391: Kevin Ely of Wooly Pig Finds Small Tweaks That Make Big Impacts in Robust, Farm-Brewed Lagers

Kevin Ely spent many years running the brewhouse at Uinta’s production brewery in Salt Lake City, but family brought him to a farm in rural eastern Ohio. Built next to the farm where his wife grew up, Wooly Pig Farm Brewery is the result of applying big-brewery-systems thinking to the smallest, most self-sufficient farm scale. From embracing the imperfect but interesting well water on the farm to side-streaming brewhouse waste via their drove of Mangalica pigs, he’s using every tool available to reduce waste and costs while making the highest-quality beer.

In this episode, Ely discusses:

• making farmhouse lagers on a small scale without sacrificing quality
• gently handling everything—from milling grains to fermenting beer via carefully boiled wort—for a more delicate beer
• using slightly higher-kilned pilsner malt for better flavor and fullness
• building character into dunkel with rye malt
• evaluating water sources and managing their unusual well water
• creating engaging beer experiences at the farm
• using livestock to process organic waste from the brewery

And more.

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