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Victor Novak has been racking up medals at major competitions for decades now. Through stints at significant Philadelphia and southern California breweries, he’s made his mark on the development of contemporary beer styles while also working with a number of younger brewers who’ve done significant work themselves. Now, as director of innovation for Figueroa Mountain in Westlake Village, California, he’s blending the many beer avenues he loves—lager, fruit, and more—to build a robust program with beers that even non-beer-lovers can enjoy.
In this episode, Novak covers:
- adjusting chloride-to-sulfate ratios in dark lagers
- building easy-drinking dark beers with pilsner malt, rice, and small amounts of roasted malts
- limiting Munich malt to avoid astringency
- single-infusion mashing with modern malts
- managing sulfur production with Augustiner lager yeast
- the differentiating factors in award-winning lagers
- dialing in pH in either pale and dark lagers to optimize hop or malt expression
- biotransformation with lager yeast in West Coast pils
- creating a perception of sweetness (without actual sweetness) in tart fruit beers
- Choosing Lactobacillus strains for the intended level of acidity
- adding top-notes to fruit flavors for aromatic punch
- working terpenes into hop-forward and nonalcoholic beers
And more.
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You might have heard of Old Orchard, but have you heard of their newest flavors? Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to their lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. Old Orchard’s R&D team can also formulate custom blends unique to your needs. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer.
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Seam defects caused by minimal overlap may not be immediately apparent, but they can become problematic during distribution, leading to leaky pallets. Just because you're not experiencing leaks at your facility doesn't mean you're entirely safe. RSS MACLIN offers training to help you understand not only what is happening with your can seams but also what you can do to fix it. Our comprehensive training ensures that you are equipped to identify and make proper corrective actions before they escalate. Visit us at RSSMACLIN.com or email [email protected].
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Indie Hops breeds new hop varieties to help brewers captivate beer lovers. Brewers worldwide trust Indie’s unique varieties—Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, Meridian, and Audacia—to modernize, brighten, and diversify their beer lineup. Indie also offers classics that thrive in Oregon terroir such as Chinook, Crystal, and Sterling. Thoughtfully crafted and selected hops to meet your brewing needs. Visit indiehops.com/podcast to discover what’s new in hop flavors. Indie Hops—Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!
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