Consuming the Craft

In this episode, Puff is joined by Matt Beck, a first-year student at the Craft Beverage Institute. Matt, a former military man with 28 years of service, decided to transition into a completely different field after retirement. With a passion for craft beer and coffee, Matt discovered the AB Tech program and was immediately drawn to its detailed curriculum and hands-on approach. Despite having no brewing experience, Matt jumped right into brewing beer in his second week of classes, and he thoroughly enjoys the production days, where he can put theory into practice. Matt's goal is to learn as much as possible and build connections in the brewing industry, and he is grateful for the cohort model of the program, which allows for networking and support among students.

Matt Beck is a first-year student at the Craft Beverage Institute, pursuing his passion for craft beer and coffee. With 28 years of military service under his belt, Matt decided to embark on a new chapter in his life and explore the world of brewing. After discovering the AB Tech program, Matt was impressed by its detailed curriculum and hands-on approach. Despite having no prior brewing experience, Matt quickly immersed himself in the program, brewing beer in his second week of classes. He particularly enjoys the production days, where he can apply the theory he learns in class. Matt's goal is to gain as much knowledge as possible and build connections in the brewing industry, and he appreciates the cohort model of the program, which fosters networking and support among students.

"I like that it's a cohort... because that's something we see in training in the Army. It's a small world, and you're going to run into people again, or someone knows you or knows people that you know." ~Matt Beck

This week on Consuming the Craft:

·     Matt Beck, a former military man, shares his transition from the military to pursuing a career in craft brewing.

·     He discovered AB Tech's brewing program and was drawn to its detailed curriculum and hands-on approach.

·     Matt highlights the importance of the cohort model in building connections and networking within the industry.

·     The program's emphasis on practical experience allows students to apply theory in real-world brewing scenarios.

·     Matt expresses his satisfaction with the program and the opportunities it has provided for his future in the brewing industry.

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Karis Roberts is the executive director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. They have been instrumental in the success of Asheville Beer Week, particularly the opening event. Karis has also collaborated with Mercy Urgent Care to provide affordable healthcare options for members of the alliance, including small businesses and professionals in the industry. She is passionate about promoting sustainable and fun events in the craft beverage scene in Asheville and believes that collaboration is key for growth. Karis's dedication to supporting the local community and fostering a thriving craft beverage industry has made her a respected figure in the field.

In todays episode, Karis discusses having recently hosted the ABA's first alcohol management class with Mercy Urgent Care. This was an important initiative addressing the misconception that the ABA is just a drinking club or a "good old boy hangout." Highlighting the ABA is much more than that, Karis promotes education and believes in providing resources and training to support the breweries and other members of the community. The ABA is also filming these trainings to create a resource library with the goal of understanding the needs of the breweries and helping them thrive.

"We just put on our first alcohol management class with Mercy Urgent Care."

~Karis Roberts

On Today’s Episode:

• The Asheville Brewers Alliance recent Beer Week event and partnership with Mercy Urgent Care.
• The benefits of membership, upcoming events in Asheville, collaborations in the beer and alcohol industry.
• The growth and diversification of products in the brewing industry, and the innovation happening in the community.
• The importance of community support, healthcare during the pandemic, collaboration, and education in the craft beverage industry.
• The ABA’s resource library of filmed trainings.

Resources Mentioned:

· Asheville Brewers Alliance

· White Labs

· Mercy Urgent Care

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

On this episode of Consuming the Craft Podcast, Puff, and John Lyda discuss the upcoming season and the new group of students starting in the fall. They also talk about the program's 10th anniversary and reminisce about how time has flown by. The conversation takes an unexpected turn when they mention pumpkin season, but they clarify that they are not referring to pumpkin-flavored drinks or desserts. Puff shares an interesting anecdote about pumpkins and asks the students about their pumpkin-growing experiences.

You’ll learn about the upcoming new student season in our craft program, and we’ll delve into the concept of seasonal creep and how it affects the brewing of pumpkin beer. John goes into the importance of letting flavors blend in certain beers, and we discuss safety concerns for those in our industry who have lost their sense of smell and taste.

