Episode 403: Offset’s Conor Brown Is Lying to You About Low-ABV IPA

From their tiny outpost in the ski town of Park City, Offset Bier has turned Utah’s challenges—such as a ban on serving draft beer higher than 5 percent ABV—into opportunities. Last year was a breakout one for the budding brewery—we named their session IPA Dopo one of our Best 20 Beers in 2024, while another session IPA, Divi, won gold medal at Great American Beer Festival.

Necessity is truly the mother of invention, and the constraints placed upon founder Conor Brown force creative problem solving, as he pulls from various corners of the brewing playbook—European lager and hefeweizen, British ale, and more—for processes and creative angles that drive flavorful, aroma-led hazy LIPAs, or “Lie-PAs.”

In this episode, Brown covers:

• mash steps to promote foam-positive proteins and body in hazy IPAs made from 100 percent barley malt
• dialing in water chemistry with calcium targets, sodium, and sulfate more than chloride
• using chit malt in lieu of oats or wheat, and selecting low-FAN pilsner malt
• embracing small amounts of crystal malts
• managing DMS reduction at altitude
• the benefit of boiling hops with longer additions
• creating texture through hop choices such as American Nobles
• developing exacting pH targets at each stage of the brewing process

And more.

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