December 13, 2024

391: Kevin Ely of Wooly Pig Finds Small Tweaks That Make Big Impacts in Robust, Farm-Brewed Lagers

1 hour 22 minutes

Kevin Ely spent many years running the brewhouse at Uinta’s production brewery in Salt Lake City, but family brought him to a farm in rural eastern Ohio. Built next to the farm where his wife grew up, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery is the result of applying big-brewery-systems thinking to the smallest, most self-sufficient farm scale. From embracing the imperfect but interesting well water on the farm to side-streaming brewhouse waste via their drove of Mangalica pigs, he’s using every tool available to reduce waste and costs while making the highest-quality beer.

In this episode, Ely discusses:

making farmhouse lagers on a small scale without sacrificing quality

gently handling everything—from milling grains to fermenting beer via carefully boiled wort—for a more delicate beer

using slightly higher-kilned pilsner malt for better flavor and fullness

building character into dunkel with rye malt

evaluating water sources and managing their unusual well water

creating engaging beer experiences at the farm

using livestock to process organic waste from the brewery

And more.

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