374: Joe Wells of Fair State Brews Lagers, Ales, and More With Texture and Occasion in Mind

374: Joe Wells of Fair State Brews Lagers, Ales, and More With Texture and Occasion in Mind

Fair State Brewing Collective head brewer Joe Wells has a deep love of tradition but no fear of the future, and the brewer’s multiple focuses on everything from pale lager and modern IPA to sparking hemp-derived THC beverages is evidence of such. The point is matching flavor and experience to occasion, and Wells thinks about the entirety of that engagement when designing beers and beverages.

In this episode, recorded on the eve of the World Brewing Congress in Minneapolis, Wells talks about:

  • brewing classic lager with American grains and ingredients
  • embracing the cereal mash with corn grits and rice flour for lighter beers that don’t sacrifice character
  • lager brewing with American Noble hops
  • using Columbus cryo in lager and IPA
  • dialing in Tetra for foam retention in adjunct lagers
  • using the cheapest ingredients as expensively as possible
  • triple decoction and its place in the certain beers
  • debunking conical versus horizontal lager fermentation
  • dank and sticky West coast IPA
  • layering aromas like perfumers
  • designing and making interesting hemp-derived THC beverages

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller!
ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) “ProBrew is excited to now offer 2-4 week lead times on all in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Filler and Seamers. This special lead time is only while supplies last, so send us an email at contactus@probrew.com or call us at 262-278-4945. ProBrew, Brew YOUR Beer.”
Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to our lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer
Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast’s DayBreak-V. We've genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Learn more at info@omegayeast.com.
RSS Maclin (https://rssmaclin.com) offers audits and repairs for can seamers and can integrity training. We provide solutions for can damage, seam training, and help your facility become self-sufficient without relying on OEMs. Questions about your can line? Call us at (330) 299-8210 or email at service@rssmaclin.com
Indie Hops (https://indiehops.com) breeds new hop varieties to help brewers captivate beer lovers. Brewers worldwide trust Indie’s unique varieties — Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, Meridian and Audacia — to modernize, brighten and diversify their beer lineup. Visit indiehops.com/podcast to discover what’s new in hop flavors.
Berkeley Yeast (https://berkeleyyeast.com). Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest southern hemisphere hops. Mention this podcast for 20% off your first order.
Brewery & Distillery Workshop (https://breweryworkshop.com): If you’re a brewery or distillery in planning, or interested in adding a brewery or distillery to your existing craft beverage business, visit breweryworkshop.com now and secure your spot in our upcoming Brewery and Distillery Workshop, this September.

Episoder(472)

456: Jaron Anderson of Helper Beer Applies Modern Techniques to Classic Styles with Winning Results

456: Jaron Anderson of Helper Beer Applies Modern Techniques to Classic Styles with Winning Results

For Jaron Anderson of Helper Beer, listening to the beer itself, rather than following prescribed rules, is the only way to improve it. He’s well-versed in the theory, but not a slavish adherent to do...

23 Jan 1h 15min

455: Doug Veliky of Beer Crunchers Offers His Predictions for Craft in 2026

455: Doug Veliky of Beer Crunchers Offers His Predictions for Craft in 2026

Doug Veliky, now of beverage consulting firm BrightBev, author of the BeerCrunchers newsletter and blog, and the personality behind the Beer Aficionado social media account, has a knack for explaining...

16 Jan 1h 21min

454: Ronald Mengerink of Dochter van de Korenaar is Still Hoping to Make the Perfect Beer

454: Ronald Mengerink of Dochter van de Korenaar is Still Hoping to Make the Perfect Beer

De Dochter van de Korenaar is unusual even for Belgium—a country full of brewers who don’t particularly enjoy being hemmed in by style definitions. Founder Ronald Mengerink has a passion for aging bee...

9 Jan 1h 7min

453: Gert Christiaens of Oud Beersel Is Preserving Oude Gueuze Heritage by Building New Flavor Bridges

453: Gert Christiaens of Oud Beersel Is Preserving Oude Gueuze Heritage by Building New Flavor Bridges

Gert Christiaens loved the beers of Oud Beersel so much that he couldn’t abide the brewery closing in 2003. So, he bought the brewery, learned to brew, and for the past 20 years has focused on preserv...

2 Jan 1h 39min

452: Counting Down Your Favorite Episodes of 2025

452: Counting Down Your Favorite Episodes of 2025

In this special year-end episode, we look at the ten most-downloaded episodes of the podcast, share stories behind the conversations, recount personal favorites, and more, with clips from the top ten ...

27 Des 20251h 4min

451: Dimitri Staelens of Adept Throws out the Rule Book in Brewing Distinctive Belgian Ales

451: Dimitri Staelens of Adept Throws out the Rule Book in Brewing Distinctive Belgian Ales

Dimitri Staelens spent 15 years directing quality across a range of breweries owned by Duvel Moortgat in Europe and North America. Along the way, he built a deep understanding of ingredients and proce...

19 Des 20251h 33min

450: Stephen Boardman of 450 North Builds Intense Flavor and Nostalgic Connection With Fruit

450: Stephen Boardman of 450 North Builds Intense Flavor and Nostalgic Connection With Fruit

From the corner of the family farm in rural Columbus, Indiana, surrounded by corn fields, 450 North has built a worldwide reputation for intensely flavored fruit beers and supersaturated smoothie sour...

12 Des 20251h 14min

449: Christopher Lackner of the Hemp Beverage Alliance Is Fighting for the Loophole that Became an Industry

449: Christopher Lackner of the Hemp Beverage Alliance Is Fighting for the Loophole that Became an Industry

When President Trump signed the bill to reopen the government on November 12, he also enacted a law that will—unless changed within a year—effectively ban hemp-derived THC beverages and other products...

5 Des 20251h 1min

Populært innen Fakta

fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
mikkels-paskenotter
foreldreradet
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
treningspodden
jakt-og-fiskepodden
rss-bisarr-historie
rss-kull
rss-sunn-okonomi
takk-og-lov-med-anine-kierulf
sinnsyn
fryktlos
rss-kunsten-a-leve
gravid-uke-for-uke
hagespiren-podcast
hverdagspsyken
level-up-med-anniken-binz
rss-var-forste-kaffe