511: Brennan Perry of Tenma Explores the Multiverse of Single-Hop and Single-Malt Lagers

When he and wife Dana Martindale purchased the brewery that would become Tenma Beer Project a few years ago, Brennan Perry had to adjust—it was the smallest brewhouse he’d ever used. After stints at Stone, Beachwood, and others, he’d developed a disciplined approach to production brewing. But with this new chapter, he wanted to test, learn, and bring customers along for an ever-changing experience that still felt rooted. A few years in, he’s still adapting, with a new European malt supplier, decoctions for many of his lagers, and more.

In this episode, Perry discusses:

• brewing five different brands of single-hopped, German-style pils
• finding European malt with process-dependent flavor expression
• first-wort hopping lager and IPA for integrated bitterness
• the quirks of Saphir, Hersbrucker, Tettnanger, Mittlefrüh, and more
• adjusting boil timing based on alpha acids
• applying technical approaches from lager brewing to West Coast IPA
• blending malts for the perfect IPA base
• accounting for the lower perceived bitterness in advanced hop products
  

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers
G&D now offers the Elite 290 Micro-series with 5H chillers—bringing even more flexibility to our propane-powered lineup. In fact, we’re building one right now for Red Clover Ale in partnership with Efficiency Vermont. It runs on a natural refrigerant with near-zero global warming potential (GWP)—projected to deliver around 10 percent more efficiency than A2L refrigerant systems. That’s smart sustainability backed by proven engineering and trusted performance. With 24/7 support and remote monitoring, your cold side stays dialed in—day or night. Explore the Elite 290 Micro-series and more at gdchillers.com/podcast.

Berkeley Yeast

Here’s a brewer’s nightmare. It’s the night before packaging. You walk into the brewery, straight to the tank. You pull a sample to do a forced diacetyl test, and you wait for it in silence. Something feels not quite right. You reach into the water bath and bring the flask to your nose… And it’s a butter bomb. The logistics start running through your head. Do we hold the tank? We have accounts waiting. How many days until it clears? And then you wake up and remember that you use Berkeley Yeast’s FRESH™ Chico. It’s got ALDC inside every cell, so diacetyl can’t even form in the first place. Through primary. Through dry hopping and hop creep. Diacetyl stays ultra-low. So you don’t have to add ALDC or wait for diacetyl to clean up. And most importantly, you don’t have to wake up in a cold sweat, worrying about scary stories like these. FRESH™ Chico is now available in dried bricks for as low as $88 at berkeleyyeast.com.

PakTech

This episode is sponsored by PakTech—delivering craft-beer multipacking you can trust. Our handles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and are fully recyclable, helping breweries close the loop and advance the circular economy. With a minimalist design, durable functionality you can rely on, and custom color matching, our carriers help brands stand out while staying sustainable. Trusted by craft brewers nationwide, we offer a smarter, sustainable way to carry your beer. To learn more, visit paktech-opi.com.

Indie Hops

Oregon hop country is heaven to world-class lager varieties, and Indie Hops is proud to have introduced Oregon’s newest lager hop, Lórien, in 2022. Lórien is in a growing list of beers that have found their way to the podium and—more importantly—into the hearts of lager lovers across the country. Discover Indie Hops Lórien. (Side effects may include rampant festivity, sales bumps, and exceeded expectations.) Indie Hops—Life Is Short. Let’s Make It Flavorful.

Midea 50/50 Flex

This podcast is sponsored by the Midea 50/50 flex—the industry’s first dual-compartment three-way convertible freezer. The 50/50 Flex is designed to flex with your life. It can convert to all fridge, all freezer, or half and half with just the touch of a button. Plus, with its reversible doors and adjustable storage compartments, you can stay organized no matter your food-storage needs. The 50/50 Flex is also designed to maintain a stable temperature even in non-climate-controlled spaces. So it’s perfect for your garage, man cave, or wherever you need a little more space. Maybe use all 20 cubic feet as a beer fridge! Check out Midea.com/us/ for more information on how to take your beer storage to the next level.

ADM
Today’s episode is proudly sponsored by ADM. Great beverages start with great ideas. At ADM, science, innovation, and nature come together to help brewers craft exceptional drinking experiences. From premium hop solutions to advanced-ingredient technologies, we help elevate flavor, consistency, and product differentiation. Whether you’re pursuing your next flagship beer or developing an entirely new beverage concept, we bring the expertise and partnership needed to turn vision into reality. ADM is where nature meets precision. Discover more at adm.com/alcohol.

John I. Haas
Advanced liquid hop products from John I. Haas are giving brewers new ways to shape flavor and streamline production—without the vegetative matter that comes with traditional hop additions. In the whirlpool, Incognito delivers concentrated, variety-specific hop flavor and aroma. Prysma goes further—usable in the whirlpool or fermentor, with post-filtration dosing that can turn a single base beer into different finished products. And in the bright tank, Euphorics adds hop-oil-based flavor to finished beer and alternative beverages, with 14 unique flavor profiles. The portfolio also includes process tools such as Hop Haze and HopAid antifoam, for brewers solving specific technical challenges. Explore the full lineup of our advanced products at johnihaas.com.

Scott Laboratory
This episode is brought to you by Scott Laboratories. Whether you’re making beer, nonalcoholic beer, or other ready-to-drink beverages, Scott Laboratories offers products and technical expertise for preventing microbial spoilage and ensuring shelf-stability. We have a complete filtration portfolio that spans sheet, lenticular, cartridge, and crossflow filtration. In addition, we are the exclusive U.S. distributor of Velcorin®, a microbial control solution used during packaging and trusted by beverage producers for more than 40 years. We are also excited to introduce Nagardo®, a new microbial stabilizer naturally derived from mushroom glycolipids. It’s pH compatibility and persistent formulation make it ideal for stabilizing NA beer on draft, a category that has historically been difficult to protect from microbial concerns. To learn more about Scott Laboratories, please visit ScottLab.com.