Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine

New Zealand’s climate, latitude, and singular terroir offers the right environment for hops of unique expression, but it’s their longstanding breeding program that has made possible so many of the signatures aromas and flavors we’ve grown to love. Ron Beatson of NZ Hops is the plant geneticist behind many of these beloved varieties, and on this episode recorded at the Craft Brewers Conference, he discusses the complex genetics and processes behind developing hops like Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, Nectarine, Superdelic, and more.


Beatson covers:



The impact of triploid genetics
The evolution of hop breeding with a focus on aroma and flavor
Using a California-grown Late Cluster parent for many popular crosses
Effects of terroir on popular New Zealand hop varieties
Developing new cultivars for early and late season harvest
Impacts of high UV energy on New Zealand hop crops


And more.


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): BSG is a proud partner of global hop breeder and merchant Hopsteiner, which has been connecting brewers with the choicest hops and hop products available since 1845. Explore Hopsteiner’s unique and exciting hop varieties at BSGCraftbrewing.com/Hops


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer


Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind. Visit AccuBrew.io to learn more!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) The ProFill series of rotary can fillers from ProBrew are accelerating plant production everywhere. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


US Water Systems (https://USWaterSystems.com): Some brewers want their water profile to be that of their city and that sounds great... except for one factor: Depending upon the city and day, the water quality can vary 40 to 50%. The best method is to start with the same water every time and Reverse Osmosis gives you that power. Visit USWaterSystems.com for a free expert analysis.


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Discover a whole SafLager™ range by Fermentis, covering from traditional to modern-style lagers: SafLager™ S-189, for the elegant lagers with floral notes, SafLager™ S-23, for fruity and hoppy ones, and SafLager™ W-34/70 for your neutral beers. Want to know more about SafLager™ yeasts? Visit www.fermentis.com!


ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com): ABS Commercial is proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and small parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact us today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. ABS Commercial. We are brewers.
Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Matthias Trum is the sixth-generation brewer at Bamberg’s Heller-Trum Bräu—better known as Schlenkerla—and he is as obsessed with local history as he is with producing world-class smoked lagers via their old-fashioned methods.


Bamberg has a long history of brewing, and Trum is a great student of that history—and his family has played an important role in it. In this episode, he immerses us in that story, discussing:



old family brewing logs that detail strong beers as well as lower-strength ones made from second runnings
the true story of rauchbier, and Schlenkerla’s role in preserving its legacy
details on Schlenkerla’s own wood-fired malting process, and the old practice of using different types of wood
the non-linear intensity of the smoky character in Schlenkerla’s beers
the importance of decoction to fermentation and flavor
the flavor contribution of their direct-fire copper kettles
the trick of balancing smoke and malt with evident hop bitterness
experimenting with malts smoked by different woods and paired with different aroma hops
balancing the non-smoked yet subtly smoky Helles Lagerbier
how hyper-inflation led to the development of the Helles


And more.


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): BSG is a proud partner of global hop breeder and merchant Hopsteiner, which has been connecting brewers with the choicest hops and hop products available since 1845. Explore Hopsteiner’s unique and exciting hop varieties at BSGCraftbrewing.com/Hops


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer


Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind. Visit AccuBrew.io to learn more!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) The ProFill series of rotary can fillers from ProBrew are accelerating plant production everywhere. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


US Water Systems (https://USWaterSystems.com): Some brewers want their water profile to be that of their city and that sounds great... except for one factor: Depending upon the city and day, the water quality can vary 40 to 50%. The best method is to start with the same water every time and Reverse Osmosis gives you that power. Visit USWaterSystems.com for a free expert analysis.


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Discover a whole SafLager™ range by Fermentis, covering from traditional to modern-style lagers: SafLager™ S-189, for the elegant lagers with floral notes, SafLager™ S-23, for fruity and hoppy ones, and SafLager™ W-34/70 for your neutral beers. Want to know more about SafLager™ yeasts? Visit www.fermentis.com!


ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com): ABS Commercial is proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and small parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilli

The town of České Budějovice in South Bohemia may be better known to North Americans as Budweis, the German name that’s been appropriated by a couple of famous beers. The real Czech pale lager from here is known as Budvar—sold as Czechvar in the United States, for legal reasons. It’s an easygoing showcase of light, pure malt flavors and soft, balancing bitterness, nearer in profile to a Bavarian helles than a typical Czech světlý ležák.


