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As a trained food scientist with 20 years of experience in the field, Eric Tennant entered the brewing world with a broader background than most. And that background has served him well, as he considers both the ingredients and processes required to achieve the beer flavors he envisions. Over the past few years, he’s focused Benchtop around foeder-aged lagers, but the constraints of the small brewery have led to a number of innovative process solutions. The techniques that he applies are resulting in award-winning beer, too—Benchtop recently took home a silver medal in Zwickelbier or Kellerbier at GABF, and their barrel-aged barleywine, Old Wooden Ship, was one of Craft Beer & Brewing’s Best 20 Beers in 2023.
In this episode, Tennant discusses:
- crafting a hybrid approach to lager that’s part Czech, and part German
- decocting in a brewhouse not designed for it
- polishing beer through lagering without head pressure in oak foeders
- increasing IBUs in lager recipes to offset the mellowing effect of foeder aging
- double-batching with different recipes optimized for two different mash processes
- checking COAs and manipulating mashes to fit the malt
- protecting foam potential when wood-aging
- brewing barrel-aged English barleywine
And more.
G&D Chillers
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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].
Keep your brewery running smoothly with Five Star Chemicals. Our cleaning solutions are specifically formulated to meet the unique needs of breweries, ensuring that your equipment stays clean and free of harmful bacteria and contaminants. From cleaning fermenters to kegs, we have a solution for every step of the brewing process. Use Five Star Chemicals today and taste the difference in your brews.
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].
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.