I'll introduce you to a unique liqueur called "Beatnik" and explore various types of gin and potential flavor pairings; we’ll talk about the necessity of research and experimentation when developing new products, the hurdles of increasing production and sourcing ingredients, as well as the financial and legal facets of selling alcohol.

You'll discover a particular rum named Añejo and its distinct flavors, see the unique packaging of a certain product, learn about the method of applying a stretchy neck seal on bottles, and wrap up my admiration for several brands and organizations.

You know, pumping molasses is different than pumping water, right?"

This week on Consuming the Craft:

·  The start of a new student season and the 10th anniversary of the program.

·  "Seasonal Creep" and how certain seasonal products, like pumpkin-flavored items, seem to appear earlier each year.

·  The importance of sensory analysis and safety in the craft industry, particularly in relation to the loss of smell and taste due to COVID-19.

·  Special thanks to John Lyda, James Schramm, and Danny McConnell for their contributions to the program.

·  What are we doing? Projects and collaborations with local businesses showcasing the diverse and hands-on nature of the craft industry education.

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Greg Hill is the Head Cider Maker and Production Director at the Urban Orchard Co. in Asheville and one of the first graduates of the Craft Beverage Institute program. He is a lifelong learner who, armed with a Master’s in Training & Development, is pursuing a Doctorate in Education. A true stalwart of the craft beverage industry, Greg is passionate about elevating the quality of education for brewers through standardization. Today, in addition to his work as cider maker extraordinaire at the Urban Orchard, Greg shares his wisdom and knowledge with the next generation of brewers by serving as an adjunct professor at A-B Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast.

In this episode, Greg and I discuss the need to standardize education for the brewing industry. We describe the gap between brewers’ theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience and explore how the industry can bridge it. We also reveal the best hydrating liquid in the world (hint: it’s not water!), discuss Greg’s plans after his Doctorate in Education, and highlight the relationship between the quality of a brewed beverage, the success of a brewing company, and the kind of people they hire.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Greg’s background and mission to standardize education for the brewing industry

●     Bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in the brewing industry

●     The value of the apprenticeship model of education

●     The keg method and standardizing yeast pitching

●     Cider with low ABV content at the Urban Orchard Co.

●     The best hydrating liquid in the world (hint: it’s not water)

●     Booze Clues: a drink apropos of Oktoberfest

●     The correlation between a brewery’s success and the people they hire

●     Why brewing companies should invest in their brewers’ education

Related Episodes:

●     Standardizing Education for the Craft Beverage Industry with Greg Hill

●     Moo's Clues with Haley

Connect with Greg Hill:

●     Urban Orchard Cider Co.

●     Urban Orchard Cider Co. on Facebook

●     Urban Orchard Cider Co. on Twitter

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

In our studio, today is perhaps the most “specialist” of all the guests we’ve had so far on the podcast—my six-year-old daughter, Haley. She’s in this episode to do what we call Moo's Clues, a sensory analysis exercise on one of her favorite things in the whole world: milk!

In this special milk-tasting episode, Haley and I sample two types of white milk and two types of chocolate milk. We also explore flavor, smell, and taste and discuss some of Haley’s favorite foods.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Haley’s favorite foods

●     How a kid’s sense of taste changes as they grow up

●     Moo's Clues: taste-testing cow and goat milk

●     Moo’s Clues, part two: taste-testing regular and organic chocolate milk

●     Haley’s favorite smells from the Moo’s Clues milk choices

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s Consuming the Craft Podcast episode, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

In the brewing industry—and any industry, for that matter—safety comes first. But A-B Tech alumnus Jamie Reardon takes it a step further than that. To Jamie, to be mindful and prepared is to be safe. As a student of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast program, he procured a job in maintenance at a large brewery south of Asheville (hint: we lovingly call it “Malt Disney” or “Brewj Mahal”). Add to that his background in the nuclear power and energy industries, and it’s no wonder that he does everything he can to be safe.

