82: pFriem Family Brewers Josh Pfriem: Nuance and Subtlety is the Key in Everything from Pilsner to Wood-Aged Sours
For Josh Pfriem of pFriem Family Brewers, every beer they make\u2014from Pilsner to wood-aged sour\u2014expresses a brewing philosophy that prizes nuance and depth. Still, he\u2019s amazed that craft beer today is embracing lagers to the degree that it is. \u201cIf you had told me back in 2011 that pFriem Pilsner in 2019 was going to be our flagship beer, I probably would have passed out from excitement or never believed that would have happened. It\u2019s awesome to be at this point.\u201d In this multifaceted conversation, Pfriem discusses how they build character with malt in pale lagers, how their goal for hops in Pilsner is to taste \u201clike springtime running through a field of wildflowers,\u201d balancing tradition with contemporary techniques like whirlpool hopping, how carbon dioxide is the under appreciated fifth ingredient in beer, why brewing wood-aged sours is more akin to winemaking, targeting acidity levels and controlling acidity to make better sour beers, timing specific styles for stages in a barrel\u2019s life cycle, fruit additions for sour beers, the beauty of blending, and the benefit of constant iteration and improvement. \u201cIf we brew Pilsner 200-300 times over the course of the year, we can make incremental changes that make it better and better and better,\u201d says Pfriem. \u201cMaking beer is great. But making it better is even more great.\u201d
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