The Escarpment Labs Podcast

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of The Escarpment Labs Podcast —and to kick off Season 5 —we want to thank our amazing community of over 5,000 listeners who have racked up more than 4,200 consumption hours with us over the last 44 episodes. We couldn't do this without your endless curiosity. For this milestone episode, Mark and Richard tackle a massive topic that is often completely misu...

"Crash cold, crash fast." It’s the standard operating procedure in thousands of cellars—but according to physics and biology, it might be completely wrong. In this episode, Richard is joined by Escarpment co-founder Nate Ferguson to demystify beer clarification, settling, and the highly debated mechanics of cold conditioning. Based on our high-performing May blog post , we look under the...

The draft is over, the rosters are locked, and now it’s time to actually build the business. In Part 2 of our Ultimate Yeast Fantasy Draft, Mark and Richard take their 5-strain yeast lineups from last week and put them to work. The challenge is strict: design a competitive, 10-to-12-beer mainstay taproom menu where every single strain must be featured at least twice. Things get wildly creative as...

If you could start a brand new brewery tomorrow with a blank slate, which yeast strains would you stake your business on? Over 90% of breweries in North America operate as small, nimble taproom models. In this environment, your yeast isn't just a fermentation agent—it's your most flexible employee. It needs to turn tanks fast, adapt to multiple styles, and deliver standout flavour profiles...

We spend all our time choosing the perfect hops and dialing in our water profile—but are we treating our yeast like an afterthought? A few weeks ago, we did a massive, deep-dive Q&A on yeast nutrition. But after our joint presentation with Dr. Glen Fox at the Craft Brewers Conference, a lot of brewers reached out asking for a quick, "high-level" breakdown of the fundamentals. On this...

Kettle souring doesn't have to be a gamble. If you’ve ever been haunted by a "mousy" off-flavour or a stuck fermentation, this episode is your roadmap to safety. In this complete guide, Mark and Richard break down the fast, controlled method of quick souring using pure Lactobacillus cultures. We demystify the entire process, walking through the three essential pillars—wort production...

We went to the Craft Brewers Conference in Philly, gave a talk with Dr. Glen Fox, and realized one thing: Brewers have a lot of questions about yeast nutrition. In this episode, Mark and Richard recap their recent CBC session on Yeast Nutrition, Zinc, and FAN. Because the live Q&A was so packed with "deep-cut" technical inquiries, we decided to bring those questions back to the lab f...

Ever wonder what happens when Vinnie from Russian River sends you a care package of hops? You brew a side-by-side trial, obviously. In this episode, Richard and Mark are joined by Escarpment’s own Production Manager and brewing veteran, Pat Wynn-Williams , for a deep dive into the glass. We’re tasting through an R&D American Pale Ale split between two heavy-hitters that we developed in the dry...

For over a century, brewing has relied on a narrow band of industrial yeast monocultures. But outside the lab, a different story has been quietly unfolding. In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , we explore the “living reservoir” of yeast diversity preserved by farmhouse brewers across Northern and Eastern Europe—and why it matters more than ever. We cover: What defines the newly identif...

Specially recorded for the Craft Brewers Conference (April 20-22nd, 2026) , this special episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast features a conversation with Richard Preiss and John Leingang , Head Brewer of Nine Mile Brewing Co. in Bloomington, MN. With over a decade in the Minnesota craft beer scene—spanning everything from pouring pints to leading production—John brings a practical, taproom-firs...

How do you stay creative without losing control of your process? In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , we sit down with Steve Finnie and Niko Tonks from Little Thistle Brewing and Double Elbow Beer to explore how a taproom-focused brewery balances innovation with operational reality. From experimental releases to consistent core beers, this conversation dives into how decisions actually...

This episode drops on April Fools Day—but the lessons are no joke. In this solo episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , Richard reflects on a recent trip to England, including presenting at BeerX in Liverpool , visiting modern brewer Azvex , and touring the historic Fuller’s Brewery . From traditional cask ale to modern hazy beers, English brewing offers a pragmatic, process-first approach that s...

