The 2024 World Beer Cup was quite a moment for Issaquah, Washington’s Formula. Head brewer Jesse Brown is no stranger to medals, but four in one year at the world’s most prestigious beer competition made a statement. His career as a brewer may look like “Swiss cheese,” with stints in Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington, but it’s hard to poke holes in any of his thoughtfully designed and thoroughly executed lagers or IPAs.
In this episode, Brown discusses ingredients as well as the labor-intensive process behind his helles, touches on the hot-side versus cold-side fresh-hop controversy, shares his approach to New Zealand hops that won him a silver medal for New Zealand–style IPA at World Beer Cup 2025, and finishes with thoughts on what it takes to win when so many brewers are making such great beer.
Along the way, he discusses:
- front-side decoction without a dedicated vessel
- extended saccharification rests to build malt depth
- gently handling lager to avoid bruising the beer
- the differences between 34/70 strains
- transferring before terminal to get a head start on clearing yeast
- the fresh-hop “controversy”
- the beauty of Dolcita and building mouthfeel with hops
- blending base malts for West Coast IPA
- selecting early-pick New Zealand hops for lower diesel character
And more.
G&D Chillers
For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country. We’re proud of the cool partnerships we’ve built, offering 24/7 service and support. We build with nonproprietary parts, expert craftsmanship, and constant innovation! Our in-house engineering crew have been piping breweries, wineries, and distilleries for more than 30 years. We offer FREE piping design and consultation with the sale of every chiller we build. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.
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.
Looking for a powerful, no-rinse sanitizer that gets the job done fast? Meet Saniclean PAA Pro from Five Star Chemicals. This EPA-registered, PAA-based acid sanitizer is tough on beerstone and perfect for everything from kegs to packaging lines. Available in two convenient sizes, it’s ideal for coarse sprayers, fermenters, and more. Trusted by pros, designed for performance—Saniclean PAA Pro helps you brew with confidence. Learn more at fivestarchemicals.com. Brew better. Brew with Five Star.
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.
Sennos, the new leader in AI-driven fermentation sensing, analytics, and control for the brewing industry is now taking orders for the most advanced intelligent sensing technology, the SennosM3 — the hardware connection into their Sennosystem. The Sennosystem platform delivers real-time fermentation control and predictive insights, giving brewers the tools to monitor key variables, detect issues before they escalate, achieve consistent outcomes, and eliminate waste with every batch. The SennosM3 is a modular in-tank sensor that delivers continuous, real-time monitoring. The M3 captures eight critical fermentation parameters throughout production. Turn your tank into a smart tank. Order your SennosM3 at sennos.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.