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“I always figured if the professional killed the spirit to do it at home, then I would never do it professionally, but luckily that didn’t happen.”
Annie Johnson loves homebrewing. The award-winning homebrewer has worked professionally in brewing, but despite turning her passion into a career, she never gave up that sense of creative fulfillment and excitement that comes with each new batch. The self-described “snob” may refer to herself as the “queen of decoction,” but she’s also quick to embrace time-saving methods such as brewing with malt extract.
Learning is a constant for Johnson (who also shares her expertise as a contributing writer for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®). Whether it’s unlocking the key to historical brewing problems through a process of reverse-engineering, or exploring the flavor and color impacts of wild and foraged ingredients, she’s always following an idea or chasing a particular flavor memory in her brewing projects.
In this episode, she discusses:
- Conceiving beers with a special-ingredient-first approach
- Brewing with foraged ingredients and herbs such as bay leaf, nettles, and mushrooms
- Building subtlety and restraint into ingredient-forward beers
- Achieving positive effects with ingredients by adding at high kräusen
- Taking a cautious approach to toxicity in foraged ingredients
- Adhering to traditional methods for traditional beers
- Considering visual impact in recipe design
- How the process of studying to become a beer judge improved her brewing
An inspirational voice in the world of brewing, Johnson serves as a great reminder to all of us that success in brewing isn’t about scale or profit, it’s about passion and personal fulfillment.
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, reliability and dedication to their customer’s craft. New this year, Redundancy meets Efficiency! G&D’s Micro-Channel Condensers are built with all aluminum construction which eliminates galvanic corrosion. Using half the refrigerant of conventional condensers with fewer brazed connections, translates to a lower GWP and less opportunity for leaks. Call G&D Chillers today to discuss your project or reach out directly at GDChillers.com
This episode is brought to you by BSG Hop Solutions. Meet the latest in the BSG Hop solutions portfolio, Citiva. Strong expressions of stone fruit, floral, and resinous/pine flavors and aromas define this blend, crafted specifically for use in hazy IPAs, and other hop-forward beers. Citiva is ideal for aroma, whirlpool, and dry hop additions to Hazy and Juicy IPAs, or for any other hoppy styles where a combination of citrus, tropical fruit, and pine aromatics are desired. Go to bsgcraftbrewing.com to learn more, or call 1-800-374-2739.
The most common complaint about hard seltzers? They need more flavor. Extract alone is a weak flavoring agent and can leave a chemical aftertaste. But there's a better way. The craft concentrate blends from Old Orchard are packed with REAL FRUIT FIRST, no added sugars, and just enough natural flavor. Breweries are turning to Old Orchard concentrates for seltzer with more body, color, and aroma. Turn seltzer skeptics into supporters with seltzer that drinks like a beer. Get started at www.oldorchard.com/brewer.
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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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