BYO Nano Brew Podcast

It has been a non-stop grind these last few years and the tough news and situations continue to pile up. 

Small breweries dealing with the rising cost of ingredients, supplies, and equipment and looking for relief. 

That leads to tough decisions like the question of what can be passed on to the consumer. 

There are practical steps you can take to stay afloat, and to even get on better footing for when the economy rebounds. On this episode you’ll hear about all that and more from our expert panel of guests:

Noreen Otto, executive director of the Iowa Brewers Guild

Rick Wehner, founder of Brewery Finance

Jamey and Jennifer Ratcliff, owners of Sixth Sense Brewing Co. in Jackson, Ohio

The bottom line is more important than ever. With supply chain issues, inflation and general concern about labor and the economy, small brewery owners are facing some sleepless nights. 

You’re not alone and today’s panel will talk about their own experiences, what they are hearing, and offer advice and practical steps for the coming weeks and beyond.

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 32 is sponsored by:

Fermentis
Hello nanobrewers! Try adding a cider to your brews! Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation, has made it really easy for you by developing 4 strains specifically for cider. Whether you want a crisp, sweet or fruity cider, discover the SafCider™ range. The 4 cider strains are available in 5-gram pouches, the perfect size for you. Just make your choice or try them all! To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit fermentis.com

Five Star Chemicals

Make your next lip-smacking beer with the help of Five Star Chemicals. Like most of you listening, Five Star loves a good drink. That’s why Five Star makes life easier for brewers of all levels and brewing at all sizes. Sign up for Five Star’s Homebrew Club for free seminars featuring big names in the industry, exclusive product testing and 20% off your next order. Raise a glass at FiveStarChemicals.com and sign up now.

Yakima Chief Hops

Yakima Chief Hops has the tools for your hop playbook, from classic favorites to the next exciting hop product out of the YCH R&D lab. Partnering with growers and brewers to create a robust hop supply chain from propagation to pint, YCH is the source for exciting experimental hop varieties including HBC 586, HBC 630 and HBC 638. Explore novel aroma profiles, discover new recipes and get creative with experimental hop varieties. Learn more at yakimachief.com.

BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 32
Host: John Holl
Guests: Noreen Otto, Jamey and Jennifer Ratcliff, Rick Wehner

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

This is a round table episode that explores the growth, benefits, and flavors of craft malt. John Holl is joined by two craft maltsters - Hillary Barile of Rabbit Hill Farm and Brendan Carroll of CNC Malt -  and two nano brewers - Sam Fee of Monday's Brewing and Adam Juncosa of Odd Bird Brewing -  to talk about what is new with grain, educational efforts, climate change, and plans for the future.

As the craft brewing industry grows so do the number of small farms that support the brewing industry through ingredients. The panel discusses innovation and flavor, the relationship with brewers and growers and consumers, and what is on the horizon for this important category of brewing.

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 31 is sponsored by:

Fermentis
Hey nano-brewers! Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation, is now offering dry ale and lager yeasts in flexible 100-gram pouches. Try their SafAle WB-06 yeast in the convenient 100-gram pouch, the perfect solution for wheat based beers! To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit fermentis.com

Blichmann Pro
With superior engineering and unrivaled service, Blichmann Pro Brewing equipment is the smart choice for your bottom line. You won’t find a better match of price, performance and quality. Hit the ground running with equipment you can count on and support you can trust so you can focus on what matters — ROI. Visit Blichmannpro.com to learn more.

BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 31
Host: John Holl
Guests: Hillary Barile, Brendan Carroll, Sam Fee, Adam Juncosa

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

In proof that some of the most interesting things in American craft beer are happening on the small scale, we’ll start off this month with a brewery profile on Kulturhaus, a 5-barrel brewhouse in Pismo Beach where they are not only making beers, but fermenting pickles, sauerkraut, and vegetables to extoll the virtues of microbes. The founders Jennifer Harris and Eric Kirchner will join me for a conversation. 

