It’s possible to make great lagers with a single-infusion mash and cylindroconical fermenters—just ask former sportswriter turned brewer Randy Booth. At the taproom-focused Twin Barns brewery, on the shores of vacation destination Lake Winnipesaukee, he’s used the quieter winter season for the time and tank space to hone their lager program. The result earlier this year was a blind-review panel score of 99 for the German-style Belknap Pils, which earned it a spot on our Best 20 Beers in 2022.  

In this episode, Booth shares his lager brewing process. It’s nothing fancy or especially complex, but it focuses instead on coaxing the best from high-quality ingredients. Along the way, he discusses:  


rebalancing Saaz and Hallertauer in the boil and whirlpool to achieve the right aroma and flavor
mashing low for dryness
producing clear, high-quality wort through a longer vorlauf step
splitting the hop additions between a mid-boil and whirlpool addition
tasting, evaluating, and taking notes through the entire lifespan of the beer on draft, from the first kegs to the last
differentiating pilsner styles
taking beers from good to great
working with craft malt
telling a compelling story through beer


And more.  

This episode is brought to you by:

Accubrew (https://accubrew.io): AccuBrew is a revolutionary fermentation analysis tool unlike anything else on the market, giving brewers unprecedented insight into the fermentation process. AccuBrew helps brewers confirm consistency and avoid problems from batch to batch. From your smart device you can track and compare sugar conversion, temperature, and clarity, and use that information to continuously improve your process. AccuBrew goes beyond a simple measurement tool. With the AccuBrew system, managing your process and people has never been easier.Visit accubrew.io today, for a no obligation 90 day trial!

BSG (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com) BSG invites you to get funky with Fermentis SafBrew™ BR-8, the first dry Brettanomyces bruxellensis culture available to brewers.  BR-8 offers the distinctive flavor of Brett brux combined with the shelf stability and consistency of dry yeast. BR-8 delivers fruity notes early on but with aging the bass starts to slap as BR-8 brings the funk. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn more.  

Clarion (https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N510001.2032703CRAFTBEERANDBREWI/B28313912.342967708;dc_trk_aid=537328070;dc_trk_cid=177806075;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=). Balancing barley and hops is your expertise. Food-grade lubricants is ours. Clarion Food Grade Lubricants meet stringent standards of purity and performance for food and beverage processing, food packaging, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. All Clarion Lubricants are backed by the Clarion warranty, and we work with you to create an efficient lubrication program that helps protect your operation. To learn more, visit ClarionLubricants.com/foodgrade. Clarion Lubricants. The expert that experts trust.  Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

277: Randy Booth of Twin Barns Tells a Story With Belknap Pils in this Best in Beer 2022 Brewer Perspective

Listen to the podcast for those who make and drink great beer. Every week we talk to professional brewers and industry experts about practical brewing advice, in-depth coverage of brewing trends that matter to you, and tips for getting the most out of your homebrew.

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For Joe Lemnah, going to work at a brewery was no reason to stop homebrewing. The same need to explore and understand that drove him to brew at home every week still informs his process of testing and learning, even a decade after opening Burlington Beer in Burlington, Vermont.  

In this episode, Lemnah focuses on the evolution and processes behind the style for which they’re best-known—hazy IPA—but their approach differs from other New England stalwarts. From unconventional (yet classic) hop choices such as Simcoe and Chinook, to high-adjunct grists in which each grain serves a specific purpose, the choices that Lemnah and Burlington team make are based on a continuous process of testing, confirmation, revision, and tweaking.  

During this conversation, he touches on:  


exploring the impact of different grains in hazy IPA
both embracing and avoiding “cheat code” hops
pushing high-adjunct loads of 30 to 40 percent to maximize soft texture
building middle notes through hop blends and process
using less traditional hops for aroma
maximizing various ways to achieve interesting hop flavors and aromas
learning the mechanics of fermentation and yeast harvesting with London Ale III
building character in pub-focused lagers with rye and other grains


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) By partnering with ProBrew, brewers can fill and seam their canned product at ranges from 100-600 cans per minute. Our unique filling process also ensures low dissolved oxygen pickup and focuses on product quality during the entire process. Visit probrew.com or email us at contactus@probrew.com.

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. 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 sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. 

Yakima Chief Hops (https://yakimachief.com). YCH 702 is a flowable extract designed to maximize aroma and increase whirlpool yield. YCH 702 is flowable at room temperature, standardized to 20% total oil, and contains high concentration of survivable hop compounds. Contact your Yakima Chief hops rep for more information!

