Release & Recipe: Pulpasaur

Homebrew Summer launched in the sunny season of 2021. One of the pro-am beers from that inaugural program came from a pair of brewers with the same name, homebrewer Ben Cusey (pictured above, at left) and professional brewer Ben “Shaggy” Blaney. The latter heads production for San Marcos brewpub, My Yard Live Beer Co., and was excited to get to brew one of his dear friend’s recipes on a commercial scale. It was so enjoyable that the Bens are back, this time with a hazy IPA called Pulpasaur that took top honors at a regional homebrew competition. Not only will this beer be tapped at My Yard Live Wednesday, August 16, but it’ll also be available to-go in cans, quite the honor for any amateur brewer. And on top of that, Cusey has shared the recipe with us so that we can share it with you!

New pro-am beers will debut on a weekly basis 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!

Ben Cusey

Homebrewer

How long have you been homebrewing and why did you go with this recipe for your first canned collaboration?

I fell in love with homebrewing around 10 years ago, which officially makes it my longest relationship. I first cam up with this recipe about a year ago for the SoCal Wild Card Homebrew Competition, where it won gold in the Hazy category. After reviewing the tasting notes, I made some slight alterations to the bittering, so I am pretty excited to check out the final product.

What was memorable about the brew day?

It was wild to see the quantity of ingredients needed at an upscaled level. One small bag of grain turns into a pallet of bags. Small pouches of hops become a full bucket. The smallest decisions on a homebrew-sized batch become massive purchases on a professional system. Once we got past the question of whether or not the system could handle the insane amount of ingredients we were throwing at it, the day was all smooth-sailing.

What are you most excited about with this collaboration?

Shaggy and the My Yard Live team went way above and beyond on this one. As part of this collaboration, custom label art was created by Micah Edwin and we will be canning a portion of this beer. Seeing a recipe I am passionate about turned into art and canned is not something I ever thought I would see happen, and I am truly grateful for this awesome life experience.

Ben “Shaggy” Blaney

Head Brewer, My Yard Live Beer Co.

What led you to choose this particular recipe for Homebrew Summer?

I selfishly selected this recipe because Ben and I have been friends for quite a few years, and we needed an excuse to hang out. I’ve been over to Ben’s house multiple times to homebrew on his system. (Because what else am I gonna do on my day off?) His attention to detail and passion for brewing is inspiring to be around, not to mention him and his family are all-around amazing.

Why do you think homebrewing is so worthwhile and how does the local homebrew community factor into San Diego’s reputation as a beer Mecca?

I was originally a homebrewer that had a shitty job that paid the bills, but I hated it and dreamed of working in a brewery. I was fortunate enough to get my foot in the door at arguably one of the best breweries in the country, The Lost Abbey, and the rest is history. I feel like homebrewing has a huge part to play in not only the professional side but the passion side of our “beer community”. Whether its a DME (dried malt extract) boil on the stove and cooling it down in a bathtub full of ice or an all-grain single-tier system with dual pumps, there is an undying appreciation for good beer and a drive to not only make it but make it better, and that’s what I love about the beer community.