Then we’ll spotlight hops. As the growing season is well underway and harvest in in sights Gayle Goschie of Goschie Farms in Oregon will join me to talk about the weather, the outlook, what continues to grow well and what she has her eye on. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 30 is sponsored by:

Yakima Chief Hops  

Yakima Chief Hops has been building a robust portfolio of their Cryo Hops® brand products for the past five years. They offer more than 30 different varieties in Cryo Hops® Brand pellets designed to provide intense contributions of hop flavor and aroma allowing brewers to efficiently dose large quantities of alpha acids and oils with less volume and greater beer yields. The fully patented process provides the highest quality and most efficient concentrated lupulin pellet. Learn more at yakimachief.com.

Fermentis
Hey nano-brewers! Learn, share, and exchange during one of our Fermentis Academy™ events. Join the session at Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, MA) on July 12th, or the session at the Goose Island Barrel House (Chicago, IL) on July 14th.
The program of lectures includes the following topics:
- Yeast & fermentation basics
- Yeast management in breweries
- Latest research from Fermentis R&D
For any additional questions, about these Fermentis Academy™ days, or about any other event, please visit fermentis.com/en/event-calendar/

BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 30
Host: John Holl
Guests: Jennifer Harris,  Eric Kirchner, Gayle Goschie

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

Earlier this month at the Craft Brewers Conference held in Minneapolis the pandemic was still the main topic of conversation, but amid the mask and surge talk a new word kept creeping in: inflation. 

The rising cost of goods is impacting everyone, and small breweries are especially feeling the pinch. For on the ground stories and practical advice we are joined by three nano breweries from Colorado, New Jersey, and Rhode Island to talk about how they are tackling the challenge and what else they are doing to keep the lights on and the business moving forward. 

The panel includes:

- Gretchen Schmidhausler of Little Dog Brewing in New Jersey

- Efren Hidalgo of Providence Brewing Co. in Rhode Island

- Wayne Burns of Burns Family Artisan Ales in Colorado

As the world enters into a new phase of the pandemic with additional economic worries they share their experiences and action plans. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 29 is sponsored by:

Five Star Chemicals 

Make your next clean and delicious beer with the help of Five Star’s Homebrew Club Program at FiveStarChemicals.com. Like most of you listening, Five Star loves a good drink. That’s why Five Star makes life easier for industry workers and home brewers. Sign up for Five Star’s Homebrew Club for free seminars featuring big names in the industry, exclusive product testing and 20% off your next order. Raise a glass at FiveStarChemicals.com and click the Homebrew Club banner to join the community.

Yakima Chief Hops  

Yakima Chief Hops has combined their patented cryogenic hop processing technology with cutting edge lab analysis to create Cryo Hops® with a pop! Cryo Pop® Original Blend is a supercharged concentrated lupulin pellet packed with the most beer soluble hop compounds, or compounds that survive the brewing process. It is engineered to bring massive tropical, stone fruit and citrus aromas into your finished beers. Learn more about this new innovative product at cryopopblend.com.

Blichmann Engineering

With superior engineering and unrivaled service, Blichmann Pro Brewing equipment is designed from the ground up to generate a quick return on your investment by getting you up and running as efficiently as possible without sacrificing quality. These systems are versatile and flexible enough to give you room to grow with a modular design that can fit any space. Visit Blichmannpro.com to learn more about our one to ten barrel brewhouse systems and cellaring equipment.

BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 29
Host: John Holl
Guests: Gretchen Schmidhausler, Efren Hidalgo, Wayne Burns

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

Location. Location. Location. It’s so important that we say it three times. When you’re thinking about starting your small brewery, moving to a new location, or re-doing your space there is a lot to consider. 

We have two guests this month with unique perspectives on brewery locations.

First up is Dustin Hauck of Hauck Architecture in San Diego. He has advice on layout and look, and how to best make your brewery space a welcoming location for both customers and employees. 

