135: For Noah Bissell of Bissell Brothers, Less is Definitely More
b'
The conversation about hazy, New England-style IPAs invariably includes Portland, Maine\\u2019s Bissell Brothers Brewery. From the early days of the nascent style, they embraced the possibility of expressive yeast, and helped cement the style\\u2019s place in the canon of modern craft beer. But unlike other contemporaries, they\\u2019ve shied away from the model of brewing a nonstop stream of new releases, and have taken a more traditional approach to brewing\\u2014constant, nonstop iteration and improvement of the selection of brands they brew.
\\n\\nCofounder Noah Bissell explains the strategy in a sensible way, with the perpetual dissatisfaction of a committed creator. Why create new beers, when you\\u2019re not entirely happy with the ones you make already? Dialing in beers is an ongoing, never-ending process, and the best way to improve those beers is to go all-in.
\\n\\n"I don\\u2019t think you could ever even hope to reach that hypothetical nirvana zone for any given idea in beer form, if you don\\u2019t really, really commit to it," says Bissell.
\\n\\nIn this episode, Bissell discusses the brewery\\u2019s dogged focus on improvement: managing for shifting palates, focusing deeply on the bitterness component in soft and hazy beers, dialing in carbonation to heighten the experience, adjusting whirpool parameters, using new advanced hop aroma products, and more. Along the way, he also tackles subjects including cryo vs. traditional pellet, their methodical approach to hops blending, how they select hops for the platonic ideal, and favorite new hops like Sultana.
\\n\\nBissell built their hazy house IPA, Substance, from a blend that doesn\\u2019t include Citra\\u2014a bold choice in today\\u2019s beer world. But for the brewery, it was both a response to the reality of the hops world when they started, and a solid focus on outlasting short-term beer trends, where \\u201csweet\\u201d as a descriptor offers less longevity.
\\n\\nThis episode is brought to you by:
\\nG&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): Nearly 2,000 breweries across the US, Canada & Mexico partner with G&D Chillers. Innovative, Modular Designs and no proprietary parts propel G&D ahead as the premier choice for your glycol chilling needs. Breweries you recognize\\u2014Russian River, Ninkasi, Jack\'s Abby, Samuel Adams and more\\u2014trust G&D to chill the beer you love! Call G&D Chillers to discuss your project today or reach out directly at GDChillers.com.
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard supplies craft juice blends from the heart of Beer City USA. As the industry blending experts, they supply major national brands and growing breweries alike. They\'ve been the best-kept juicy secret in craft beverage for years, but now the secret\'s out. Breweries across the board are experiencing a seamless transition to Old Orchard as their new juice supplier. So hop aboard the Old Orchard fruit train; their sample kit starter pack is waiting for you at www.oldorchard.com/brewer.
\\n\\nHopsteiner (https://www.hopsteiner.com): This episode is brought to you by Hopsteiner\\u2013your premium hop supplier dedicated to delivering quality hops and hop products in every package. Visit Hopsteiner.com for a complete list of offerings or select \\u201cshop hops\\u201d to start ordering today.
\\n\\nSka Fabricating (https://skafabricating.com):
\\nSka Fabricating is excited to introduce the newest player in their all-star lineup of canning line automation: The Magic Bus, a fully automatic can depalletizer with pallet management. No more pouring time and labor into the manual handling of pallets, top frames and tier sheets on your canning line - packaging teams can simply load cans, deband, and press start. To learn more, contact Ska Fab today at (970) 403-8562 or reach out online at skafabricating.com.
Brewers Publications (https://www.brewerspublications.com):
\\nThis episode is brought to you by Brewers Publications, publishers of \\u201cHistorical Brewing Techniques: The Lost Art of Farmhouse Brewing\\u201d by Lars Marius Garshol. Equal parts history, cultural anthropology, social science, and travelogue, \\u201cHistorical Brewing Techniques\\u201d describes Northern European farmhouse brewing and fermentation methods that are vastly different from modern craft brewing. Order your copy of Historical Brewing Techniques today at BrewersPublications.com.