396: Matt Manthe, Formerly of Odd Breed, Is Drawn to Doing the Hard Things

At its height, Pompano Beach’s Odd Breed in Pompano Beach was one of the best-regarded breweries in Florida, winning four GABF medals over a span of three years, and shipping mixed-culture beers to fans around the world. However, real-estate market forces ultimately worked against the niche brewery, and founder and brewer Matt Manthe closed up shop in the summer of 2024.

That’s no reason not to talk brewing, however, and Manthe learned plenty over his years shepherding his mixed cultures from homebrew to commercial scale, changing and adapting processes along the way. While he’s now brewing classic lager and ale styles in the mountains of Colorado—at Dillon Dam, about 70 miles west of Denver—mixed-culture beers still hold a strong place in his heart.

In this episode, he discusses:

• building a mixed culture through homebrewing
• shifting from mixed-culture to Saccharomyces fermentation to control acid production
• choosing primary strains, from London Ale III to 34/70, to optimize flavor, manage acidity, and more
• boosting hops with specific flavors and aromas for fermentation precursors
• challenges with fruit processing and refermentation
• the importance of not letting barrels sit unfilled
• blending very different base beers to achieve a finished product that’s greater than the sum of its parts

And more.

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