Brews and Bevs - Professional Industry Knowledge Guides

Brews and Bevs - Episode #16 - The Water Chemistry of Beer

One of the most ignored, or rather overlooked, ingredients in beer is water. We often take for granted how much of an impact water has had on brewing history, as well as current quality considerations and plant management decisions. Our world is roughly 71% water, and beer is more than that, around 90 to 95 percent water. The chemistry, components, and processing methods of this key ingredient matter, a lot. And in this episode, we dive in to this complex and fascinating subject.

Brews and Bevs - Episode #15 - The State of the Industry - The current state of craft and its challenges, a new perspective

The current American craft has itself been a part of a persistent cycle, the rise and fall of craft beer. This is just another phase in the overall craft beer story. BUT, there are things that brewers have chosen to pursue that may be the actual root cause of their cycles. This podcast uses the sources to really look at what may be the cause of the shrinkage and what could be done to pull out of it. It focuses on the realities, and proposes a path forward. While this is not the narrative that we as brewers here, this might be the narrative we need to find a path forward and to come out of this cycle stronger than ever.

Brews and Bevs - Episode #14 - Yeast Health and Performance in the Brewery

In this episode of Brews and Bevs podcast, our hosts dive into discussing the workhorse of the brewery. Yeast is more than just an ingredient, it might be the most valuable employee. The right environment, the proper food, and the ideal hygiene of yeast all contribute extensively to how well this single celled employee performs its work. This subject is extensive and what we discuss and cover here is just a general overview. There is so much more to share on this topic. Look for more as we work through presenting the broad knowledge catalog that is being developed at Solon Consulting.

Brews and Bevs - Episode #13 - Grain, Malt, Adjunct - The foundation of beer

Today on this Brews and Bevs episode, our hosts discuss malt and adjuncts, the agricultural products that make the foundation of beer possible and are by definition what make beer, well, beer. Our hosts cover the history, the reasons adjunct became formal or rather present a lot more more frequently, and the key components for brewers to look for when using malt and adjuncts. While this episode covers only a portion of the information that can be shared about malt, it covers key aspects that need to be top of mind for all brewery owners and operators.

Brews and Bevs #12 - Brewery Safety - The non-negotiable aspect of brewery plant management

In this episode of Brews and Bevs, our hosts dive into one of the most underrated topics in brewery plant management, safety. Safety is a non-negotiable, and it is honestly one of the must crucial aspects of brewery operations. A safe environment keeps our employees working, mitigates risks physically and financially, and ensures consistent and quality beer. Plant safety is something that everyone needs to be aware of, no matter your position in the brewery and your role. The safer the workplace, the greater the beer.