Episode list

With special guests joining host Bev Rapley, they get down to brewing business with in-depth explorations of the history and process of brewing.

Today we're talking hops and the history of the hoppiest beer style at the forefront of the Craft Beer Rennaissance: The IPA. As is to be expected when you bring your good friend who is also a comedian to brew day, hilarity ensues. We wanted to pay a little homage to Saint Hildegard, who was an amazing and badass woman of the middle ages, often regarded as the patron saint of hoppy beer. Rather than leading the charge of adding hops to beer she astutely noted the miraculous qualities of this amazing plant - which we go into while sipping some of our favorite brews. We also have fun debunking the popular myth of the history behind the inception of the IPA. Things get a little messy...and by things I mostly mean us.

Great taste is all about balance, and on this Special Guest episode we might have gone in over our heads. Gose is an elegant German beer style that is made using salt, then different yeast strains and techniques to increase the acidity of the wort to taste sour when it's finished. High stakes, high rewards. If done properly, this beer will have a beautiful complexity that is engagingly sour on the tongue with a salty, citrusy finish with delicate spice notes. If done wrong, and there are MANY things that could go awry here, the acidity in the souring process could kill the yeast, too much salt could kill the yeast, the second yeast additive could kill the yeast- no yeast, no beer. Viewers - wish us luck. Luckily I have some supervision from an industry professional: Dan Webster is co-founder and co-owner of Container Brewing in East Vancouver, and a heck of a brew buddy.