The Modern Brewer Podcast

Oh the excitement!! Last episode Tuur shared one of the most challenging brewing problems I've heard. In this episode, he reveals the root cause! Also I announce an exciting new mini-series coming soon. If you have follow-up questions, please email [email protected]:00 Introduction and Welcome02:06 Discussion on Gushing Issues03:18 Non-Alcoholic Beer Talk04:35 Episode 18 and Brewing Challenges06:56 Exciting Announcement: New Miniseries Coming!!!08:52 Sensory Workshop and Training12:34 Recap and Reveal of Brewing Problem18:51 Crystalline Particles in Brewing20:03 Troubleshooting the Gushing Issue21:34 Identifying the Root Cause23:44 Solving the Problemw31:44 Lessons Learned34:47 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

Can you solve a real brewery issue?Tuur Mertens brought us a real life “gushing” problem faced in a historic brewery. We share the symptoms and context…But can you diagnose the root cause and the fix? Test your skills in this weeks episode.How to play:•⁠  ⁠Listen and take notes•⁠  ⁠⁠Email your answer (root cause + fix) to [email protected] and [email protected] will share the correct answers on LinkedIn and a follow up postChapters00:00 Introduction and special guest01:37 Meet Tuur Martens02:31 Tuur’s research and approach03:37 The brewing mystery setup05:20 Inside the brewery: process and constraints07:31 The gushing problem: investigation begins12:37 Breakthrough in the case15:27 Can you solve the mystery16:24 Wrap up and next stepsShow sponsor - Brew Resourceful

Is This The Future of CO2 in Breweries?Can algae capture your fermentation CO2 and turn it into useful biomass?Dr Alla Silkina and Emily Hutchinson walk us through a real pilot at Bluestone Brewery. Setup, quality, cost and how this could scale.This one for those looking to the future, a truly sustainable one.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:57 Sustainability in Brewing02:41 The Algae Project: Concept and Goals04:54 Meet the Guests: Dr. All Sina and Emily Hutchinson06:07 Project Details: Algae as a Carbon Capture Mechanism09:07 Technical Insights: Algae Cultivation and CO2 Utilisation19:08 Challenges and Future Prospects32:01 Discussing Financial Summaries and Investment33:36 Cost Breakdown and Return on Investment35:15 R&D Tax Relief and Brewery Involvement38:18 Potential Applications of Algae Biomass39:07 Other Industries and CO2 Utilisation40:14 Quality and Commercial Potential of Algae Biomass43:05 Future Steps and Commercialisation51:53 Collaboration and Research Opportunities56:51 Conclusion and Next StepsLinks and referencesResearch paper by Dr Silkina et al: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/23/6125What the setup looks like in practice: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkI6CFGjMX9/?iigshMnFobWx4Y2JtZWZiContact the guests: •⁠  ⁠[email protected]•⁠  ⁠[email protected] a copy of the SIBA sustainability guide co authored by Chris: [email protected] socials: www.instagram.com/bluestonebrewingcoWomen In Beer: www.instagram.com/womeninbeerukShow Sponsor: Brew Resourceful. New look. Same mission. Reduce brewery COGS with practical efficiency