Joining us to tell this iconic beer’s story and talk about how it’s made is brewmaster Adam Brož, who is contagiously passionate about all the little details that make a pale lager into something that both tastes great and is addictively drinkable. Along the way, he discusses:



Budvar Original’s unique place in the pale lager spectrum
the importance of soft water to the beer’s profile
why he insists on sticking with whole-cone Saaz hops
how the barley variety and crop matter to the brewing process
why decoction matters, from deeper color and flavor to greater consistency
the benefits of long maturation of at least 90 days in horizontal tanks
a new variety of Budvar with higher bitterness
how the dark lager came to be and what sets it apart


And more.


"Our product is not the beer, but the joy from the beer," says Broz. "And without drinkability, it’s half of the joy."


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): All BSG Hops are hand selected for quality by their expert staff, so you can trust you are getting the very best hops from the very best growers in the U.S. and around the world. Discover BSG’s extensive range of domestic and imported hops at BSGCraftBrewing.com/hops


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer


Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind. Visit AccuBrew.io to learn more!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) The ProFill series of rotary can fillers from ProBrew are accelerating plant production everywhere. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


US Water Systems (https://USWaterSystems.com): Some brewers want their water profile to be that of their city and that sounds great... except for one factor: Depending upon the city and day, the water quality can vary 40 to 50%. The best method is to start with the same water every time and Reverse Osmosis gives you that power. Visit USWaterSystems.com for a free expert analysis.


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Discover a whole SafLager™ range by Fermentis, covering from traditional to modern-style lagers: SafLager™ S-189, for the elegant lagers with floral notes, SafLager™ S-23, for fruity and hoppy ones, and SafLager™ W-34/70 for your neutral beers. Want to know more about SafLager™ yeasts? Visit www.fermentis.com!


ABS Commercial (ht

Monday Night Brewing has grown from their Atlanta roots into taprooms and breweries in major southern US centers—Birmingham, Alabama and Nashville, Tennessee are two, with Charlotte, North Carolina opening soon. The regional powerhouse has grown on the strength of quality beer, measured risk-taking, and a simultaneous embrace of both modern and classic styles.


In this episode, brewmaster Peter Kiley shares his unvarnished and thoughtful approach to brewing, touching on:



moving to high-gravity brewing to make life easier on the brewing staff
kettle souring high-gravity brews
homogenizing kettle soured component brews pre-fermentation
managing ionic concentration in high-gravity brews
troubleshooting excessive attenuation
understanding acids like succinic acid in kettle-soured beer
the trouble with biotransformation in hoppy beers
extensive cold conditioning to reduce hop burn
the challenge in creating a framework for innovation
the trouble in democratizing creativity


And more.


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): Experience Nectaron®, an aromatic New Zealand hop, drenched by tropical waterfalls of grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, and peach. Nectaron® is in stock and ready to ship—visit BSGCraftbrewing.com/Hops to learn more.


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer


Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind. Visit AccuBrew.io to learn more!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) The ProFill series of rotary can fillers from ProBrew are accelerating plant production everywhere. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com/podcast): Indie’s unique varieties—Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, and Meridian—are trusted by brewers worldwide to modernize, brighten and diversify their beer lineup. Visit indiehops.com/podcast to discover what’s new in hop flavors. Indie Hops — Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Fermentis' beer yeast strain line-up is designed to answer the requirements of all brewers, so release your creativity! Visit www.fermentis.com or explore our app to discover more about yeast behavior and characterization.


ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com): ABS Commercial is proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and small parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact us today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. ABS Commercial. We are brewers.
Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Finding space for personality and authenticity in hazy IPA and tart fruit beer these days can pose a challenge for brewers, but for Jared Welch, Cofounder and Production Director for Nashville, Tennessee’s Southern Grist, that’s no reason to stop pushing. It’s why their popular quick-soured fruit beers are now acidified with a locally-caught Lactobacillus strain, and why they’ve tweaked and increased bitterness in their hazy IPAs while eschewing active fermentation dry hopping. Southern Grist is going to make the beers that customers want from them, but they stand out by making them their way.