Then we’re off to Minnesota to talk with Scott Stroh, the co-founder and brewer of Chaotic Good Brewing, a specialized nano that opened up a few years ago in a shed in Stroh’s backyard. From the pros and cons, to his Frankenstein system, to future plans, it’s a brewer’s profile you won’t want to miss. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 28 is sponsored by:

Fermentis

Hey nano-brewers! Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation, is now offering  dry ale and lager yeasts in flexible 100-gram pouches. Try their SafAle WB-06 yeast in the convenient 100-gram pouch, the perfect solution for wheat based beers! To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit www.fermentis.com. 

ABS Commercial
ABS is a full brewery outfitter offering brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and small parts. As a part of ABS Commercial’s ongoing give-back campaign, they will be giving away TWO MORE ABS Keg Viking Keg Washers by the end of 2022, so head on over to https://abs-commercial.com/ to enter to win a Keg Viking! No strings attached, just enter and you could WIN!

Grainfather
Whether you’re looking for a brewing system to create trial recipes, or you want to easily add production capacity to your nanobrewery – the Grainfather G70 electric brewing system is your solution. The G70 has a 70 liter capacity, allowing you to easily make ½ BBL batches of beer in a compact system that won’t take up valuable floor space. Ask your BSG sales manager for more information about the G70 today, or go to Grainfather.com to learn more.

BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 28
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Dustin Hauck and Scott Stroh

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

There is a lot to think about, to plan, and to dream towards when it comes to your nano brewery. 

Sometimes you need a little help, and that’s what this episode is all about. We’ve been collecting your emails and will be answering them in this episode. From recipes and growth, to education and business, our guests are two people with vast knowledge and unparalleled practical experience. 

 
As the Co-Founder of the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival, Laura Lodge has been engaged in the craft beer industry since 1997. She’s the Owner of Customized Craft Beer Programs, designing events, resort retail programs, and educational programs based on craft beer, and is also the author of Distribution Insight for the Craft Brewer. She is also the co-founder of StartABrewery an educational resource for those dreaming of opening a brewery, those who are taking steps to make their dream a reality, and those who are opening their brewery doors and living it.

Steve Parkes is the Brewmaster of Drop-In Brewing in Vermont and the Owner and Lead Instructor of the American Brewers Guild. He’s a regular speaker on the National Craft Brewers Conference and BYO Boot Camp stage. He is a Great American Beer Festival, and World Beer Cup judge. He has hosted the Institute of Brewing Studies “Ask the Expert” Q & A forum and is a former member of the IBS troubleshooting committee and National Board of Advisors. He has written for and been featured in numerous magazines and technical journals, served as chairman of the Northern California Section of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, and Technical chair in California and New England. In 2009, Steve was awarded the Russell Schehrer award by the Brewers Association for Innovation in Craft Brewing.

Do you have a question about starting or growing your nano brewery? Email us: [email protected]

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 27 is sponsored by:

Blichmann Pro Brewing
With superior engineering and unrivaled service, Blichmann Pro Brewing equipment is the right choice for pro results. Whether it’s for your pilot system or production line, their robust systems come fully equipped with everything you need to hit the ground running. Designed for easy setup and intuitive use, our brewhouse systems and cellaring equipment deliver uncompromising quality and reliability backed by a name you trust, so you can focus on what matters most - your beer. Visit Blichmannpro.com today!

Fermentis

Hey nano-brewers! Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation, is now offering dry ale and lager yeasts in flexible 100-gram pouches. To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit www.fermentis.com. 

Yakima Chief Hops
Yakima Chief Hops has combined their patented cryogenic hop processing technology with cutting edge lab analysis to create Cryo Hops® with a pop! Cryo Pop® Original Blend is a supercharged concentrated lupulin pellet packed with the most beer soluble hop compounds, or compounds that survive the brewing process. It is engineered to bring massive tropical, stone fruit and citrus aromas into your finished beers. Learn more about this new innovative product at cryopopblend.com.

