May 09, 2025

412: Colt Carpenter of Pax Verum Sources Intentional Ingredients for Nuanced Beers

1 hour 8 minutes

Over the past two years, five beers that Lapel, Indiana’s Pax Verum sent to Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine for review have scored 95 or above. That naturally piqued our interest, so when we planned our Craft Brewers Conference itinerary we made sure to visit the hip outpost an hour north of Indianapolis. Head brewer and co-owner Colt Carpenter cut his teeth working in a homebrew shop before making the jump to the world of professional brewing, and his embrace of high quality and diverse ingredients tracks with that experience of assisting home brewers with their own ingredient choices. Now, he embraces everything from traditional English styles and European lagers to cutting-edge IPAs, but always with a slight contemporary edge.

In this episode, Carpenter discusses:

building a wider understanding of and familiarity with beer ingredients by working at a homebrew shop

sourcing ingredients intentionally with flavor in mind

designing robust porter around a specific specialty malt

managing challenges with craft malt like increased friability and seasonal variation

focusing on freshness while managing color swings with specialty malts

avoiding over-oxygenation

cool pooling IPAs with flowable hop products

building depth in hoppy beers without T-90 pellets

finding hop lots that meet flavor goals, without selecting

unique flavors and aromas from Michigan-grown varieties

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

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Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side.

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): It's time to revisit Old Orchard's flavored craft juice concentrate blends, where the latest additions include Fruit Punch, Guava, Kiwi, and Pomegranate. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer.

Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) Lórien seamlessly combines traditional elements of European noble hops with an elegant twang of American modernity. Learn more about Lórien and the rest of Indie’s varieties at www.indiehops.com. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful.

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Brewery Workshop (https://breweryworkshop.com) If you’re launching a brewery or acquiring an existing one, consider our brewery workshop and new brewery accelerator, September 14 through 17th in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over four days, we engage in panel discussions, technical brewery tours, networking, and small working group sessions that help you better understand and prepare for the challenges of brewery operation. Tickets are on sale now.

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