In this episode, Jamie and I discuss workplace safety and maintenance. We explore how keeping things clean impacts safety and maintenance. We discuss the importance of being proactive with safety, maintenance, and cleanliness. We also highlight the value of designing a facility to make it easy to implement safety and maintenance measures and underscore what it takes to cultivate a culture of safety.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Why Personal Protective Equipment needs to function as the last line of defense in workplace safety

●     How standard operating procedures help protect and keep people safety

●     The financial impact of lost time accidents

●     How routine jobs can make us too complacent when it comes to safety

●     Why Jamie puts the names of his wife and kids on the back of his work gloves

●     The importance of cleanliness in breweries and distilleries

●     Quality assurance vs quality control

●     Booze Clues: vanilla-laden carbon-neutral rhum

●     The role of facility design in ease of maintenance

●     Why everyone should go through their equipment manuals

●     Environmental, health, and safety tenets and the two different parts of OSHA

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

After over ten years of service as an environmental scientist, master maltster, and Certified Cicerone, Brent Manning has spent the past decade immersing himself in the world of craft malt. He is the co-founder of Riverbend Malt House, a company committed to making great malt for distillers and craft breweries. As the brains behind Riverbend Malt House, Brent has pretty much worn every hat in the business—from production and bookkeeping to research and sales. In addition to his work at Riverbend Malt House, Brent has assisted in the co-founding of the North American Craft Maltsters Guild, where he currently serves as President.

In this episode, Brent and I discuss how Riverbend Malt House is exploring and making innovations in malting. We describe how looking at the southern brewing heritage helped Riverbend figure out the corn-malting process. We consider whether leaving the root of the material in the grain can add complexity to whiskey. We also discuss what it takes to create great chit malt and reveal what’s new and exciting at Riverbend Malt House.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Single malt studies and launching single origin pilsners with the Riverbend Malt House

●     Cumberland corn and its origins

●     How to trick corn into germination

●     Hickory king and other recent releases from Riverbend

●     Tracing the history of corn in America and the pathways they went into

●     Booze Clues: We should probably mix some water in this

●     How we turned kilos upon kilos of corn into delicious bourbon

●     The secret bar at the Consuming the Craft podcast studio

●     The Farmland Trust and how they’re driving a rye project in Kentucky

●     The genesis of Riverbend’s chit malt

●     Brent’s thoughts on opening a malt house

●     Malt’s opportunity to play a more educational and vibrant role

●     Getting over the lack of distiller’s malt and interacting with the distilling community

●     Exploring the world of corn varieties

●     Stories behind the seashore black rye

Connect with Brent Manning:

●     Riverbend Malt House

●     Riverbend Malt House on LinkedIn

●     Riverbend Malt House on Instagram

●     Riverbend Malt House on Facebook

●     Riverbend Malt House on Twitter

●     Brent Manning on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

“If no one’s told you that you can have a career path in something like brewing and distilling, go after it. No one can stop you—and there are people who want to help you succeed and achieve your dreams,” says Tony J. And he’s pretty much the embodiment of that piece of wisdom. Tony—a.k.a. Anthony Rahí Jaquez Moreno—holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. After working as a patent engineer and an adjunct professor at Howard Community College, Tony decided to take a leap of faith and followed a career in the brewing industry. He soon found himself serving as a beer guide at the House 6 Brewing Company and later worked in production support at the Port City Brewing Company. Since moving to Asheville from Alexandria, Virginia, Tony serves as a brewer for the Outsider Brewing Company. After deciding to formalize his brewing education, Tony joined the program at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast and will begin his studies in the first semester.