BYO
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 27
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Laura Lodge and Steve Parkes

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

February is always an odd month. The newness of a new year has faded, but around most of the country, it’s cold and winter feels endless. It can be hard to get the motivation to get done what needs to be done. 

In those moments it’s good to take on new projects or to tackle the ones that have sat on a to-do list for so long. To help with that motivation we're talking with Ryan Wheaton at Craft Brew Creative about collaboration inside and outside of beer, focusing on your marketing plan, and ways to shake things up. 

After that our brewer profile heads to Underground Beer Lab in East Syracuse, New York. Brewer and co-owner Keith Linder shares his pandemic story, the brewery’s strategy for limited hours and big bold IPAs, and finding retail partners. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 26 is sponsored by:

Fermentis

Hey nano-brewers! Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation, is now offering dry ale and lager yeasts in flexible 100-gram pouches. To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit www.fermentis.com. 

Five Star Chemicals
Make your next clean and delicious beer with the help of Five Star’s Homebrew Club Program at FiveStarChemicals.com. Like most of you listening, Five Star loves a good drink. That’s why Five Star makes life easier for industry workers and home brewers. Sign up for Five Star’s Homebrew Club for free seminars featuring big names in the industry, exclusive product testing and 20% off your next order. Raise a glass at FiveStarChemicals.com and click the Homebrew Club banner to join the community.

Grainfather
Whether you’re looking for a brewing system to create trial recipes, or you want to easily add production capacity to your nanobrewery – the Grainfather G70 electric brewing system is your solution. The G70 has a 70 liter capacity, allowing you to easily make ½ barrel batches of beer in a compact system that won’t take up valuable floor space. Ask your BSG sales manager for more information about the G70 today, or go to Grainfather.com to learn more.

BYO
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s new Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual print magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 26
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Ryan Wheaton and Keith Linder

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

The introduction of a new calendar comes with a lot of promise. A blank slate to fill in with projects and goals. Maybe it means revamping a tap room or a recipe. Perhaps it’s finally signing the paperwork on new equipment, new space, or taking the first steps to open your own brewery. 

Whatever the case, this episode is about making the right moves, finding a place in the brewing industry that suits your self and family, and learning a bit more about tools to help you get the work done - pandemic or not. 

For our monthly nano brewery profile we're talking with  Raven and Travis Kocurek of Hound Song Brewing in Texas. 

Then we’ll do a technology check in with Clayton Kammerer, the Senior Sales Consultant at Arryved.

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 25 is sponsored by:

Fermentis

Fermentis delivers creative and dependable yeasts and technical solutions for the fermented beverage industry. SafYeast for beer is now available in 100 gram packaging perfect for any nano brewer!  Fermentis, the obvious choice for beverage fermentation. 

For more information please visit www.fermentis.com or download their free Fermentis app.

Blichmann Pro Brewing 

With superior engineering and unrivaled service, Blichmann Pro Brewing equipment is the smart choice for your bottom line. You won’t find a better match of price, performance and quality. Hit the ground running with equipment you can count on and support you can trust so you can focus on what matters — ROI. Visit Blichmannpro.com to learn more. 

BYO
Brew Your Own has a full schedule of live online workshops scheduled this year. Coming up of interest to small-scale brewers: Sour Beer Techniques on January 28 and Small-Scale Hop Growing on February 25. Details on all workshops can be found at byo.com/bootcamps

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 25
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Raven and Travis Kocurek, Clayton Kammerer

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

We hope you had a chance to watch, listen, or participate in BYO’s NanoCon held earlier this month. For host John Holl it was great fun to moderate two panels with industry experts, though leaders, and brewers. In addition to their own thoughts and insight we had a lot of great questions and feedback from conference participants, especially during our small brewer panel. 

