Chimpin' Ain’t Easy: How Injuries and Smart Decisions Shaped Brother Chimp Brewing (Plus: Are All IPAs Bitter? And Is It Okay to Eat Rock Salt?)

Brother Chimp Brewing’s Steve Newman helps bust a myth about IPAs, shares the secrets of his brewery’s name, and more.

02:29 Beer Myth: Are all IPAs bitter? Katherine breaks down IPA misconceptions and explores the various types of IPAs that exist, including hazy, juicy, dank, sour, white, black, and mountain style IPAs. You’ll also learn about the different factors that can affect the bitterness of an IPA, such as the amount of hops used and the extraction process.

09:44 Brother Chimp Brewing Interview: Steve Newman, owner and founder of Brother Chimp Brewing in North Aurora, Illinois, shares his journey into the craft beer brewing industry. He recounts his transition from beer lover to brewer and talks about the challenges he faced opening a brewery during the COVID-19 pandemic. He reveals why he initially didn’t want to brew an IPA but decided to do so anyway, shares the fascinating story behind the name "Brother Chimp," and his experience operating a brewery during challenging times, and riffs on the importance of quality control and experimentation in beer production. He also previews Brother Chimp Brewing's upcoming release of a mushroom-infused helles lager.

40:39 This Week in Bad Customer Behavior: Katherine shares a tale of bad customer behavior featuring a child eating rock salt in her brewery — and the child wasn’t even the one behaving badly. Hilarity ensues when kitchen doors are blocked and parents couldn’t appear less concerned about it.

About Brother Chimp Brewing: Brother Chimp Brewing aims to be your first choice for local, hand-crafted, traditional, small-batch beers in North Aurora, Illinois. Learn more at https://brotherchimpbrewing.com/

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In this episode, you’ll learn about: Brother Chimp Brewing, craft beer, IPAs, bitter hops, the craft beer brewing process, beer lovers, brewer stories, brewery owner, beer flavors, chanterelles, mushroom-infused beers, supporting local breweries, bad customer behavior, Gladys Knight & the Pips, craft brewers, beer brewing, hops, beer extraction process, hazy IPAs, juicy IPAs, dank IPAs, sour IPAs, opening a brewery, beer quality control, beer releases, and brewing challenges.