Master Brewer Hagen Dost on Dovetail Brewery’s Traditional Brewing Techniques: Coolships, Open Fermentation, Decoction and More

Master Brewer Hagen Dost delves into Dovetail Brewery’s traditional brewing techniques, from open fermentation to coolships.

Hagen starts by sharing his journey of getting into brewing, with an emphasis on his German heritage growing up and the sensory class that helped him develop skills that he feels would benefit any brewer. He then explains how he became a Certified Master Brewer and discusses traditional European brewing methods, including decoction and the use of a coolship. Plus: the art of identifying fermentation flaws, the science behind crafting classic European beer styles, the significance of the German beer purity law, and the shelf life you can typically expect from beer you buy at your local craft brewery.

After the beer break, Haagen discusses their Wet-Hopped Hopfenlager, a lager brewed with freshly picked hops from Michigan, characterized by subtle hop flavors and a lack of bitterness. He also explains what a coolship does and why it’s so rare, why some brewers prefer to serve full pours over flights, and the history of the lauter grant faucets behind Dovetail’s bar. Plus: what piece of equipment is Dovetail actively using that used to belong to the oldest brewery in the world (and how did they acquire it)?

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About Dovetail Brewery: Located in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago, Dovetail Brewery specializes in continental European styles and traditional methods. Learn more on their website at https://www.dovetailbrewery.com/ 

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Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: craft beer, traditional European brewing, Chicago craft beer scene, Reinheitsgebot, coolship, double and triple decoction, sensory training, fermentation flaws, Reinheitsgebot, World Brewing Academy, Certified Master Brewer pin, Franconia breweries, Bavaria breweries, family-run breweries, Lagers, Hefeweizens, Wet Hopfenlager, Michigan hops, Czech-style Pilsner, Helles, Kolsch, Vienna, Maillard reactions, caramelization, direct fire kettle, trans-2-nonanol, open fermentation, Wet Hopfenlager, horizontal lagering, maltiness, ferulic acid rest, Lautergrant, Siebel Institute, Munich, Lambic, and beer sensory analysis.