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February 13, 2025 56 mins

Chicago's most award-winning brewpub reveals the secrets of its medal-winning Lagers and a bold malt liquor revival.

Keil Weimer, head brewer at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, discusses brewing award-winning lagers and reviving forgotten styles. He tells the story of winning a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival in October for his Door Code Pilsner, sharing insights on what it takes to brew crisp German Pilsners, why patience is key in lagering, and the art of natural carbonation. He also talks about tank space management in a seven barrel brewpub, the impact of long fermentation times on flavor, and how brewing history shapes today’s beer trends. Keil also shares the unique story behind Piece Brewery’s legacy, how spunding works, the idea behind “bringing malt liquor back,” and what happens when you put mashed potatoes and clams on pizza. Plus: the secret art of enjoying smoked beers and what’s up with Altbier.

About Piece Brewery and Pizzeria:Piece Brewery is a Wicker Park brewpub serving award-winning New Haven style thin-crust pizza and craft beer. Learn more on their website athttps://www.piecechicago.com/ 

You can learn more about Crafty Brewers and get in touch with us on our official website,https://craftybrewerspod.com 

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC. Is your brewery or business looking to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting? Then visithttps://quantum-podcasts.com/ to learn more.

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcasterCody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Chicago craft beer, German Pilsner, Door Code Pilsner, award-winning lagers, spunding carbonation, natural carbonation, malt liquor brewing, brewing lagers, tank conditioning, fermentation time, beer fermentation, Pilsner hops, Saphir hops, Saaz hops, decoction mashing, crisp lager, New Haven pizza Chicago, Chicago beer scene, craft beer awards, beer clarity, Kolsch, smoked porter, brewing techniques, craft beer trends, beer and pizza pairing, Chicago beer history, Jonathan Cutler, hoppy lagers, brewing science, brewery operations, Pilsner brewing process, high-gravity brewing, and beer yeast management.

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