318: Ex Novo’s Dave Chichura Reflects on the Dynamic Decades of a Brewing Career in Motion

Fonta Flora Brewery’s Todd Boera is known for creative yet grounded mixed culture botanical beers, and their new production brewery out on a farm 30 minutes from Morganton, North Carolina puts an even finer point on the connection between the brewery and the agriculture that supports it. In this conversation, he opens up about the way they think about and brew with offbeat ingredients, how they apply an ingredient focus to more conventional beers like IPAs, the challenge of opening a production brewery in a dry county (that is no longer dry), how the pace of change in the brewing world has forced them to throw out business plans and quickly adapt, and more. Y’all listen in. This episode is brought to you by: BSG (http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739. G&D Chillers (http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America (https://www.craftbrewersconference.com): This episode is brought to you by the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, America's largest craft brewing industry gathering. Join your peers in Denver, April 8th through 11th. Details at CraftBrewersConference.com Ska Fabricating (https://www.skafabricating.com): Ska Fabricating is the craft industry’s leading choice for packaging line automation. Specializing in depalletizing, repalletizing, conveyance, rinsing, drying, fill detection and date coding, Ska Fab has over 600 installations in breweries, wineries, and distilleries worldwide. With a reliable team of engineers dedicated to fast, reliable customer service, you can count on us to provide systems custom tailored for your specific needs. Contact Ska Fab today at (970) 403-8562 or reach out online at skafabricating.com.

1 Feb 201957min

Mike Pallen paid his dues as a homebrewer and after helping some other breweries get off the ground all while working on his own recipes, he's busted out onto the national beer scene. The owner and head brewer of Mikerphone talks about collaborations, finding ways to use unconventional ingredients to maximize flavor, and why a healthy work and life balance is more important than ever before. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com *American Homebrewers Association *(https://www.homebrewersassociation.org): This episode is brought to you by the American Homebrewers Association, host of Homebrew Con, publisher of Zymurgy magazine, and organizer of the National Homebrew Competition. BSG (http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739.

25 Jan 201950min

The Delaware craft stalwart’s “Brewing Ambassador” and former head brewer talks through everything from the process of innovation to brewhouse key performance indicators, building beers from the simplest Pilsner to giant high-gravity beers, evaluating ingredients, reducing diacetyl, his career foray into graphic design and back to brewing, overlooked considerations while brewing, and more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com Perfect Puree (http://perfectpuree.com/beer): Craft the perfect pour with superior fruit from The Perfect Purée. Picked at the peak of ripeness, the fruit is pureed and packed for optimal fresh flavor and color. But don’t just take our word for it, experience flavor first-hand by curating your own complimentary sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer. That’s perfect P-U-R-E-E dot com forward-slash beer. Samples are complimentary for brewing professionals only. BSG (http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739. Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America (https://www.craftbrewersconference.com): This episode is brought to you by the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, America's largest craft brewing industry gathering. Join your peers in Denver, April 8th through 11th. Details at CraftBrewersConference.com

18 Jan 201959min

Just because Bob Kunz has moved his Highland Park Brewery into a larger space doesn't mean he plans to max it out capacity wise. The Los Angeles brewer talks about his plan for modest growth, how he looks for international inspiration beyond just Germany and the Czech Republic when it comes to pilsner, and shares his advice for creating a wild yeast culture that will develop overtime ensuring your beers can only taste like your beers. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com Perfect Puree (http://perfectpuree.com/beer): Craft the perfect pour with superior fruit from The Perfect Purée. Picked at the peak of ripeness, the fruit is pureed and packed for optimal fresh flavor and color. But don’t just take our word for it, experience flavor first-hand by curating your own complimentary sample box at perfectpuree.com/beer. That’s perfect P-U-R-E-E dot com forward-slash beer. Samples are complimentary for brewing professionals only. BSG (http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739. American Homebrewers Association (https://www.homebrewersassociation.org): This episode is brought to you by the American Homebrewers Association, a community of homebrewers and an essential source of brewing tips, recipes, and homebrewing culture.

11 Jan 201945min

Dave Coyne of Fort George Brewery holds the title of “Barrel Baron,” and manages everything from R&D brewing to the barrel program of the powerhouse Pacific Northwest brewery. In this conversation, he talks about recipes and considerations for their annual collaborative 3-Way IPA, building barrel-aged beers and adjunction them, barleywines, the constantly evolving nature of their recipes, and more. This episode is brought to you by: * G&D Chillers (http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973. Reach out online at Gdchillers.com Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America (https://www.craftbrewersconference.com): This episode is brought to you by the Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America, America's largest craft brewing industry gathering. Join your peers in Denver, April 8th through 11th. Details at CraftBrewersConference.com BSG (http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739.

5 Jan 201953min

Alexandra Nowell, the brewmaster at Three Weavers in Los Angeles talks about what she learned as she worked her way up the brewing career ladder, especially an appreciation for ingredients. Part of the fun of being a brewer, she says, is the chance to experiment with not only new styles and recipes, but existing ones. From how to cultivate a relationship with farmers for the best ingredients, to getting your hands messy by processing them yourself, she shares tips for creating vibrant beers that can have mass appeal. This episode is brought to you by the Brewers Retreat (http://brewersretreat.com).

28 Dec 201845min

Falling Rock Taphouse cofounder Chris Black is known for his strong opinions and bombastic style—befitting for one of America’s most influential publicans. In this conversation, Black expounds upon his recent fiery blog post taking to task breweries who expand taprooms and retail locations in ways that blur the lines of the three-tier systems. Host Jamie Bogner plays devil’s advocate in a spirited debate about the increasing direct-to-consumer nature of the beer business and how deeper relationships between brewers and their customers impact the traditional roles that retailers have played in getting great beer to consumers. This episode is brought to you by the Brewers Retreat (http://www.brewersretreat.com).

21 Dec 20181h 11min

It’s been three weeks since an internet post where issues of wages, beer service, and recipes were leveled against Trillium Brewing Co. Co-owner and founder JC Tetreault sits down to discuss his reaction, response, and what the brewery is doing to preserve and evolve its culture. This podcast is brought to you by CraftBeer.com

14 Dec 201859min