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Over the past 15 years of Fat Head’s existence, they’ve won 27 GABF medals (14 gold) and a dozen World Beer Cup medals (seven gold), but brewmaster Matt Cole takes it all in stride with typically Midwestern humility. They love to win, but they do it for the sake of making great beer.
There’s a modern sensibility to their flagship American IPA, Head Hunter—one of our Best 20 Beers in 2023—which feels West Coast–driven but with an almost analog-like warmth that makes it accessible and refined without sacrificing any of its urgency and presence. And their approach to open fermentation of German-style weissbier is a master class in controlling ester and phenol production for flavorful yet balanced beers. Ask Cole, however, and he’ll chalk it up to quality ingredients and sound process. “Good product in, good product out.”
In this episode, Cole discusses:
- soft fining to protect bitterness and aroma
- brewing American IPA with a strong West Coast vibe
- evaluating new-crop-year hops in the brewhouse after selection
- selecting hops at the brewery with input from the entire brewing team
- tagging hops from different selected lots for different usages in a brew
- maximizing natural hop flavor and aroma with whole-cone hops in the hopback
- the stylistic overlap of West Coast and American IPA
- dialing in packaging for competition
- fermenting weissbier in an open fermentor
- using a flotation tank to clean up brews
- the importance of process over recipe
And more.
G&D Chillers
At G&D Chillers we always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with us as you Build Great Beer. Andy Joynt of Big Grove Brewery says, “We have been using G&D Chillers from the beginning. From our original 3.5 BBL pub system to our production brewery, we have been able to rely on G&D to provide a high quality chiller, help us with design and layout, and provide support whenever we need it.” Choose G&D Chillers on your next expansion or brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote Control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller!
ProBrew is excited to now offer 2–4 week lead times on all in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Filler and Seamers. These models are available in 100–300 can per minute filling speeds and are built with a focus on scalability and low dissolved oxygen pickup. This special lead time is only while supplies last, so send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 262-278-4945. ProBrew, Brew YOUR Beer.
G&D Chillers
At G&D Chillers we always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with us as you Build Great Beer. Andy Joynt of Big Grove Brewery says, “We have been using G&D Chillers from the beginning. From our original 3.5 BBL pub system to our production brewery, we have been able to rely on G&D to provide a high quality chiller, help us with design and layout, and provide support whenever we need it.” Choose G&D Chillers on your next expansion or brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote Control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller!
ProBrew is excited to now offer 2–4 week lead times on all in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Filler and Seamers. These models are available in 100–300 can per minute filling speeds and are built with a focus on scalability and low dissolved oxygen pickup. This special lead time is only while supplies last, so send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 262-278-4945. ProBrew, Brew YOUR Beer.
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.
Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast’s DayBreak-V (pronounced “five”). Using their Lumina technology, Omega genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Perfect for modern West Coast IPAs. Learn more at [email protected].
RSS MACLIN, a family-owned company started by the Head of Seaming Technology from PS Angelus and SME and Field Service Technician for Ball Corp, offers audits and repairs for can seamers and can integrity training. With experience from big breweries, they bring valuable knowledge to craft businesses. They provide solutions for can damage, seam training, and help your facility become self-sufficient without relying on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)Should we just use OEM here?. If you have any questions regarding your machine setup, parameters, or concerns about your can line call us at (330) 299-8210 or email at [email protected].
If you’re a brewery or distillery in planning, or interested in adding a brewery or distillery to your existing craft-beverage business, visit breweryworkshop.com now and secure your spot in our upcoming Brewery and Distillery Workshop, this September in Fort Collins, Colorado. Opening or purchasing a brewery or distillery today is rife with challenges, and the things you don’t know that you don’t know could be the difference between failure and success. Invest in the success of your business with this four-day intensive filled with panel discussions, small group sessions, technical tours, and more. Learn more at breweryworkshop.com.
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!
Berkeley Yeast. Founded by bioengineers. Yeast that’s designed to improve flavor, quality, and consistency; increase efficiency; and save you money. If you’ve been following yeast, you’ve heard about our strains: Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest Southern Hemisphere hops. And, we just dropped new strains that are even more futuristic. Nationwide free shipping. Mention this podcast for 20 percent off your first order.
Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast’s DayBreak-V (pronounced “five”). Using their Lumina technology, Omega genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Perfect for modern West Coast IPAs. Learn more at [email protected].
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].
If you’re a brewery or distillery in planning, or interested in adding a brewery or distillery to your existing craft-beverage business, visit breweryworkshop.com now and secure your spot in our upcoming Brewery and Distillery Workshop, this September in Fort Collins, Colorado. Opening or purchasing a brewery or distillery today is rife with challenges, and the things you don’t know that you don’t know could be the difference between failure and success. Invest in the success of your business with this four-day intensive filled with panel discussions, small group sessions, technical tours, and more. Learn more at breweryworkshop.com.
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!
Berkeley Yeast. Founded by bioengineers. Yeast that’s designed to improve flavor, quality, and consistency; increase efficiency; and save you money. If you’ve been following yeast, you’ve heard about our strains: Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest Southern Hemisphere hops. And, we just dropped new strains that are even more futuristic. Nationwide free shipping. Mention this podcast for 20 percent off your first order.