US Craft Brewers Using These Methods?

[pietro]

I know the perceived answer is "no way in hell(es)".

HOWEVER, some of the hoppy beers coming out of Vermont are seriously game-changers. The hype is deserved. Kimmich (Alchemist) and Hill (Hill Farmstead) are doing something, or some things that are giving their product an edge on every other brewer lauded by craft beer fanboys. Yes, even Mitch Steele and Vinnie Cilurzo IMO. And, ominously, they are similarly secretive to brewers on this forum with some of their methods...

Needless to say, I am slightly obsessed with these beers. There's a talk that was given by Kimmich at a homebrewer conference, and some of the tidbits I pulled out of this are similar to some of the advice on here.

Some of the tidbits I pulled from this talk:

-basically UNDERsparging your mash to get at the MEAT of the mash (efficiency be damned...last runnings are 5-6*P)
-the critical nature of water chemistry and mash pH (though he says 5.4 mash pH is putting brewers at a disadvantage....maybe this just pertains to hoppy beers?)
-Hot side aeration DOES exist (contrary to homebrew dogma)
-some allusions to his obsession with minimizing O2-ingress at all points after knockout (including absence of rotary pumps...granted, this is largely for his sole product to preserve dissolved volatile hop compounds, but is sound brewing practice nonetheless).
-know your yeast
-chilling quickly
-pellet hops only
-CO2-hop extract for bittering

Here's the talk, the technical stuff starts around 35:00. Kimmich is a Noonan disciple, but I am starting to believe he is more of a purist than many think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdfySDN2mF0

[Kit_B]

Interesting...
I've never had his beer, but Kimmich seems like a smart guy.
He's being wise, fielding questions, instead of giving a talk/speech/presentation.
I like what he did, with that conference.
I also like that he is slaughtering a virgin, to help build his mash water.
Sacrifices are a key.

[Beersk]

I watched that video a while back when it was uploaded. It's actually not too boring as those types of talks can be. He does have a very German approach to brewing his beer in that he's very strict in his process and he brews basically one beer as many small-time German breweries do. I've had his beer once and while I thought it was good, I still like Pliny the Elder more.
Most notable for me was that he pushes EVERYTHING with co2. I think that's cool and makes a lot of sense.

[Beersk]

[Bryan R]

Heh, sure.

[Owenbräu]

He didn't say CO2, he said with gas.

[Bryan R]

I have a little bit more time now. Without knowing the exact number I would say less than 1% of craft brewers know their shit. Know how to make beer, sure no question. Know how to do it properly, nope. The macros however, absolutely. They know wtf they are doing. To be a Brewer at AB I am pretty sure you have to graduate from TUM. Pour a macro to get a nice head on it and dissipate some of the carbonation. And it's there, in the background. Michelob, bud, rolling rock, yuengling all of them.

Save for stone, all 3 of those listed breweries may have a clue what's going on. Not a full clue but they are "close". The funny thing about all the it naysayers is that what we have found in our trials half can't flat out taste shit. Of the other half some actually prefer the normal beer over a beer with it. So you are left with what 1/4 of the population that can taste it. The people who can't taste it will circle jerk around saying it's fake, and the people who do will either care or not.

To all saying that we can't create it it, or we are fibbing are fools. However, is it not created. Once one knows the proper methods and executions it's as easy as Apple pie. Hell, even ingredients matter little.

[Beersk]

[Bryan R]

Yup, I can get it with that and the pale ale.

[Kit_B]