Dry yeast has come a long way—but not all strains (or packs) are created equal. In this solo episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , Richard answers some of the most common questions brewers have about dry yeast—what it does well, where it falls short, and how it compares to liquid cultures in modern brewing. We cover: How big the dry yeast industry really is—and why it dominates globally The rel...

You’ve started repitching. You understand cell health. Now it’s time to eliminate the last 5%: troubleshooting and buy in from ownership and finance. In the final episode of our Repitching Series, we move into advanced troubleshooting, optimization, and financial modelling — because repitching isn’t just a technical decision. It’s an operational one. We cover: How to identify and eliminate the fin...

What does it take to brew award-winning hazy IPAs with half the dry hops most breweries use? In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , we sit down with the Head Brewer of Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery —and former Homebrew Lead at Escarpment Labs—to talk about the process behind their standout hazy beers. We cover everything from the unique role water plays in their brewing approac...

What does yeast have in common with Olympic athletes? They don’t just show up and perform. They train. In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , we sit down with former Escarpment Labs R&D Lead and current Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Carleton University, Dr. Eugene Fletcher , to break down the science of Lab Evolution — and how it’s shaping the future of brewing. Eugene...

You’ve started repitching. Now let’s make it consistent. In Part 2 of our Repitching Series , we move beyond the basics and introduce the core science behind repeatable, high-quality repitching: The Healthy Fermentation Formula . Because pitch rate alone isn’t enough. In this episode, we break down why traditional “cells per mL per degree Plato” thinking is incomplete — and why Cell Health and Wor...

Hop creep has gone from an academic curiosity to a real, costly problem for brewers — but what’s actually happening inside the tank? In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , we sit down with Jessica Young , PhD candidate at UC Davis (Food Science, Brewing) and former Cellar, Quality, and Sensory Manager at Bearded Iris Brewing, to break down hop creep straight from the science . In recogni...

As brewers look to cut costs and improve consistency, yeast repitching is one of the highest-ROI process upgrades you can make. In this beginner-focused episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , Mark and Richard break down why repitching works — and more importantly, how to start repitching without a lab, microscope, or complicated equipment . We cover the non-negotiable fundamentals: How to choose...

What should a brewer do when seltzers keep going sideways—or when they just want a reliable, no-drama house ale? In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , Mark and Richard cut through the noise to talk about the products and technical resources from Escarpment Labs that actually solve real process problems . We break down how new releases like LalBrew ® House Ale , Pink Boots Yeast , Seltze...

What should every brewer’s Brew Year’s Resolution be for 2026? In this episode of The Escarpment Labs Podcast , Mark and Richard talk about what really moves the needle in fermentation: process refinement over novelty . We break down the five most impactful resolutions brewers can make this year—from mastering yeast nutrition and controlling pH, to dialling in pitch rate, oxygen, and strain-specif...

What if the future of beer looks less experimental — but also more thoughtful, more intentional, and more serious — than it has in years? In this special forecasting episode, Mark and Richard channel “Yeastrodomus” to predict the biggest brewing and culture shifts coming in 2026. From beer trends to consumer behaviour to brewing philosophy, we explore why the next wave of craft isn’t about novelty...

If we graded the fermentation decisions made across hundreds of breweries this year… what would land on the nice list , and what would definitely land on the naughty list ? In this special year-end episode, Mark and Richard look back at 2025 through the lens of customer troubleshooting data, industry trends, lab insights, and Escarpment’s own milestones — from our 10th anniversary and new product...

Why do some lagers smell like rotten eggs, cooked corn, or burnt matches — and how do you actually fix it? In this episode, Mark and Richard walk through one of the most misunderstood (and most feared) parts of lager brewing: sulfur compounds. Using key insights from Nate’s recent video A dvanced Lager Techniques: Navigating Sulfur in Lager , we explore: The difference between “good sulfur” and su...

Why does a beer that should be brilliantly clear suddenly pour cloudy — even when you swear nothing changed in the process? In this episode, Mark and Richard dig into one of the most common (and frustrating) brewery questions: unexpected haze. Using key insights from our Knowledge Base article Troubleshooting Haze: Unexpected Hazy Beer , we break down the different types of haze, how to diagnose t...