Are Non Alcoholic Beers Safe?With demand for no and low alcohol beer BOOMING, more and more breweries are brewing their own.But when you remove alcohol, you remove one of the strongest safety mechanisms in beer.And with the rise of unfiltered, unpasteurised NA beers hitting shelves, this episode asks a simple but essential question:How do you make NA beer safe?To help answer it, I’m joined by Dr Greg Rachon and co host and brewing legend, Sean Knight - Siren Craft Brew. We dig into the risks, the latest microbiological research and the practical steps brewers need to know.What we cover:- Why alcohol has been silently keeping beer safe for centuries- What happens when you take it away- The key safety mechanisms left behind for NA products- New research on pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in NA beer- The role of carbonation, packaging and preservatives- Why beer line hygiene matters more than everThis episode features some of the most up to date research on NA beer safety from Dr Greg Rachon, alongside industry insight from Sean Knight.Huge thanks to Lallemand for supporting the show and for their ongoing work with the LoNa yeast strain.Connor Bartlett - The Growth of Pathogens and Beer Spoilage Organisms in No and Low Alcohol Beers and Strategies to Prevent Their Growth (https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/74590/)Preservative Dosing Limit Document - [email protected] Blease - Lallemand - [email protected] Patterson - Lallemand - [email protected] Lewington - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lewington/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chris__brewington/Dr Grzeorgz Rachon (https://www.linkedin.com/in/grachon/)Chapters 00:00 Welcome to the Modern Brewer Podcast00:25 Introducing Co-Host Sean Knight02:22 Upcoming UK Brewing Events03:52 Revolutionising Non-Alcoholic Beer with Lallemand's LoNA Yeast05:41 Discussion on NA Beer Safety with Sean Knight09:45 Introducing Dr. Grzegorz Rachon10:31 Understanding Pathogens in Non-Alcoholic Beer12:04 Research on Pathogen Growth in NA Beer20:30 The Role of Carbonation in Pathogen Suppression28:20 Challenges in Draft Beer Hygiene39:57 Preservatives and Pasteurisation in NA Beer47:27 Cold Alternatives to Pasteurisation54:14 Challenges in Detecting Beer Spoilage Microorganisms01:05:07 Research on Beer Line Cleaning and Flash Pasteurisation01:12:02 Sean's Concluding Thoughts on Beer Safety and Research

This year alone, I’ve seen multiple breweries unknowingly bleed cash through their refrigeration systems. Why?Because chillers are often misunderstood, undersized or poorly maintained. And they happen to be one of the biggest operational costs in any brewery.In this episode, I sit down with Jon Keyte from RefCool, one of the sharpest minds in refrigeration, to break down everything a brewer needs to know about chillers. From sizing to heat recovery, operational efficiency and how you can use your chiller to heat water to 50c.If you're buying a chiller, running a chiller, or trying to save energy in your brewery, this is essential listening.What we cover:•⁠  ⁠Why chillers are often over sized and draining your margins•⁠  ⁠How to correctly size a chiller (it’s not what you think)•⁠  ⁠The truth about compressor types, ambient temperatures and glycol tanks•⁠  ⁠Heat recovery that turns cooling into hot water•⁠  ⁠How to monitor, maintain and future-proof your system•⁠  ⁠Real world CapEx versus OpEx comparisons that could save you thousandsThis one is practical, no nonsense and deeply important for any brewer looking at a new chiller or looking to reduce their operational costs.Chapters 00:00 Welcome to the Modern Brewer Podcast00:24 Highlights from the CIBD Sustainability Conference02:42 Chris's Controversial Presentation05:02 We Are Beer Industry Expo06:35 Brewing World Updates07:23 Exciting News from Francesco Lo Bue08:34 Introduction to Today's Episode09:48 Understanding Brewery Refrigeration11:09 Meet John Keyte, Refrigeration Expert13:34 The Importance of Correct Chiller Sizing24:02 Types of Compressors and Their Impact24:29 The Role of Ambient Temperature27:42 Glycol Buffer Tanks and Efficient Chiller Operation32:55 Monitoring and Optimising Chiller Performance34:15 Choosing the Right Chiller for Your Brewery35:15 Efficiency of Running Multiple Chillers37:14 Assessing Chiller Operational Costs40:18 Calculating Chilling Power and COP41:59 CapEx vs. OpEx in Chiller Selection42:35 Refrigerant Gases and Their Impact49:19 Heat Recovery in Refrigeration Systems57:38 Resilience and Maintenance of Chillers01:03:16 Top Tips for Brewers on Refrigeration01:05:02 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsThank you to our amazing show sponsors, Brewing Trade - The hop market, owned by brewers.Exclusive Brewing Trade offer - £17.33 p/kg Talus on Brewing TradeWeekly Education Email on Hops - Francesco Lo BueRefrigeration Circuit link Jons NewsletterJons LinkedIn