In this episode, Tony and I explore his expectations about the program. He describes his journey from Tijuana, Mexico to pursuing a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. We discuss why and how he got into the beverage industry after working as a patent engineer and adjunct professor. He also provides his thoughts on beer Twitter, connecting with ancestral drinks, and following your dreams.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     Tony’s advice on talking into a microphone when podcasting

●     His background and first foray into the brewing industry

●     How Tony found AB Tech and the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

●     My dad’s wisdom on getting a desk job

●     Why folks who work in packaging are the unsung heroes of the beverage industry

●     Bridging the gap between consumers and products

●     Why Tony’s excited to learn about distillation from the program

●     What the first semester at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast is like

Connect with Tony J.:

●     Outsider Brewing Company

●     Outsider Brewing Company on LinkedIn

●     Outsider Brewing Company on Instagram

●     Tony J. on Instagram

●     Tony J. on Spotify

●     Tony J. on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Roman’s story is incredible, to say the least. He is an international student at AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. Despite the challenges provided by differences in culture, language, and cost of living, he has produced a fantastic capstone beer. Roman is due to graduate soon and, equipped with a passion for quality control and attention to detail, we just know he’s on the road to making some of the best beer there is.

In this episode, Roman and I explore his mission to bring beer back to its original taste. He recounts his experiences as an international student at ABTech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. He explains why the Institute stood out to him as he searched for educational institutions that offer brewing programs. He also describes the kind of pilsner he wants to create and offers advice to other international students considering joining the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast program.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     How Roman found the program at the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

●     Why two years is a good length of time to study brewing, fermentation, and distillation

●     Roman’s goal to open a family brewery

●     The kind of pilsner Roman wants to create

●     Bringing back the original taste of beer

●     How yeast contributes to the flavor of pilsner

●     Booze Clues: Prost! Tasting the pilsner of pilsners

●     The Pros and Cons of being an international student at ABTech and the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.

Brian Loughrey knows what he’s saying when he talks about beer and the beer industry: before he became the Director of Business Development at TechniBlend, Inc./ ProBrew, Brian served in sales for brands such as Heineken, Goose Island, and Anheuser-Busch. He also worked for The Country Malt Group, where he expanded his knowledge and experience on operations. Today, as the Director of Business Development, Brian has become ProBrew’s go-to dry guy for his expertise and wisdom on all things grain, malt, malting, and beyond.

Passionate about sanitary fluid handling, process systems, and sales leadership, Thom DeLoach serves as the Vice President of Sales for Statco-DSI Process Systems. He values technical competence, process know-how, common sense, and customer-centric superlative service. Prior to joining Statco in 2019, Thom held regional, national, and international sales leadership roles at MURZAN INC. for more than 20 years. As the Vice President of Sales for Statco, Thom believes that customers, clients, and consumers win when capable teams are equipped with leadership and individual accountability.

In this episode, Thom, Brian, and I explore the challenges and struggles small- and medium-sized businesses are experiencing due to the non-alcoholic drink movement. We describe ProBrew’s Alchemator and how it helps craft brewers and beverage producers separate alcohol and water from any fermented beverage. We discuss making ready-to-drink products and the importance of striving toward consistency as a small-sized beverage producer. We also address challenges with dissolved oxygen in wine and packaging.

This week on Consuming the Craft:

●     The Craft Brewers Conference 2023

●     The growth of the non-alcoholic market

●     The best thing about having a malt base

●     Striving toward consistency as a small beverage producer

●     Ready-to-drink products and high-gravity beer

●     Flash pasteurization and sanitation

●     Booze Clues: freshly-pressed mango, pineapple, and guava magic

●     The Food Safety Modernization Act

●     Why beers, spirits, and wine competitions are very subjective

●     What ethanol does to the flavor of drinks

●     Dissolved oxygen in wine and packaging

Connect with Thom DeLoach:

●     Statco

●     Statco on LinkedIn

●     Thom DeLoach on LinkedIn

Connect with Brian Loughrey:

●     ProBrew

●     ProBrew on LinkedIn

●     ProBrew on Instagram

●     ProBrew on Facebook

●     ProBrew on YouTube

●     Brian Loughrey on LinkedIn

Consuming the Craft

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Consuming the Craft Podcast, brought to you by AB Tech’s Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

Apple Podcasts | GooglePlay

Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more craft beverage enthusiasts.

To learn more about AB Tech and the Craft Beer Institute of the Southeast, visit our website.