Two Barrels, Three Years, and a Chef's Touch: The Art of Blending a Great Stout (Brothership Brewing)

Explore double-barrel bourbon-and-rye stouts and the science behind a perfectly balanced hazy IPA.

Brothership Brewing Co-Owner Tom Soltis and Head Brewer David Basile break down why their signature stouts go through two barrels instead of one, the vanillin compound that ties barrel-aged beer together, and what turbidity has to do with a well-balanced hazy IPA. Plus: New Zealand Peacherine hops, a hot take on THC seltzers, and a blueberry beer brew day gone hilariously wrong.

0:00 Intro

1:00 Meet Brothership Brewing's Tom Soltis and David Basile

1:46 Is the Taproom UFO Real?

2:53 Celebrating Six Years in Mokena

4:40 Why They Picked Mokena, Illinois

5:37 Is Chicago Water Really the Best for Brewing?

6:45 How Brothership Got Its Name

8:29 From Chicago Kitchens to Head Brewer: David's Origin Story

9:47 The First Beer David Ever Brewed

10:25 Cooking vs. Brewing: The Biggest Difference

12:56 Who's the Boss, You or the Yeast?

13:53 David's First Brewing Job at Mad Hatchet

14:42 The Sour Beer David Won't Recreate

15:46 From Werk Force Brewing to Head Brewer at Brothership

17:47 How Tom Decided to Hire David

20:10 Tasting the Experimental 008 Hazy IPA

20:32 What Happened to the Orbit 6 Anniversary Beer

21:16 Bright Lights, a 4.5% Light Lager

23:02 Why Lagers Are Harder to Brew Than Hazies

24:56 Brewer's Break

25:47 Brothership's Full Beer Lineup (Sours, Lagers, Oktoberfest)

26:48 Inside Brothership's Award Case

28:05 Tasting Anti-Matter Hazy IPA with Peacherine Hops

28:58 What Makes a Truly Balanced Beer

30:50 What Is Turbidity in a Hazy IPA?

31:56 Anti-Matter vs. Experimental 008: What's the Difference?

32:58 Wait, Is Alcohol Actually Sweet?

34:19 Introducing the Double Barrel Space Debris Stout Series

36:50 What Sets Brothership's Barrel Program Apart

38:02 Why These Stouts Take Nearly Three Years

39:44 David's Approach to Blending Barrels Like a Chef

41:47 How the Barrel “Speaks” to a Brewer

42:52 The Rum Barrel Secret: Pina Colada Seltzer

44:11 DBVR: A Stout Made With Vanilla From Three Countries

47:25 The Science Behind Vanilla in Barrel-Aged Beer

47:29 Why the Messier Series Is On Hold

50:58 A Shoutout to the Launch Sequence Anniversary Stout

51:12 Key Lime Pie Sneak Peek

53:03 Short Pour: Tom's Most Overrated Beer Trend

55:23 Short Pour: David's Craziest Brew Day Mishap

56:42 Outro and How to Support Crafty Brewers

58:28 Final Toast

About Brothership Brewing: Brothership Brewing is a craft brewery and taproom in Mokena, Illinois, brewing IPAs, DIPAs, sours, stouts, pilsners, and barrel-aged beers under the motto “Believe in Beer.” Learn more on their website at https://www.brothershipbrewing.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: New England IPA, hazy IPA brewing science, bourbon barrel aging, rye barrel aging, barrel-aged imperial stout, vanillin flavor compound, beer turbidity, American light lager brewing, Peacherine hops, New Zealand hops, homebrew to professional brewer, craft beer competition medals, Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FOBAB), Mexican lager craft beer, kettle sour beer, Chicago craft beer scene, Mokena Illinois brewery, coconut stout, craft beer yeast pitching, small-batch experimental beer series.