At Craft Coast in Oceanside and San Marcos, California, Blake Masoner is happy if you show up for tacos and stay for a beer. The fairly priced tacos are scratch-made, down to the tortillas themselves, packing loads of flavor into every bite. Fellow San Diego–area brewers refer to them as “The best tacos between here and Tijuana”—but the beer they brew here is anything but an afterthought.
Eight medals in four years at the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festical—in competitive categories such as hazy pale ale, American IPA, and international pilsener—are evidence of the brewery’s ambition on the quality side, and they’ve modified both classic and modern brewing techniques to serve their flavor and aroma goals.
In this episode, Masoner discusses:
- abandoning a “no core beer” policy to keep customers happy
- brewing Mexican-style dark lager with dry yeast and vorlauf-only dark malts
- mitigating sulfur production with 34/70 yeast
- Australian-inspired XPA design without Southern Hemisphere hops
- using Mosaic at different times for different effects in West Coast IPA
- knockout hopping to find the true heart of new varieties
- pinpointing flavors through dry hopping
- building a team-wide winning mindset
And more.
G&D Chillers
If you are looking for a brewery chiller that’s worry-free and tough on GWP, then look no further. G&D Chiller’s Elite 290 series chiller uses propane as a natural refrigerant with extremely low global warming potential. This natural, highly efficient refrigerant with near-zero GWP will help lower your facility’s energy costs and impact on the environment. We are committed to a greener, more efficient future. Visit gdchillers.com to learn more!
Brewers, what if your yeast could do more than just ferment? With Berkeley Yeast, it can! We bioengineer ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Now, in addition to competitive pricing, we’re offering free overnight shipping on 5+ barrel pitches. Try it out—if you don’t love it, we’ll happily refund you. So why settle for ordinary when you can brew with better yeast? Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side.
As breweries expand beyond beer into other segments such as mocktails and CBD beverages, Old Orchard is here to help. We can formulate custom blends featuring specialty ingredients. Whether trending flavor additions or nostalgic favorites, the next best thing is around the corner at Old Orchard. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer.
Indie Hops brings Oregon’s natural wonder to brewers. Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful.
XTRATUF has been making rugged and reliable boots for 75 years. Built for the harshest conditions, our Legacy Collection styles are oil-, acid-, and chemical-resistant with a nonslip rated outsole. Be prepared for whatever comes your way and shop the latest XTRATUF boots on xtratuf.com.
Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Craft Brewers in northern Minnesota have been keeping this a secret for years! Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. From the waters of Minnesota to your tap room anywhere in the country you’re sure to create an in-demand product. Brewers Blend Wild Rice is the perfect size and texture so it can be added directly into your mash, saving you time in the brewing process. Plus, for over four generations Canoe Wild Rice has been using their time-tested process that gives the wild rice a distinct roasted flavor. Who knows what sensation you could create with this aquatic grain. Canoe Wild Rice also has food grade hulls available for your mash. Harvest season is underway in Minnesota now, but Joe will make time for you if you have any questions or want to get an order going. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809.
For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. As proud members of Boortmalt, one of the largest malt companies in the world with 27 malt plants in 16 countries, their North American malts are complemented by a wide variety of base and specialty imported malts from around the globe. / This year, Prairie Malt is partnering with Roadhouse Brewing Company and Melvin Brewing Company to pour an unforgettable lineup of beers at their shared booth at this year’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO from October 9th – 11th. / So stop by the booth, sample some award winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more about why Malt from Biggar is better at prairiemalt.com.
Briess Malting has been involved in the craft brewing community ever since it was established in the 1980’s. Today, Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold, an English-style ale malt with complex bread character, and Lighthouse Munich, which has the full body of a Munich malt but minimal impact on color. All Briess malts are produced in the US, so you can count on a reliable supply chain. Barley is sourced from 300 growers in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Malt is the backbone of beer. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com.