OPA Design Studio (https://designopa.com): The architects at OPA Design Studio are your partners in developing the unique design you need. With over a decade of experience designing breweries, the folks at OPA are here to serve as your trusted experts from start to finish. Visit designopa.com to set up your no obligation introductory consultation today.

Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

360: Joe Lemnah of Burlington Beer Tests, Learns, and Tests Again to Optimize Hazy IPA with Personality

Ryan Miller and Lillian MacNamara—both experienced brewers and cofounders of Freak Folk Bier—are partners in business and life, making the brewery, as Miller says, “a love story interwoven with brewing.”


Both share a love of saison, and Freak Folk began with a focus on special-release saisons that has since expanded into a broad selection of styles to fill the tap lines of their Waterbury, Vermont taproom. But even the other styles they brew exhibit the same kind of delicate balance and nuanced structure that they honed in saison experimentation.


In this episode, Miller discusses both their approach to saison and hazy IPA, touching on:  


Building and maintaining mixed cultures
Brewing attenuated saison with a single infusion mash and controlled primary and secondary fermentations
Controlling acidity in saison through the mash
Using unusual ingredients in unusual ways in saison
Building a compelling grain bill in hazy IPA
Blending base malts for the right balance of flavor and color
Copitching yeast strains
Adjusting gravity based on ABV
Using advanced hop products


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) By partnering with ProBrew, brewers can fill and seam their canned product at ranges from 100-600 cans per minute. Our unique filling process also ensures low dissolved oxygen pickup and focuses on product quality during the entire process. Visit probrew.com or email us at contactus@probrew.com.

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. 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 sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. 

Yakima Chief Hops (https://yakimachief.com). YCH 702 is a flowable extract designed to maximize aroma and increase whirlpool yield. YCH 702 is flowable at room temperature, standardized to 20% total oil, and contains high concentration of survivable hop compounds. Contact your Yakima Chief hops rep for more information!

OPA Design Studio (https://designopa.com): The architects at OPA Design Studio are your partners in developing the unique design you need. With over a decade of experience designing breweries, the folks at OPA are here to serve as your trusted experts from start to finish. Visit designopa.com to set up your no obligation introductory consultation today.

Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

359: Ryan Miller of Vermont’s Freak Folk Finds Unique Flavors in Layered Fermentations

Innovation in beer has been accelerating for the past decade as breweries—excited by new styles and techniques, and feeding a culture of newness incentivized by social apps—churn out a relentless quantity of new beers in new formats with new labels. However, to hear Bill Cherry tell it, the choices he’s made at Switchback over the past two decades have been driven more by slowness than speed. 

Packaging in 22-ounce bombers so they could dial in packaging before moving to more popular formats, or pursuing innovation in smoked beer because demand (and competition) in that niche are small, have afforded the brewery time and space to figure it out and build demand organically, always focusing first on the beer and its quality.  

The results have paid off over recent years, with 2022 gold and 2023 bronze medals at the World Beer Cup for Katie’s Love Poem, their grodziskie. But that’s just the kindling, as their broader Flynn on Fire series has seen them tackle and learn from a vast array of different smoked beers. Cherry loves smoked beer because they’re harder to sell to consumers—there isn’t a built-in market for them, so they have to create one, and he loves that challenge as well as the runway for lower-stakes experimentation.  

In this episode, he talks through that counterintuitive strategy and how it relates to their approach to innovation, including:  


designing Switchback Ale based on pieces of other inspirational beers
growing slowly to make sure beer quality is always top priority
packaging draft only for the first 10 years of the brewery until they could afford a quality bottling line
homing in on smoked because because “nobody likes smoked beers, but they should”
creating the smoke-o-meter scale for conveying smokiness to consumers
step-mashing for flavor, not just attenuation
maintaining a living yeast pitch that’s going on 2,000-plus generations
balancing hop flavor and smoke aroma in smoked IPA


And more.  

“if you can get people to drink something that they don’t know they want, that’s true craft,” says Cherry.  

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) By partnering with ProBrew, brewers can fill and seam their canned product at ranges from 100-600 cans per minute. Our unique filling process also ensures low dissolved oxygen pickup and focuses on product quality during the entire process. Visit probrew.com or email us at contactus@probrew.com.

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. 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 sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. 

Yakima Chief Hops Varietees (https://varietees.com). VarieTees Supply Co. offers hop apparel inspired by hop varieties, art, and community. Shop designs from various artists inspired by your favorite varieties including Citra, Simcoe, Sabro, and Mosaic! Shop VarieTees and use promo code CBB20 for 20% off at varietees.com.

