508: Steve Luke is Surfing the Next Wave in Cloudburst’s Evolution

Earlier this year, Cloudburst founder Steve Luke announced that longtime friends at Bale Breaker would be buying the brewery while he and his wife relocated to New Zealand for her career. For many in the industry, it felt like an ideal outcome, with the beloved Seattle brand finding a home with the talented team at the Yakima-based brewery. But the move hasn’t taken Luke out of the game—he’ll be involved for at least a few years, and hasn’t let up on the tongue-in-cheek humor around craft beer history that has led to creative and award-winning takes on things like imperial hoppy red ale or hoppy amber ale.

Through the episode, Luke looks back as well as forward, and touches on:

• dealing with burnout as a brewer and business operator
• continuing to meet expectations the brewery has set for themselves
• selling throwback beers by adding “West Coast” to the name
• brewing hoppy red and amber beers as a homage to craft beer’s roots
• first wort hopping, hot side hops in hazy IPA, and avoiding muddled hop character
• lagering hoppy beer for better hop expression
• where hazy IPA went awry
• kiwi brewing from a North American brewer perspective

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers
G&D now offers the Elite 290 Micro-series with 5H chillers—bringing even more flexibility to our propane-powered lineup. In fact, we’re building one right now for Red Clover Ale in partnership with Efficiency Vermont. It runs on a natural refrigerant with near-zero global warming potential (GWP)—projected to deliver around 10 percent more efficiency than A2L refrigerant systems. That’s smart sustainability backed by proven engineering and trusted performance. With 24/7 support and remote monitoring, your cold side stays dialed in—day or night. Explore the Elite 290 Micro-series and more 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 isn’t 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

This podcast is sponsored by the Midea 50/50 flex—the industry’s first dual-compartment three-way convertible freezer. The 50/50 Flex is designed to flex with your life. It can convert to all fridge, all freezer, or half and half with just the touch of a button. Plus, with its reversible doors and adjustable storage compartments, you can stay organized no matter your food-storage needs. The 50/50 Flex is also designed to maintain a stable temperature even in non-climate-controlled spaces. So it’s perfect for your garage, man cave, or wherever you need a little more space. Maybe use all 20 cubic feet as a beer fridge! Check out Midea.com/us/ for more information on how to take your beer storage to the next level.

ADM
Today’s episode is proudly sponsored by ADM. Great beverages start with great ideas. At ADM, science, innovation, and nature come together to help brewers craft exceptional drinking experiences. From premium hop solutions to advanced-ingredient technologies, we help elevate flavor, consistency, and product differentiation. Whether you’re pursuing your next flagship beer or developing an entirely new beverage concept, we bring the expertise and partnership needed to turn vision into reality. ADM is where nature meets precision. Discover more at adm.com/alcohol.

John I. Haas
Advanced liquid hop products from John I. Haas are giving brewers new ways to shape flavor and streamline production—without the vegetative matter that comes with traditional hop additions. In the whirlpool, Incognito delivers concentrated, variety-specific hop flavor and aroma. Prysma goes further—usable in the whirlpool or fermentor, with post-filtration dosing that can turn a single base beer into different finished products. And in the bright tank, Euphorics adds hop-oil-based flavor to finished beer and alternative beverages, with 14 unique flavor profiles. The portfolio also includes process tools such as Hop Haze and HopAid antifoam, for brewers solving specific technical challenges. Explore the full lineup of our advanced products at johnihaas.com.

Scott Laboratory
This episode is brought to you by Scott Laboratories. Whether you’re making beer, nonalcoholic beer, or other ready-to-drink beverages, Scott Laboratories offers products and technical expertise for preventing microbial spoilage and ensuring shelf-stability. We have a complete filtration portfolio that spans sheet, lenticular, cartridge, and crossflow filtration. In addition, we are the exclusive U.S. distributor of Velcorin®, a microbial control solution used during packaging and trusted by beverage producers for more than 40 years. We are also excited to introduce Nagardo®, a new microbial stabilizer naturally derived from mushroom glycolipids. It’s pH compatibility and persistent formulation make it ideal for stabilizing NA beer on draft, a category that has historically been difficult to protect from microbial concerns. To learn more about Scott Laboratories, please visit ScottLab.com.