In this episode, Welch focuses on hazy IPA and tart fruit beers, covering:



First-wort hopping with Vic’s Secret
Whirlpooling very cool as low as 160°F
Tweaking the grist for hazy IPA to ramp up oats
Building the lightest color via Pilsner malt
Driving London Ale III to a dozen generations through careful fermentation management
Dialing in acidity for specific fruits


And more.


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): Gambrinus Malting is Canada’s original small-batch, artisanal malthouse. If you’ve been searching for the perfect malt that’s not quite Pale and not Munich, you’re in luck. Gambrinus Vienna is the malt you’ve been looking for. This mellow-kilned malt has a balanced bready character with notes of honey, toffee, and caramel baked in. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn more


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer


Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind! Visit with the developers at booth (#2935) at the 2023 CBC BrewExpo America!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) ProBrew has always been a dedicated and trusted partner to breweries, especially when they make the leap to canning their product. That is why they only sell rotary can fillers, which significantly reduce product waste and produce higher quality product than an inline can filler. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com/podcast): Indie’s unique varieties—Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, and Meridian—are trusted by brewers worldwide to modernize, brighten and diversify their beer lineup. Indie also offers classics that thrive in Oregon terroir such as Chinook, Crystal and Sterling. Visit indiehops.com/podcast and stop by their booth#2131at CBC to discover what’s new in hop flavors. Indie Hops — Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Their canning lines are affordable, made in the USA, and engineered to grow alongside the needs of your business. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Brett is wild, its unpredictable, gives funky notes to beer, evolves in time. Historically it was used without control, but Fermentis harnessed it… Discover Saf

When brewers think of Czech hops, they naturally think of Saaz, whose delicate and ethereal character is nearly synonmyous with lager itself. Yet while craft brewers around the world have developed an obsession with punchy New World hops and the character of specific varieties, they often know relatively litle about the hops from this region that’s been growing them for more than a millennium.


In this episode, we sit down in Žatec—the home of Saaz—with Zdeněk Rosa, chairman of Bohemia Hop, the collective of all Bohemian hop growers. Here, Rosa digs into:



the promising overall trajectory of Saaz growth in recent years, despite the disastrous harvest of 2022
how agronomy and growing operations differ in Bohemia compared to the Pacific Northwest
the unlikely specifics of how weather impacted the 2022 harvest
the development of other varieties that offer similar character to Saaz but with better yield and sustainability
newer, more expressive Czech aroma varieties such as Saaz Shine and Saaz Comfort, which offer enticing possibilities for lager and other kinds of beer
leaning into a Czech take on cold IPA using more characterful Czech aroma hops


And more.


This episode is brought to you by:


G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.


BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): BSG are the exclusive distributors of Rahr Malting Co., producers of quality malt since 1847. Is your Pilsner looking flat? Wishing you could show off a mousse-like foam stand or looking to boost mouthfeel in a hazy? Then look no further because Rahr Dextrin Malt is here to improve your beer. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn how.


Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you hear Old Orchard mentioned in the brewing community, don't be surprised: the flavored craft juice concentrate blends from Old Orchard have shipped to over 46 states. To join the core of Old Orchard's brewing community, learn more at oldorchard.com/brewer
Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew announces the addition of Specific Gravity to our suite of brewing tools! AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. Join the AccuBrew community today and experience 24/7 peace of mind! Visit with the developers at booth (#2935) at the 2023 CBC BrewExpo America!


ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) ProBrew has always been a dedicated and trusted partner to breweries, especially when they make the leap to canning their product. That is why they only sell rotary can fillers, which significantly reduce product waste and produce higher quality product than an inline can filler. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com.


Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com/podcast): Indie’s unique varieties—Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, and Meridian—are trusted by brewers worldwide to modernize, brighten and diversify their beer lineup. Indie also offers classics that thrive in Oregon terroir such as Chinook, Crystal and Sterling. Visit indiehops.com/podcast and stop by their booth#2131at CBC to discover what’s new in hop flavors. Indie Hops — Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!


Twin Monkeys (https://TwinMonkeys.net): Are you ready to start canning your craft beverages? Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems is here to help. This troop of engineers, service techs, and microbrew fanatics offers customizable packaging solutions for every craft. Their canning lines are affordable, made in the USA, and engineered to grow alongside the needs of your business. Visit TwinMonkeys.net today.


Fermentis (https://fermentis.com): Brett is wild, its unpredictable, g