Master Brewers Podcast

The creator of infusion malts joins us to explain what they are and why they're special. Special Guest: Cristal Peck.

Did you know that the gelatinization temperature of your malt could be as low as 136F or as high as 154F? Charlie Bamforth's successor joins us to talk about variations in starch structure and what that might mean for your mash. Special Guest: Glen Fox.

The John Rowley approach to sour & funk Special Guest: John Rowley.

The story of how Creature Comforts Brewing tracked down and eliminated metallic off-flavor in kettle-sours. Special Guest: Spencer Britton.

You've seen the headlines. Is the US government really about to change its recommendations for alcohol consumption? Special Guests: Brian Crawford and Christopher Shepard.

More engineered brewers yeast strains capable of "impossible" feats. Special Guest: Charles Denby.

How affordable automation can free up resources and improve quality in breweries of any size. Special Guest: Matt Cottrell.

Richard Preiss discusses his work with genetically unique yeast used to produce Norwegian farmhouse beers known as kveik. Special Guest: Richard Preiss.

How Two Roads Brewing keeps its customers safe…alcohol or not. Special Guest: Karen Stangl.

Employer responsibilities, hazard assessments, finding the right safety glasses, the pitfalls of respiratory protection, employee buy-in, and more. Special Guests: Andrew Dagnan, Corey Martin, and Jim Kuhr.

How to tap into the power of consumer testing for even the smallest of breweries. Special Guest: Tessa Schilaty.

A Master Brewers member requested an episode about CO2 systems, CO2 quality, and best practices. Here it is. Special Guests: Dave Thomas, Eric Meyer, Gabriel Dominguez, Jeff Carter, and Mark Fischer.

An update from the fast-moving world of gene editing, as it relates to hops. Special Guest: Chris Willig.

For smaller brewers, yeast management can be a challenging prospect. Many mid-size to small breweries attempt to make a wide range of beer styles that require a plethora of yeast strains. Due to production limitations, brewers are often forced to stretch yeast pitching windows or purchase brand new yeast pitches at a dramatically high cost. A study was performed to evaluate potential media that would allow for adequate dormancy and viability of harvested yeast slurries for long term re-pitching opportunity. Various media were added to decanted yeast slurry and viability was measured over determined time periods to track health of the stored yeast. Results indicate that monopotassium phosphate, standard distilled water, alkaline mineral water, and a solution with sunflower oil all provide varying degrees of health preservation of long storage periods up to one month. Minimal changes were observed with adequate dilutions and these results will be discussed. Special Guest: Matt Couch.

An overview of the options for pasteurizing beer, and how pasteurization works at Goose Island. Special Guests: Gus Grosenbaugh and Michael Owens.

Filling equipment within a brewery is ironically one of the best places for microbial growth to thrive. There are nooks, crannies, and blind spots that beer can sneak into, which are also challenging to clean. Beer filling equipment is also constructed using a variety of different materials that require specifically tailored cleaning chemicals to prevent corrosion while working effectively to remove soil. Every brewery has a different filling operation including equipment, surrounding space, and utilities, therefore different needs for chemicals and cleaning practices. As a brewery optimizes its filler cleaning practices and chemicals, it is also essential to validate that the chemicals and method of cleaning are both working effectively. To avoid having every brewery reinvent the wheel with filler cleaning practices and save the time and money it takes to trial new processes, this presentation will share one brewery’s story of developing a robust cleaning program on both of its canning lines. We will discuss how we worked directly with our chemical supplier and equipment manufacturers to find the best compatible chemicals for effective cleaning on both of our lines. We will also discuss the microbiological and chemical quality checks that were put in place to validate filler cleaning process and chemicals to ensure product integrity, and share the improvements that were made from a quality management lens to empower employees to make informed quality decisions. Special Guests: Levi Bainum and Riley Seitz.

What's the buzz in omics all about and how can it help you make better beer? Special Guests: Glen Fox, Harmonie Bettenhausen, and Laura Burns.

The Inspiring History and Legacy of American Lager Beer is envisioned to be a nine-volume series of books covering the history of the American lager brewing industry from the 1840s to the 1940s and the evolution of adjunct lager beer as America’s “national beverage.” The “surprising” aspect of this history is that it ever happened at all, given the half-century-long assault on the industry between the 1870s and 1910s to impose an “American Reinheitsgebot.” Unified in this objective were a plethora of the nation’s political, cultural, and agricultural institutions—all seeking to ban to use of rice and corn-based products in the brewing of American ales and lagers. Equally united in opposition to this effort were the brewers and brewing scientists of America. In battles that were passionate, highly public, and intense in nature, these brewing industry advocates successfully defended the right of American brewers to brew with the ingredients of their choice. It is a powerful legacy not only for America’s first revolution in beer (the adjunct lager brewing industry) but also for the nation’s second revolution in beer (the American craft brewing industry). Special Guest: Greg Casey.

A deep dive on beer foam with a couple of familiar guests, one of whom literally wrote the book on foam. Special Guests: Ashton Lewis and Charlie Bamforth.

Just when you thought light-struck flavor in beer was permanent... Special Guests: Catherine Villa and Keith Villa.