340: Jason Thompson of Calusa Is Brewing Hazy IPAs That Glow

Sarasota, Florida’s Calusa has become a fan favorite in the Sunshine State, focusing on compelling hazy IPAs that capture vivid flavors, consistent drinkability, and a bright, sunny color that cofounder and head brewer Jason Thompson describes as “glow.”

In this episode, Thompson discusses:

managing variable minerality

brewing hazy IPA with flavorful malts such as Weyermann Bohemian Pils

increasing the wheat component of his recipes to aid haze stability

mashing out to improve lautering

ultra-low-temp whirlpooling, to allow greater aromatic contribution without added bitterness

taking care of yeast so they last for 50-plus generations

recirculation and rousing dry hops, to increase contact and extraction post-fermentation

developing interesting hop combinations, such as Saphir and Centennial

making Sabro work in hazy IPA

using barrels for bitterness in barrel-aged stout

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D; Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D; Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D; Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D; Chiller!

ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) Turnkey brewery systems. Production line design services. Retro-fitting processing systems. ProBrew™ can do all this and more with any brewery, old or new, small or large. For more information, fill out our contact form on www.probrew.com or email [email protected].

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard has supplied flavored craft juice concentrate blends to over 46 states for the production of fruit-forward beer, cider, seltzer, wine, spirits, and more. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer

Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Streamline efficiency with Omega Yeast’s Diacetyl Knock Out series. The DKO series is comprised of 8 familiar yeast strains engineered to knock out the formation of diacetyl before it starts. The strains you know, now better. Contact Omega Yeast today at omegayeast.com.

ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com). ABS Commercial are proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and preventative maintenance parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact them today at [email protected] to discuss your customized brewery needs.

Ss Brewtech (https://SsBrewtech.com). "Ss Brewtech was founded by a group of home and craft beer brewers, dedicated to bringing an engineering-first approach to brewery equipment. Ss brewhouses are used to formulate new beer recipes at some of the world's greatest breweries. To learn more, head over to SsBrewtech.com"

Christian Hansen (https://www.chr-hansen.com/en/legal-notice): Christian Hansen are the fermentation experts with over 100 years experience in dairy and wine, and are now bringing that knowledge of microbes to brewers with their SmartBev range of frozen liquid yeast and freeze-dried bacteria.Go to Chr-Hansen.com to learn more. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast