The Secret Ingredient Behind Great Belgian White Beer (Lake Effect Brewing)

Learn the secret ingredients behind the best Belgian Whites and what happens when a brewer finally feels satisfied with what he’s built.

Lake Effect Brewing Company Founder, Owner, and Head Brewer Clint Bautz discusses the brewing science behind Belgian witbier, including the role of yeast, protein haze, and the mysterious “secret spice” that gives great Belgian Whites their distinctive flavor. He also explains why it took Lake Effect 10 years to open a taproom and why, after years of building, he’s finally happy with the brewery exactly as it is. Plus: how an early equipment limitation pushed Lake Effect into brewing sour beers and the differences between Belgian witbiers and German hefeweizens.

0:00 Inside Lake Effect Brewing, Recorded Live in the Taproom

2:34 How Brian Discovered This Brewery in a Chicago Alley

4:43 Lake Effect’s 10-Year Journey to Opening a Brewery Taproom

8:14 Why Clint Quit Homebrewing and Started a Brewery

9:51 Serving Customers During the Podcast and What Is a Strong English Bitter Pub Ale?

11:40 The First Beer Clint Ever Brewed at Lake Effect

12:45 Lake Effect Snow: What Makes a Belgian White Beer?

15:38 Belgian Witbier vs Hefeweizen: What’s the Difference?

16:50 Why Yeast Creates Banana and Spice Flavors in Beer

17:45 The Equipment Mistake That Forced Clint to Brew Sour Beer

19:32 What Is Brettanomyces? (The Funky Yeast in Sour Beer)

21:56 Beer break

22:55 Designing the New Lake Effect Taproom

27:00 How Customers Became Brewery Investors

29:10 Why Lake Effect Does So Many Beer Collaborations

33:35 Inside Lake Effect’s Good Better Best Pub Ale

40:35 What Happens When a Brewery Owner Stops Brewing

42:56 What’s Next for Lake Effect Brewing?

45:01 The Final Four Questions for Brewers

Learn more about Lake Effect Brewing, located in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, at https://www.lakeeffectbrewing.com/

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Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: craft beer, Belgian white ale, Belgian witbier brewing, Lake Effect Snow beer, Mosaic hops pale ale, single malt single hop pale ale, Falconer’s Flight hops IPA, sour beer brewing, wild fermentation beer, sour beer tanks, beer fermentation temperature control, beer yeast flavor profile, flaked oats in beer, pilsner malt brewing, hazy beer proteins, craft beer yeast flavors, IPA hop blend brewing, Great Lakes Series beer, Avondale Chicago brewery, Chicago beer scene, craft brewery taproom Chicago, brewery startup story, brewery expansion Chicago, homebrewing to commercial brewing, sour beer sanitation risks, dedicated sour tanks brewing, pub ale bitter beer style, Czech pilsner inspiration, craft beer ingredient balance, brewing equipment temperature control tanks, and the craft beer fermentation process.