For this episode, our last of 2021, Holl wanted to bring three brewers together to talk about shared experiences, how they faced adversity and got through it, and to see what their outlook for 2022 might hold. 

We cover everything from social media plans, to yeast and hops, customer service, retail, packaging, and more.  For you small brewers putting in the hard work day in and day out it can be hard to get outside of your four walls. So hearing from other brewers or owners in podcast form might help a bit to show there are other people in similar situations. Their perspective might help you with insight into your own nano brewery. 

Our end of the year panelists are : 

Sara Ridgel of Policy Kings Brewery, she and her husband Dre are working to waking up the pallets of their Community through creative and innovative sessionable style beers. The opened in 2018 and  she says the brewery’s main goal is to always deliver a crushable beer. 

Eric Christensen is a 26 year veteran of the Coast Guard and started Gypsy Brewing Company with his wife, Heather, in May 2017.  The two-barrel production only brewery serves local clientele in Southern Maryland through draft accounts, markets, and liquor stores. 

and

Riker Wikoff is a co-founder of Red Clover Ale Co. In Vermont, it’s a small brewery he started with two brothers-in-law, serving up IPAs and more from their taproom. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 24 is sponsored by:

Blichmann Pro Brewing 

With superior engineering and unrivaled service, Blichmann Pro Brewing equipment is designed from the ground up to generate a quick return on your investment by getting you up and running as efficiently as possible without sacrificing quality. These systems are versatile and flexible enough to give you room to grow with a modular design that can fit any space. Visit Blichmannpro.com to learn more about our one to ten barrel brewhouse systems and cellaring equipment.

BYO
Join BYO online for a series of four-hour-long workshops with deep dives into topics of interest to small-scale pro brewers including Sour Beer Techniques on January 28, Distilling on February 4, and Brewery Taproom Draft Systems on April 8. Details can be found at byo.com/bootcamps

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 24
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Riker Wikoff, Eric Christensen, and Sara Ridgel

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell

No matter the season, hops are always on our mind here at the BYO Nano Podcast.  With the 2021 North American harvest over, the farmers have time to rest a bit before preparing for 2022.  Eric Desmarais of CLS Farms in Yakima Valley joins us to talk about the season that just ended, building brewery relationships, and some hops to think about in the new year. 

Our nano brewery profile is on Barley Head Brewery in Mystic, Connecticut. We talk with owner and brewer Drew Rogers about experimentation, distribution, and building a regular customer base in a tourist destination. 

And finally with food on the mind we’re talking with the Beer Chef Himself, Bruce Paton about what small breweries without a formal kitchen can do to offer a food program to keep customers around longer. 

The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 23 is sponsored by:

BSG
Did you know that BSG sources hops directly from growers and processes them in their FSSC-certified facility in the Yakima Valley? From Azacca to Zappa, BSG’s hops are pelletized for optimal dispersion in the boiler or FV, and packaged in nitrogen-flushed bags to preserve all those tasty aromatics. To learn more about how your hops go from farmer to fermenter, get in touch with BSG at [email protected]

ABS Commercial
ABS is a full brewery outfitter offering brewhouses, tanks, keg washers and small parts. As a part of ABS Commercials' ongoing give back campaign, they will be giving away ANOTHER ABS Keg Viking Keg Washer on December 10th, so head on over to abs-commercial.com to enter to win a Keg Viking!

Yakima Chief Hops

Yakima Chief Hops has officially launched their newest product – Cryo-Pop™ Original Blend! YCH has combined their proprietary cryogenic hop processing technology with cutting-edge lab analysis to create Cryo Hops® with a pop! Using this new research to identify the most beer soluble hop compounds that survive the brewing process, they engineered a supercharged pellet that shows massive tropical, stone fruit, and citrus aromas in your finished beers. Learn more at cryopopblend.com.

BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 23
Host: John Holl
Guests:  Eric Desmarais, Drew Rodgers, Bruce Paton

Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell