Subscribe to the Craft Beer & Brewing Podcast:
Strong brewing communities produce clusters of great breweries, and the Colorado brewing world, centered in Denver, is no different. Friendly competition drives innovation, exploration, and refinement as well as knowledgeable consumers with higher and higher expectations. For this episode, we bring together three friends—each medal-winning brewers—for a conversation on their approaches to West Coast–style IPA.
Brian Hutchinson of Cannonball Creek has brought home a slew of medals for pale ales and session IPA—11 total Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals, including GABF gold last year for their New Zealand–style IPA. With his team at Westbound & Down, Jake Gardner has earned a handful of GABF and World Beer Cup medals for their West Coast–style IPAs, such as Spirit of the West and Westbound Select. Finally, Phil Joyce of Amalgam recently won gold for West Coast–style IPA in the Colorado Brewers Cup; he also placed fourth at the Alpha King Challenge last year.
In this episode, the three move through a range of IPA brewing topics, including:
- designing IPA with clean flavors that are easy to linguistically identify
- decocting and step-mashing West Coast–style IPA for higher attenuation, foam stability, and FAN uptake
- building a malt base in West Coast–style IPA with blends of pilsner malt
- using flaked wheat in smaller percentages for mouthfeel
- fermenting with Chico yeast for dry, low-ester beers
- minimizing hop creep with ALDC, diacetyl-free yeast, and other tools
- driving faster, healthier fermentations for more vibrant hop character
- understand the impact of water on West Coast–style IPA
- integrating flavor and bitterness
- the impact of pH on hop expression
- selecting loud hops that punch hard
And more.
G&D Chillers
For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across North America and beyond. We’re proud of the cool partnerships we’ve built over the past 30 years because brewing doesn’t stop at 5 o’clock and nor do we. We uses quality components, expert craftsmanship, and constant innovation. With our 24/7 service and support, your brewery will never stop. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly.
It’s time to stop worrying about diacetyl with Berkeley Yeast’s line of Fresh™ strains. These revolutionary yeast strains are engineered to produce the ALDC enzyme inside the cell, preventing diacetyl before it forms. That means no more lengthy diacetyl rests—just clean, crisp beer that’s ready for packaging sooner. Whether you’re brewing a classic lager with Fresh Andechs or a hazy IPA with Fresh London, you’ll get ultra-low diacetyl levels and let your beer’s true flavors shine. The team at Fireforge Craft Beer call it a “cheat code” and “game changer” for their hoppy beers. Learn more at berkeleyyeast.com/fresh.
As breweries expand beyond beer into other segments such as mocktails and CBD beverages, Old Orchard is here to help. We can formulate custom blends featuring specialty ingredients. Whether trending flavor additions or nostalgic favorites, the next best thing is around the corner at Old Orchard. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer.
Oregon-based Indie Hops is expanding possibilities for brewers in 2025. Strata, our original hop release, is now available in cold-side flowable hop oil form—Strata HyperBoost—in coordination with Yakima Chief Hops. Our T90 pellets establish the multilayered Strata experience, while cryogenic CGX pellets in coordination with Crosby Hops, and now Strata HyperBoost with YCH expand the possibilities. Learn more about Strata and Indie’s more recent hop releases at www.indiehops.com. Indie Hops — Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!
Upgrade your fermentation game with Unitank 2.0 from Ss Brewtech. Featuring a laser-welded cooling jacket for efficient and precise temperature control, an innovative silicone racking arm, and a carbonation stone that allows you to carbonate right in the fermentor, Unitank 2.0 is engineered to help you get the most out of your fermentations! Available from 7-gallon up to 1-barrel sizes, Unitank 2.0 will be right at home in your homebrew set up or producing pilot batches at your commercial brewery. Visit Ss Brewtech.com to learn more!
Did you know that Isuzu trucks have been the best-selling low-cab-forward trucks in America every year since 1986? That’s right for more than 38 years, the legendary durability, remarkable performance, and low cost of ownership of Isuzu trucks have made them a favorite for work-truck owners. You may have seen our Ultimate Craft Beer Truck that debuted at the Craft Brewer’s Conference in 2019, and it has been there every year since. As members of the Brewers Association, we have partnered with breweries, suppliers, and distributors alike to support the craft-beer industry. Whether you are looking for a self-distribution solution or one to deliver supplies, there is an Isuzu truck that will fit your needs. Go to isuzucv.com to check out our impressive lineup or visit an Isuzu dealer today to find out why now, more than ever, Isuzu trucks are the trucks you trust for the work you do!
Protecting your beer’s highest quality is crucial to maintain its unique taste and prevent spoilage organisms, and microbiological testing plays a vital role in this process. Cytiva offers a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory filtration products designed for both lab and production-floor use. Our products are portable, affordable, and suitable for any size craft-brewing operation, and we support a wide range of applications, including microbiology analysis to detect spoilage organisms during manufacturing through final product release and shelf-life studies, general filtration for degassing and yeast removal, and analytical chemical analysis of raw materials and final products. Discover how Cytiva can help you protect the quality of your beer today, visit beerandbrewing.com/cytiva to learn more.