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Brooklyn’s Wild East is a brewer’s brewery. It’s the kind of place that other local brewers go for a beer when they’re not working. The lagers are exceptional, more characterful than merely crispy, and their best-selling IPA is a West Coast–style iteration—a stark contrast to the hazy, juicy IPAs that make up the bulk of offerings from neighbors Other Half or Finback.
Cofounder and head brewer Brett Taylor has some strong opinions about brewing lagers—decoction isn’t optional, water is very important, and the imperfection of more “rustic” malt offers a tension that makes for more interesting beers. In this episode, Taylor discusses those approaches to lager, as well as their techniques behind West Coast IPA and mixed-fermentation farmhouse-style beers. Along the way, he covers:
- leaning into Czech-style lagers, partly due to the similarity in water between New York and Pilsen
- designing a brewhouse with decoction in mind
- treating lagers gently in every step of the process, to preserve delicate flavors
- using the same yeast in different ways across the lager program
- brewing West Coast–style and hazy IPAs with Conan yeast
- modernizing West Coast–style IPA recipes
- the challenges of scaling up farmhouse brewing cultures
- optimizing for light Brett character and gentler acidity in foeder saisons
- achieving juicy yet dry notes in everything from IPA to mixed-culture beer
And more.
This episode is brought to you by:
G&D Chillers
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Is your brewery struggling to source or afford berry ingredients? Historic heatwaves devastated U.S. berry crops, causing supply to dwindle and prices to skyrocket. That’s why brewers are switching over to Old Orchard’s craft concentrate blends, which mimic straight concentrates but at a better price point—and with more reliable supply. Is it any surprise that Old Orchard’s best-sellers are Raspberry and Blackberry flavors? Reclaim your margins and order your craft concentrates at oldorchard.com/brewer
Packaging beer can be a daunting task but buying cans shouldn’t be. American Canning provides packaging supplies at competitive prices in order quantities catered to craft. Think single truckloads and half-height pallets rather than million can minimums. For a smooth packaging experience, also consider their ultra-compact, single operator canning machines. Pricing begins at $25,000 with quick 6-8 week lead times on most equipment. American Canning exists to help share your craft in cans; learn more about their ecosystem of solutions at americancanning.com.
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