Specially recorded for the Craft Brewers Conference (April 20-22nd, 2026), this special episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast features a conversation with Richard Preiss and John Leingang, Head Brewer of Nine Mile Brewing Co. in Bloomington, MN.

With over a decade in the Minnesota craft beer scene—spanning everything from pouring pints to leading production—John brings a practical, taproom-first perspective on brewing.

We cover:

• The story behind Nine Mile Brewing Co. and its place in the Twin Cities
• John's experience using the newly released WLP079 Suava strain (referenced on the pod as EXP-666!)
• How they’re using LalBrew® House Ale across multiple brands—and repitching it for consistency
• A cross-border collaboration with the Canadian 9 Mile legacy

• The realities and constraints of running a taproom-focused brewery
• Practical advice for brewers balancing creativity, efficiency, and customer expectations

This episode is all about brewing in the real world—where process, people, and pints all have to line up.

Featured in this Episode:

• Learn more about WLP079 Suava™, a experimental Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain developed through a joint effort between Escarpment Labs, Lallemand Brewing, and White Labs to provide brewers with a high-quality solution for modern hop-forward styles. Pre-orders now open!
• Dive into LalBrew House Ale and the true versatility of the strain (Red IPA, anyone?).

How do you stay creative without losing control of your process?

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with Steve Finnie and Niko Tonks from Little Thistle Brewing and Double Elbow Beer to explore how a taproom-focused brewery balances innovation with operational reality.

From experimental releases to consistent core beers, this conversation dives into how decisions actually get made on a working brewhouse floor.

We cover:

• The story behind Niko’s residency brand Double Elbow
• Using American-grown noble hops in lager production
• A four-generation trial of LalBrew Pomona™ across multiple styles
• What changes (and what doesn’t) across repitches
• How taproom breweries navigate constraints, tradeoffs, and customer expectations
• Building a beer program that works for both creativity and consistency

If you’re brewing for a taproom—or trying to balance new ideas with repeatable results—this episode offers a practical, behind-the-scenes look.

Featured in this Episode:

• For more information on LalBrew Pomona™ and the versatility and flavour it could bring to your beer, visit here.
• Learn more about Yakima Chief Hops' Krush Brand, here.
• Learn more about the concentrated hop oil, Hyperboost, here.

This episode drops on April Fools Day—but the lessons are no joke.

In this solo episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, Richard reflects on a recent trip to England, including presenting at BeerX in Liverpool, visiting modern brewer Azvex, and touring the historic Fuller’s Brewery.

From traditional cask ale to modern hazy beers, English brewing offers a pragmatic, process-first approach that still has a lot to teach today’s brewers.

In this episode, we explore:

• The diversity of English yeast families—and why they behave so differently
• How traditional fermentation shaped highly flocculent and chain-forming strains
• What changed when breweries moved to conical fermentors
• Why UK brewers are comfortable using “hazy” strains across multiple styles
• Higher dissolved oxygen practices—and what we can learn from them
• Why “supplier equivalent” yeast strains are rarely identical

If you’ve ever struggled to get English yeast to behave—or wondered why British beers feel so effortlessly drinkable—this episode connects the dots between yeast, process, and tradition.

Featured in this Episode:

• Learn more about Vermont Ale, English Ale I and II, and Foggy London Ale through our British Strain collection

Dry yeast has come a long way—but not all strains (or packs) are created equal.

In this solo episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, Richard answers some of the most common questions brewers have about dry yeast—what it does well, where it falls short, and how it compares to liquid cultures in modern brewing.

We cover:

• How big the dry yeast industry really is—and why it dominates globally
• The relationship between Escarpment Labs and Lallemand Brewing
• Why not all yeast strains can be dried
• The real benefits of dry yeast (and when it shines)
• The limitations—especially when it comes to strain selection and lager yeast

Whether you’re choosing between dry and liquid, or just want to better understand what’s in that foil pack, this episode gives you a clear, practical breakdown.

Featured in this Episode:

• To learn more about LalBrew dry yeast products, visit here.
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You’ve started repitching. You understand cell health. Now it’s time to eliminate the last 5%: troubleshooting and buy in from ownership and finance.

In the final episode of our Repitching Series, we move into advanced troubleshooting, optimization, and financial modelling — because repitching isn’t just a technical decision. It’s an operational one.

We cover:

• How to identify and eliminate the final 5% of inconsistency

• How to model real financial savings for your brewery owner or leadership team

• How to use Settled Yeast Volume (SYV) as a simple, field-ready consistency check

• When to adjust pitch rate based on stress conditions

• How to get the entire production team aligned around one repeatable system

If you want repitching to move from “brewer experiment” to “brewery standard,” this episode shows you how.

Featured in this Episode:

• Check out our Yeast Management & Repitching Guide (available for free download!)
• Download our free guide to Accurate Cell Counting in the Brewery here.
• Going to the 2026 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia this April? Join us before the conference on April 19th for a special yeast-focused seminar on biotransformation. This educational session for professional brewers brings together leading experts in fermentation from Escarpment Labs, White Labs, and Lallemand Brewing to help you better understand how yeast selection can influence biotransformation and shape the final beer. Learn more and reserve your free spot here.

