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“We’re yeast farmers. We’re trying to set up a party that our guests are just going to rage at,” says John Mallett, VP of operations for Bell’s Brewery.
Of course, the reality is far more complex, but his flippant tone belies the deep knowledge that this longtime brewing veteran brings to the industry. Mallett joined Bell’s in 2001 after stints as a brewer and brewery design consultant, back when Bell’s produced a now-relatively-modest 30,000 barrels of beer. He’s helped the brewery grow in phases to their current production of about a half-million barrels per year, by taking a thoughtful approach to everything from ingredient selection and sourcing to designing the brewhouse for expansion.
In this episode of our podcast, Mallett covers a wide range of subjects, from evaluating hops and controlling the pelletizing process to inspecting malt houses, evaluating barley varieties, reading between the lines on malt spec sheets, understanding what numbers like Kolbach index mean in practical terms, the fundamentals of haze stability in beer, sourcing and evaluating the incredible amount of Centennial hops used in their flagship IPA Two Hearted, and designing and engineering production workflows and brewhouses for future expansion. It’s a thorough, technical conversation packed with the sense of humor for which he’s known.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers: As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com
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The founders launched Ss Brewtech with a very clear goal to advance brewing equipment design, performance, and quality to the very highest standards in the industry. With a team that draws upon strong functional backgrounds in brewing science, mechanical engineering, industrial design, supply chain, and manufacturing, Ss Brewtech has the people and skill sets you would want and expect from your supplier of pro brewing equipment. Head over to SsBrewtech.com for more information on their brewhouses and brewing gear.
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