145: Stephen Kirby of Hogshead Has Some Strong Opinions on Cask Ale
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\\u201cWhen we opened, everyone said \\u2018You can\\u2019t open a brewery with three beers,\\u2019\\u201d says Hogshead founder Stephen Kirby. \\u201cAnd I think the answer to that is \\u2018You can if they\\u2019re good ones.\\u2019 I think the truth\\u2019s out\\u2014I only make three beers. You\\u2019ve got guys who want to make everything. I make bitter, I make porter, I make mild.\\u201d
\\n\\nThat approach of doing only a few things but with an obsessive focus is highly unusual in today\'s beer market, where everyone seems to want everything, all the time. But Kirby is straightforward about his motivations\\u2014he\\u2019s in it to brew the beer that he loves and wants to drink. True to his British roots, that beer is what he grew up with\\u2014traditional cask ales. Kirby doesn\\u2019t hold back, sharing his views on a wide range of subjects, including:
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- Why brewers should have the \\u201cbollocks\\u201d to name beers what they are \\n
- Selecting hop varieties for balance in flavor and aroma \\n
- Underpitching English strains at slightly lower temperatures for proper yeast flavors \\n
- Innovation versus tradition \\n
- British versus American takes on IPA \\n
- How carbonic acid impacts hops bitterness \\n
- Building small beers with big body while avoiding the impression of sweetness \\n
- How water chemistry affects English beer styles \\n
- Mash regimens to benefit head retention \\n
- Using controlled oxidation through the life of a beer to tell a story
\\u201cI brew the beer that I love, and I invite you come come over and have a pint,\\u201d Kirby says. \\u201cAs a business model, it sucks, but it\\u2019s good for the soul. If you\\u2019re not making the beer you love, why the fuck are you doing it?\\u201d
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