What does it take to brew award-winning hazy IPAs with half the dry hops most breweries use?

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with the Head Brewer of Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery—and former Homebrew Lead at Escarpment Labs—to talk about the process behind their standout hazy beers.

We cover everything from the unique role water plays in their brewing approach to how careful yeast management drives flavour and consistency.

In this episode we discuss:

• How water chemistry shapes the character of Willibald’s beers

• Their strategy for harvesting and repitching yeast in hazy IPA production

• Why they use roughly half the dry hop rate of many breweries—and still achieve huge aroma

• Why New Zealand hops play such a central role in their hop program

• How yeast strains like Foggy London Ale, LalBrew Pomona, and LalBrew House Ale influence flavour expression

• When and why they retire a yeast pitch

• Brewing award-winning hazy IPAs in Copenhagen

• Advice for brewers looking to improve their hazy beers

We also tease an upcoming collaboration brew: EXP-666.

If you’re brewing hazy IPAs—or trying to make them more consistent—this conversation is packed with practical insights.

What does yeast have in common with Olympic athletes?

They don’t just show up and perform. They train.

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with former Escarpment Labs R&D Lead and current Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Carleton University, Dr. Eugene Fletcher, to break down the science of Lab Evolution — and how it’s shaping the future of brewing.

Eugene helped bring strains like KRISPY, Pomona, and TERPS to market. Now, he’s researching how brewer’s yeast can be evolved to break down plastic waste and turn it into biofuels.

In this episode, we cover:

• What lab evolution actually is — and why it’s like Olympic training

• How it differs from simple repitching

• How Pomona evolved from “okay” to a global strain partnership

• Why Saccharomyces is uniquely adaptable

• Lab evolution vs. GMO: advantages and tradeoffs

• The story of a Ghanaian strain sourced from traditional brewing

• What modern brewers — and even the non-alcoholic category — can learn from West African fermentation

If you’ve ever wondered how yeast adapts to hops, malt, pressure, or entirely new environments, this episode pulls back the curtain.

Featured in this Episode:

• For more information on Eugene and his current research, visit https://carleton.ca/biology/people/eugene-fletcher/
• Learn more of the details behind products developed by Eugene at Escarpment Labs here: KRISPY, LalBrew Pomona™, TERPS

You’ve started repitching. Now let’s make it consistent.

In Part 2 of our Repitching Series, we move beyond the basics and introduce the core science behind repeatable, high-quality repitching: The Healthy Fermentation Formula.

Because pitch rate alone isn’t enough.

In this episode, we break down why traditional “cells per mL per degree Plato” thinking is incomplete — and why Cell Health and Wort Stress are just as critical to fermentation success.

We cover:

• The full formula:
  Healthy Fermentation = (Cells Pitched × Cell Health) ÷ Wort Stress

• What “Cell Health” really means (and how to observe it without a lab)

• The three biggest stressors: gravity, nutrient deficiency, and inhibitors

• Early harvest vs. post-cold-conditioning harvest — and why timing matters

• Why 2–5 PSI of CO₂ head pressure is non-negotiable during harvest

• How to upgrade your brink (and why stainless wins long-term)

• The simplest microscope-free measurement tool: Settled Yeast Volume (SYV)

If Part 1 helped you start repitching, this episode helps you stop guessing.

Featured in this Episode:

• To follow along, you can download our 93-page comprehensive guide on Yeast Management & Repitching, here.

Hop creep has gone from an academic curiosity to a real, costly problem for brewers — but what’s actually happening inside the tank?

In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, we sit down with Jessica Young, PhD candidate at UC Davis (Food Science, Brewing) and former Cellar, Quality, and Sensory Manager at Bearded Iris Brewing, to break down hop creep straight from the science.

In recognition of International Day of Women and Girls in Science (Wednesday, February 11), this episode highlights the vital role women scientists play in advancing brewing knowledge and solving real-world industry challenges.

We cover:

• What hop creep actually is (and what it isn’t)

• Why it’s showing up more often now

• How hop variety and hop product type influence risk

• Whether starch from hops can become soluble in beer

• How harvest timing may affect enzymatic potential

• Practical mitigation strategies brewers can use today

• Why yeast cropping and mid-fermentation dry hopping matter more than you think

If you dry hop aggressively, care about stability, or want science-backed answers, this is a must-listen.

As brewers look to cut costs and improve consistency, yeast repitching is one of the highest-ROI process upgrades you can make.

In this beginner-focused episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast, Mark and Richard break down why repitching works — and more importantly, how to start repitching without a lab, microscope, or complicated equipment.

We cover the non-negotiable fundamentals:

• How to choose a healthy “source batch” (freshness matters more than you think)

• The simplest harvest setup (a sanitized hose + a humble bucket)

• The single most important step to prevent off-flavours and repitch disasters

If you’ve been repitch-curious but unsure where to start, this episode is your green light.

Featured in this Episode:

• Follow along with our "Yeast Management & Repitching Guide" here. We've created this guide to be a comprehensive resource to learn how to repitch the right way — saving money, improving consistency, and keeping your beer quality high.

• Learn more about our Yeast Quality Control