OPA Design Studio (https://designopa.com): The architects at OPA Design Studio are your partners in developing the unique design you need. With over a decade of experience designing breweries, the folks at OPA are here to serve as your trusted experts from start to finish. Visit designopa.com to set up your no obligation introductory consultation today.

Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

358: Bill Cherry of Switchback Enjoys the Slow Burn of Learning Through Doing

While popular movies tell finite stories, the real lives of the people they feature don’t stop when the final credits roll. So, it was up to the von Trapp family—whose story was told with huge dramatic license in The Sound of Music—to write their own next chapters. They did so by establishing a popular, Austrian-inspired family lodge in northern Vermont—then, about 15 years ago, they opened a brewery just down the hill.  

They launched with the goal of producing finely crafted European-style lagers, befitting the family’s heritage. Craft lagers weren’t exactly lighting up the sales charts at the time, but it was a long-term bet from a family that thinks in generations rather than quarterly returns. Now, with a beautiful automated Rolec brewhouse and an attached beer hall, they’re producing award-winning lagers at scale—including the Oktoberfest that we named one of our Best 18 Beers in 2018—all while making very intentional decisions about process and ingredients.  

In this episode, brewing operations director Tom Everett and quality manager Jack Van Pappegem talk through their approach to ingredients and process, including:  


avoiding decoction of many pale lagers, despite having an automated and dedicated decoction vessel
finishing pale lagers dry, but not too dry
using small amounts of specialty malts to build character
managing the grain crush
keeping a tight focus on pH
strategies to promote healthy fermentations
selecting yeast for the ideal character
lagering in cylindroconical unitanks 
brewing Oktoberfest lager as well as dark lagers



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) By partnering with ProBrew, brewers can fill and seam their canned product at ranges from 100-600 cans per minute. Our unique filling process also ensures low dissolved oxygen pickup and focuses on product quality during the entire process. Visit probrew.com or email us at contactus@probrew.com.

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. 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 sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. 

Yakima Chief Hops Varietees (https://varietees.com). VarieTees Supply Co. offers hop apparel inspired by hop varieties, art, and community. Shop designs from various artists inspired by your favorite varieties including Citra, Simcoe, Sabro, and Mosaic! Shop VarieTees and use promo code CBB20 for 20% off at varietees.com.

OPA Design Studio (https://designopa.com): The architects at OPA Design Studio are your partners in developing the unique design you need. With over a decade of experience designing breweries, the folks at OPA are here to serve as your trusted experts from start to finish. Visit designopa.com to set up your no obligation introductory consultation today.

Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

357: Von Trapp Makes Conscious Process Choices For Lager Quality and Drinkability

Welcome to Las Vegas, craft brewers! In this final of three CBC preview episodes, Crafthaus head brewer Cameron Fisher joins to discuss their approach to making cold IPA (and more) in the desert of Southern Nevada. Whether it’s Czech-style lager served on a Lukr faucet in their Arts District taproom or a throwback hoppy red ale poured with love from their Henderson taproom at the brewery, the beers Crafthaus makes have earned a reputation for quality, breadth, and accessibility. In this episode, Fisher touches on:  


Connecting beers to audiences through familiarity and experience
Using flaked maize and white wheat in cold IPA
Pushing big IBUs in the first wort addition then cool pooling
Layering hop formats with concentrated pellets and T-90’s
Avoiding generic hop flavors by editing down hop blends
Dry hop saturation
Fermenting with characterful lager yeast that leaves more body
Creating coffee beers with different roasters and coffees


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) “ProBrew is changing the game at this year’s CBC in Las Vegas. Visit go.probrew.com/CBC24 or contact us at contactus@probrew.com to schedule time with one of our subject matter experts at Booth #1783 at this year’s show.”

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. 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 sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. 

Yakima Chief Hops (https://yakimachief.com). As a global preferred supplier of NZ Hops, Yakima Chief is the source for the pronounced bright and tropical aromas New Zealand hops are known for, adding a rush of exotic fruits and zesty citrus to your recipes. NZ Cryo is now available, learn more at yakimachief.com 

OPA Design Studio (https://designopa.com): The architects at OPA Design Studio are your partners in developing the unique design you need. With over a decade of experience designing breweries, the folks at OPA are here to serve as your trusted experts from start to finish. Visit designopa.com to set up your no obligation introductory consultation today.

Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast (https://spiritsanddistilling.com/podcasts/): If you’re a distiller or curious about it, check out the Craft Spirits & Distilling podcast. Click on the link and subscribe from your favorite podcast platform. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

277: Randy Booth of Twin Barns Tells a Story With Belknap Pils in this Best in Beer 2022 Brewer Perspective

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