321: Chris Baum of Varietal is Hyperfocused on Hops
When you live and work in Yakima Valley, hops become a way of life. They\u2019re second nature, omnipresent, and a constant topic of conversation\u2014after all, many of the patrons of craft breweries in the Yakima Valley are the same folks who grow, process, study, and sell them. As such, Varietal Beer\u2019s focus on brewing with hops has picked up momentum as fans flock to their taproom\u2014about 30 minutes south of the city of Yakima\u2014to drink their subtle, nuanced, and beautiful IPAs and fresh hop beers.
\n\nThe industry has noticed, too, with two recent GABF silver medals in juicy strong pale and fresh hop categories circa \u201921 and \u201922. In this episode, Baum discusses:
\n\n- \n
- designing hoppy beers that aren\u2019t confrontational \n
- brewing IPA with 100% craft malt, and barley varieties that complement certain styles \n
- balancing and achieving bitterness and structure in IPA \n
- manipulating pH to soften bitterness \n
- balancing cryo hops with \u201cAmerican Noble\u201d low-alpha hops \n
- the beauty of Comet hops \n
- differences in brewing with fresh-kilned hops and pelletized T-90\u2019s \n
- fresh hop brewing process \n
And more.
\n\nThis episode is brought to you by:
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\nBSG Craft Brewing (https://Bsgcraftbrewing.com/): BSG and their partners HVG bring you the very best in German hops, including Amira, with its classic hoppy, slightly herbal, and zesty lemon aromas. Visit BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn more.
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