“I could buy conventional grain and save some thousands of bucks per year, but then I don’t have anything to tell,” Jan Kemker says. “I don’t know if we need to call it terroir. It’s liquid storytelling, I think.”
In various places around the world, brewers are choosing to limit their choices and root their beer in its place. In the first part of a triptych, here’s a look at Norway’s Eik & Tid and its kveik-fermented, oak-aged, mixed-culture raw ales.
Russian River cofounder and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo explains how choosing the right yeast and ensuring a healthy fermentation can help you reduce the risk of hop creep.
Three years after opening in Calgary, The Establishment has ridden its mixed-culture creations to the height of respect in Canada’s beer scene—winning medals, winning fans, and running out of room.
The philosopher-brewer expounds on not conforming to preconceptions of style, staying small to protect their creative vision, and using a full range of herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables to find that signature Antidoot aroma and flavor.
The director of brewing operations for the progressive Wisconsin brewery discusses finding their flavor voice in a way that transcends style.
Jim Crooks, master blender at Firestone Walker Barrelworks, describes the process of tinkering with elegant beer recipes to get the desired complexity and character after months or years of maturing with yeast and bacteria.
In rural Flemish Brabant, Antidoot Wilde Fermenten’s house mixed culture includes various wild yeasts they have captured over the years. Here, Tom Jacobs offers tips for success in wrangling your own local strains.
We found this digital hydrometer to be a snap to use, encouraging more diligent monitoring of our fermentations.
From tank geometry to hydrostatic pressure, Russian River cofounder Vinnie Cilurzo and head lab technician Taylor Lane explain the advantages of traditional open-top fermentation—and why their yeast love it too.