Episode 497: Todd Malloy and Robin Reed of Glenwood Canyon Match Lager Discipline with Brewpub Ingenuity for Medal-Winning Results

Over the past 30 years, the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub has earned an impressive 18 Great American Beer Festival and eight World Beer Cup medals. Mostly recently, there have been back-to-back GABF golds in festbier and a 2024 silver in helles, plus a score of 99 for that same helles from our blind panel at Craft Beer & Brewing—so, they’re showing no sign of letting up.

Brewing lager on a 10-barrel pub system with no mash rakes and a host of other challenges is a physical endeavor that requires intention and precision. But they’ve made thoughtful process and ingredient choices to overcome limitations around decoction and step-mashing.

In this episode, owner Todd Malloy and head brewer Robin Reed share their technical approach to distinctive festbier and helles. Along the way, they discuss:

• brewing lager with an open-top, manual mash tun
• adjusting malts to replace character that might otherwise be created through decoction
• step-mashing by starting thick and adding water for each temperature raise
• targeting higher pH to facilitate Maillard reactions
• acidifying with sour wort
• using a diacetyl-free Andechs strain
• balancing festbier with higher final gravity and higher IBUs, plus a small whirlpool hop addition
• targeting proper hop intensity for competition beers
• filtration and its function in building flavor clarity and contrast

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers
G&D’s new Elite 290 Micro-series runs on a natural refrigerant with near-zero global warming potential (GWP)—built for brewers who care about sustainability and performance. We recently built one for New Belgium Brewing, delivering around 50 percent energy savings over CO2 systems and 9 percent more efficiency than A2Ls. That’s real-world impact from a brewery that knows what it takes. With 24/7 support and remote monitoring, your cold side stays dialed in—day or night. Learn more about sustainable chiller solutions at gdchillers.com/podcast.

Berkeley Yeast

At the World Beer Cup this year: Gold for West Coast IPA; Gold for Session IPA; Bronze, Silver, and Gold for New Zealand IPA; Bronze, Silver, and Gold for Classic IPA. All these beers were fermented with one yeast: FRESH™ Chico, Berkeley’s low-diacetyl ale yeast. There’s something you need to know: Diacetyl is not just a pass or a fail. Yes, at high levels, it’s tragically bad. But even at low levels, it masks the good flavors. So if you want hop notes to pop, you need diacetyl to be ultra-low. These brewers trust Berkeley Yeast for an ultra-clean fermentation because on the finals table, every little detail matters. And now FRESH™ Chico is available in dried bricks for as low as $88 at berkeleyyeast.com.

PakTech

This episode is sponsored by PakTech—delivering craft-beer multipacking you can trust. Our handles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and are fully recyclable, helping breweries close the loop and advance the circular economy. With a minimalist design, durable functionality you can rely on, and custom color matching, our carriers help brands stand out while staying sustainable. Trusted by craft brewers nationwide, we offer a smarter, sustainable way to carry your beer. To learn more, visit paktech-opi.com.

Indie Hops

Oregon hop country is heaven to world-class lager varieties, and Indie Hops is proud to have introduced Oregon’s newest lager hop, Lórien, in 2022. Lórien is in a growing list of beers that have found their way to the podium and—more importantly—into the hearts of lager lovers across the country. Discover Indie Hops Lórien. (Side effects may include rampant festivity, sales bumps, and exceeded expectations.) Indie Hops—Life Is Short. Let’s Make It Flavorful.

Midea 50/50 Flex

If you’re like many podcast listeners, you’ve got a lot of beers at home, and your regular fridge is at capacity. Enter the Midea 50/50 Flex—the industry’s first dual-compartment three-way convertible freezer. Here’s what all that means for you: options! The 50/50 has the power to be all freezer, all fridge, or a little bit of both. But you’ll probably want to use those 20 cubic feet as a massive, garage-ready beer fridge. You can also change which side the door is on or how you want the shelves to be arranged—the 50/50 totally flexes to fit your life. Plus, it’s designed to maintain a stable temperature even in non-climate-controlled conditions—so you can crack a cold one even on the warmest days in the man cave. Take your garage to the next level! Check out Midea.com/us/ to get more info about this game changer today. Cheers!

Wyeast Laboratories

Some strains define an era. These three refuse to stay in just one. To kick off our 40th anniversary celebration, we’re celebrating some of our most iconic strains, highlighting the history and impact that each has had on craft brewing. These strains each earned their place in this collection the same way: not by trending, but by staying essential decade after decade, from homebrew benches to commercial brewhouses. 1056 American Ale, 1318 London Ale III, and 2124 Bohemain Lager are the proof, the quiet backbones behind some of craft beer’s most familiar pints. Visit wyeastlab.com/most-iconic to learn more about each of these iconic strains.