May 31, 2024

362: Tim Johnson of Barrel Theory Takes a Passion-Driven Approach to Hazy IPA and Fruited Sour Beers

1 hour 10 minutes

Tim Johnson of Barrel Theory in St. Paul, Minnesota, started brewing progressive styles of beer—hazy IPA, fruit beers, barrel-aged stouts, and more—out of necessity. As a beer lover and beer trader, it made sense to try his hand at these things he would trade for, both for the creative thrill of pursuing excellence in these styles, but also for more pragmatic reasons—to have things to trade.

Today, Johnson still loves tasting the wide breadth of beer out there, and he remains active in trading beer with brewer friends. Now, however, he’s more focused on his own brewing—mastering hazy IPA, tart fruit beers, and barrel-aged stouts—and he’s not afraid to let you know that he loves those styles.

In this episode, he discusses:

blending and co-pitching yeast in hazy IPAs

designing double and triple hazy IPAs to taste great at a variety of temperatures

balancing base malts for flavor and color

adjusting water for the perfect hazy IPA profile

using advanced hop products alongside T-90 pellets

choosing the right time and place for certain hop additions

building hazy IPAs that make you want to take another sip

taking advantage of the “Infinity Gauntlet” of hops

pushing hop saturation while still controlling hop burn

using coconut cream to build richness in fruited sours

And more.

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