In this special GABF Gold edition of the podcast, Greg Winget of Wye Hill Brewing in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Alex Sarames of Deadwords Brewing in Orlando discuss their specific (and often unconventional) approaches to their respective gold medal–winning beers.

Winget and Wye Hill won gold with Luminous Beings, a hazy pale ale that uses a variety of current techniques to maximize flavor expression. He discusses:

brewing with 100 percent craft malt
mash-hopping for thiol precursors, character, and as a pH buffer
employing an unusually long whirlpool spin and soak cycle
fermenting at cooler temps with Cosmic Punch
two-stage dry hopping to avoid over-saturation
slow and measured transfers
the importance of soft water
packaging on a very small but low-DO canning line

Meanwhile, Sarames and Deadwords won gold with Bridge, an American light lager with an unusual hop choice. He discusses:

selecting Rahr North Star Pils for its light character
single-infusion mashing
using Vista as the sole hop in the beer
120-minute boils to drive off DMS precursors
switching to BSI’s Andechs Lager strain for fermentation
using the RO system to strip down and rebuild water
maintaining a clean facility

And more!

This episode is brought to you by:

Accubrew (https://accubrew.io): AccuBrew is a revolutionary fermentation analysis tool unlike anything else on the market, giving brewers unprecedented insight into the fermentation process. Visit accubrew.io today, for a no obligation 90 day trial!

BSG (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com) Need cans? CanCraft has you covered. Get blank, sleeved, and printed aluminum beverage cans with low minimums plus full-service support from design through delivery. Visit bsgcraftbrewing.com/CanCraft for your complete packaging solution.

Clarion (https://ad.doubleclick.net/ddm/trackclk/N510001.2032703CRAFTBEERANDBREWI/B28313912.342967708;dc_trk_aid=537328070;dc_trk_cid=177806075;dc_lat=;dc_rdid=;tag_for_child_directed_treatment=;tfua=;ltd=). Balancing barley and hops is your expertise. Food-grade lubricants is ours. Clarion Food Grade Lubricants meet stringent standards of purity and performance for food and beverage processing, food packaging, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. All Clarion Lubricants are backed by the Clarion warranty, and we work with you to create an efficient lubrication program that helps protect your operation. To learn more, visit ClarionLubricants.com/foodgrade. Clarion Lubricants. The expert that experts trust.

Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

269: GABF Gold! Deadwords and Wye Hill Talk Winning with Light Lager and Hazy Pale Ale

Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast