February 16, 2024

345: Arizona Wilderness Explores Terroir Through Mobile Coolships, Regenerative Local Grain, and More

1 hour 6 minutes

Last year, Arizona Wilderness’ beet-centered saison Jitterbug Perfume scored a perfect 100 with our blind judges, and went on to nab a spot in our Best 20 Beers in 2023. In this episode, head brewer Brad Miles and wood cellar manager Nick Pauley dissect that particular beer, from the blend of wood-aged saisons that form the base, to the way they roasted and processed the beets, and the particular fruit juice and spice additions that rounded it out. They also discuss the Arizona Wilderness approach to spontaneous brewing, using a mobile coolship and wort that they drive out to cooler, higher elevations in the wintertime to capture wild microflora.

Along the way, they touch on:

building a spontaneous process that works in a dry, desert environment

using aged American hops like Crystal, Chinook, and Cascade in spontaneous beer

adding funk character to saison with aged hops

using regenerative certified organic grains in saison

building a base with 5-6 different wood-aged saisons to stand up to strong flavored ingredients

balancing acidity in spontaneous and saison beer

brewing with Kernza grain

partnering with local growers and a local maltster to support a new grain economy

And more.

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