why brewers should explore making lower-alcohol beers. From Briess, we jump to BESTMALZ in the Rheinhessen, Germany’s wine and beer heartland. As BESTMALZ’s quality assurance experts, Dirk and Tom reveal how brewers use their dextrin malts. They discuss the features of their Caramel Pils, why it’s distinct from crystal malts, and why they only use two-row barley. They also share their insights on how Germany regulates beer, which brews dominate the German market, and how brewers should approach chit malt. Tune in to hear more insider information on brewing with dextrin malts.

The highest quality beer can only be made when there is a connection between farmers and brewers.  Today we talk about the importance of this connection while also hearing insights into hops growing and beer brewing from today’s guests; Yakima Chief Ranches CEO Jason Perrault and supply chain ‘hoperations’ manager Joe Catron, and Bale Break Brewery co-owners Kevin Smith and Kevin Quinn.  We open our conversation by asking Jason how hops brewing has changed over the decades. After discussing Yakima Chief Ranches' focus on improving the quality of every link in their supply chain, we explore Bale Breaker Brewerys' origins. We then unpack the mad science that goes into hop breeding and why consistency and not the effects of terroir are valued in brewing. Later, we chat about why “the best fertilizer is a farmer's footprints in the field,” highlighting the need for growers and brewers to nurture their relationships. We round off our discussion by touching on why contracting hops is so vital in stabilizing the market, why new hops varieties tend to have funky names, and which hop combinations our guests most prefer. In this episode, we share insider information that’s been brewed over four generations of hops farming. Join us to hear from some of the top growers and brewers in the Yakima Valley.

Today we sit with James Loughran from Loughran Family Malts to talk about the art of farming and preparing barley. According to some, this cornerstone ingredient of craft beer takes a tremendous amount of care, planning, and even magic.  We open the show by asking James about the challenges and rewards of farming this important grain. After learning about the finer nuances of the grain’s journey, James walks us through the history of his family’s farm, sharing stories about its evolution. James continues by explaining why the Irish climate is especially favorable to his farm and touches on harvesting months, frosty nights, and, of course, Irish mythology and local legend.  Moving in tandem with the crop cycle, we move onto the next phase, the post-harvest. We ask James to elaborate on his kilning methods. He talks about the Texan barbeque approach and shares why “low and slow” is beneficial to the process. As our conversation brews, James takes a few moments to tell us about his favorite beer stories. He shares anecdotes about drinking in the US, and the number of pints helps him reach equilibrium.  In the second half of the show, we introduce our surprise guest, Brian Roth of Southern Brewing. He tells us why Irish barley is preferable to work with and what makes Loughran malt so special. To hear more from Brian on the topic, be sure to join us today!

With the ability to complement nearly every style of beer, crafting with fruit is how top breweries are creating some of their most innovative brews. Today we speak with Oregon Fruit Products Director of Brewing Sales Chris Hodge about the benefits of putting fruit in your beer.  After host Toby Tucker opens the show with a fruit medley of low-hanging puns, we explore Chris’s history in the brewing industry. We chat about getting over the fear of using fruit in your beers and Chris gives listeners insight into how fruit can fit with abundant beer styles. Near the end of this episode, Chris draws from his 34-years of experience in beer to talk about his favorite beer style.  Following our conversation with Chris Hodge of Oregon Fruit Products, we jump into the practical side of brewing with fruit by chatting to Gary Sernack, head brewer and owner of Bhramari Brewing. After a tasty digression on smoking meat, we talk about Gary’s approach to brewing. He shares insights into how he brews with fruit, the setup he uses to develop new beers, why he’ll never ship unfermented fruit beer, and how people are drawn to colorful beer. Later we ask Gary about his infamous but great tasting pizza beer. As Gary explains, “it’s not about making whacky beer. It has to taste good or it’s not worth serving.”  We wrap up the episode with Gary opening up about the brewing companies that he would most like to collaborate with. Tune in for more on Gary — and to learn if he really put whole pizzas into his brew.

Non-alcoholic beer is certainly having its moment in the U.S. The Dry January and “sober-curious” movements have piqued many people’s curiosity about non-alcoholic beer. Athletic Brewing Company is a leader in this segment of the market. John Walker, the company’s co-founder and head brewer joins us to shed light on the business and non-alcoholic beer generally. We kick off by hearing about his transition from Second Street Brewery to Athletic Brewing and the world of non-alcoholic beers. We find out about his homebrewing adventures and the many batches it took to get a market-ready product. John then talks about Athletic Brewing’s culture and why it needed to go beyond convention branding. From there, we touch on the technical side of non-alcoholic brewing, diving into dry hopping and malts. As the conversation continues, John talks about some of the challenges and opportunities that come with being in the non-alcoholic market, how supply chain disruptions have affected them, and the food safety regulations specific to non-alcoholic beers. We wrap up by looking at the award that has meant the most to John and the people who have helped him along the way.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: James talks about their approach to producing malt and the UK’s ideal climate for barley. The tendency of American breweries to use different malts at the cost of defining their brand. James reveals his favorite part about doing business with American brewers. What John did to land the job as head brewer at The Vermont Pub & Brewery in 1995. The particular characteristics of Fawcett’s Pearl malt that makes it John’s obvious favorite. The different experiences of drinking the same number of beers in the US versus the UK. The guests consider whether it is possible to make a terrible beer from the best ingredients

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: Sara talks about what drew her into the brewery scene and starting a Brewing Science club at the University of California, San Diego. She also talks about the story of how Origin Malt started and the unique barley they use for their malt. Chris talks about how using Origin Malt gives Rhinegeist’s witbier, Whiffle the distinctive character and flavor

SOME OF THE TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE: Teri discusses her history with beer and fascination with fermentation at a young age, ranging from the science of bread baking to the development of new kinds of malt. The journey of The Road Brewer, and how she found herself connecting with women brewers across the country, eventually leading to the founding of the Pink Boots Society. Pushing for new innovation with different ways of malting in the Malt Innovation Center. Toby Tucker gets Country Malt Group’s very own John Egan to talk about how past brewing experiments transformed into biofuel.

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE: Tim talks about his brief history of living in London and working at the world-famous White Horse pub in Parsons Green, along with UK Techno Music in the ’90s and the ‘upcoming’ CMG Band. Yards Brewing Co and the intricacies of setting up a new facility in 2008 at the cusp of the craft beer boom Increasing category of hard seltzer in the past few years and some tricks of getting into the segment A quick call to Yards Brewing Company founder and president, Tom Kehoe to catchup

This episode of The BrewDeck has the kettle chocked full of hops! The guest line-up features Victoria Pritchett, Director of North American Hops for Country Malt Group, Spencer Tielkemeier, East Division Lead & Brewing Innovations at Yakima Chief Hops, and Adam Hieronymus, Hop Contract Specialist at The Country Malt Group. They'll be covering hop contracting, the current state of the 2020 hop crop, experimental hops, and famous relatives, can you guess who?

In this episode of The Brew Deck, we're going to be speaking with Geoff Fischer, Territory Manager, and resident distilling expert for Country Malt Group.

Here is what you can expect from The BrewDeck Podcast.