Homebrew Summer: None Shall Pass

Often homebrewing is as much about hanging out as cooking up a beer. After all, the beermaking process is a lengthy one marked by downtime spent waiting for science to do its work. Those stretches are far more fun when friends and fellow homebrewers are around. Throw in some good beer to help pass the time and you’ve got yourself the best brew day possible. That’s what Jared Rowley, a Homebrew Summer veteran who has participated in our pro-am program in each of the past four years, was angling for when he got his beer buds together to brew a gold-medal New Zealand-style Pilsner at Burning Beard Brewing. That recipe was conceived by homebrewer Doug Brown, who worked with Rowley and “The Beard” owner (and former standout amateur fermentationist) Jeff Wiederkehr to recreate that Nelson-and-Motueka-laced lager on a larger scale. The beer will make its official debut at the El Cajon op’s tasting room tomorrow, August 2. Add it to your calendar, then work up a thirst for this award-winner by downloading the recipe below!

New pro-am beers will debut weekly throughout the summer, so be sure to check back with San Diego Beer News on a regular basis (or subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter and we’ll send all the recipes and release information straight to your inbox). Cheers and happy homebrewing!

Doug Brown
Homebrewer

How does it feel to have your recipe selected to be brewed on a pro scale?
Jared and I have enjoyed collaborating on a number of beers over the years, and it was a real thrill to be able to do it again with Jeff and [head brewer] Tyler Picton this time at Burning Beard. The recipe for this beer is straightforward, but the devil is in really trying to strike the right balance between showcasing the distinct New Zealand hop varieties, while still retaining the crisp drinkability of a Pilsner and not just turning the beer into an IPA-like lager. I’m a huge fan of The Beard’s pale lager beers and their hoppy brews, so as soon as Jared suggested the collaboration I knew this was the perfect opportunity for it. The Burning Beard crew took great care of us on brew day, which, as always, was a great education and a lot of fun. A big thank-you toes out to the entire Burning Beard crew, Jared, Matt Davis of Home Brew Mart and the Homebrew Summer program for making this possible. It was a blast and I hope the beer is a hit!

Jared Rowley
Homebrewer

How does it feel to participate in this pro-am collaboration brewing experience?
Doug and I have been fortunate enough to brew together on three previous pro-am brews in the past, two at Longship Brewery and once with Amplified Ale Works. When the call for recipes came for this year’s Homebrew Summer, I thought it would be the perfect time to get the band back together. Doug had an National Homebrew Competition gold-medal-winning New Zealand Pilsner that I thought would be a great fit for the tap list at Burning Beard. We all worked on tweaking the recipe to make it work on a larger scale and working out where to source ingredients. (Shoutout to Matt at Home Brew Mart for the help sourcing the Motueka hops!) It was a great day brewing at Burning Beard with Jeff and Tyler. Learning the tricks of the system at The Beard, hanging out, listening to music, sharing beer and brewing stories, and enjoying some tasters throughout the day made for an awesome experience. Cheers to the whole Burning Beard crew for the brew day and the hospitality!

Jeff Wiederkehr
Co-founder, Burning Beard Brewing

What led you to select this beer recipe?
Doug and Jared are great homebrewers that I met years ago through local homebrew club, QUAFF (Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity), before The Beard was even a stubble of an idea. Over the years, we’ve shared homebrews, worked on BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) testing and judged beer competitions together. We at The Beard love to have fun and try new things. We hadn’t made a New Zealand Pils before, and because the timing was right, we jumped at the opportunity to scale a recipe that Doug was crushing. Most of all, this collaboration came together because, with a box of doughnuts, Motorhead on the Jukebox, and a fresh bag of Nelson, great things can happen. 

 

Burning Beard Brewing is located at 785 Vernon Way in El Cajon