The Modern Brewer Podcast

The final episode is here🕵🏻‍♂️ One last answer. After five weeks of strange brewing problems, hidden culprits and technical head scratching, it is time to close the case. In this episode, I - Chris Lewington, are joined again by Murphy’s technical expert Fran Carr to reveal the answer to last week’s mystery. The plates were showing a serious aerobic bacteria problem. The yeast samples looked infe...

The Worst 4 Words In Brewing The final problem episode is here 🕵🏻‍♂️ One last issue. One last set of clues. One last culprit. Your job is to figure out Whodunnit? This week, we are ending the series with the worst 4 words in brewing. The plates are showing a serious aerobic bacteria problem. The yeast samples look infected. The team are checking tanks, changing seals, reviewing CIP logs and tasti...

Something’s not right?🕵🏻‍♂️ The clues are there. You just need to piece them together. Your job is to figure out Whodunnit? This week, it’s the word no brewer wants to hear. The D word. It starts small. Easy to brush off. Maybe just a one off. Until it isn’t. And now it’s out there. Not spotted in the brewery… but picked up where it matters most. The Customer. In this episode, Chris Lewington wal...

New issue. New clues. New culprit. Your job is to figure out Whodunnit? A household craft brewing name shares on the most challenging issues he faced whilst running Wild Beer. And for the first time in the mini series, this issue was first noticed outside the brewery. In this episode, Chris Lewington walks you through last week’s case, the answers and who got it RIGHT!!! Then we move into this wee...

Welcome back to BREW-DO 🕵🏻‍♂️ New Issue. New clues. New culprit. Your job is to figure out Whodunnit? This week, first the answers and then - the ultimate Head Brewer challenge. You’re there, having your first coffee of the morning and one of the brewers rushes over with a BIG problem. This problem is time sensitive and the whole team is looking at you waiting for an answer. Good luck! In this ep...

BREW-DO - The Whodunnit? Show. Welcome to the first episode of BREW DO, a brand new brewing mystery series from the Modern Brewer Podcast. Think brewing, meets Cluedo with a sprinkle of Inspector Clouseau 🕵🏻‍♂️ Each episode presents a real world brewing problem. Strange results. Confusing symptoms. A brew team scratching its head wondering what on earth is going on. Your job is to figure out the...

Oh the excitement!!  Last episode Tuur shared one of the most challenging brewing problems I've heard. In this episode, he reveals the root cause!  Also I announce an exciting new mini-series coming soon.  If you have follow-up questions, please email tuur@craftsense.net Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 02:06 Discussion on Gushing Issues 03:18 Non-Alcoholic Beer Talk 04:35 Episode 18 a...

Can you solve a real brewery issue? Tuur Mertens brought us a real life “gushing” problem faced in a historic brewery. We share the symptoms and context… But can you diagnose the root cause and the fix? Test your skills in this weeks episode. How to play: •⁠  ⁠Listen and take notes •⁠  ⁠⁠Email your answer (root cause + fix) to chris@brewresourceful.com and tuur@craftsense.net We will share the cor...

Is This The Future of CO2 in Breweries? Can algae capture your fermentation CO2 and turn it into useful biomass? Dr Alla Silkina and Emily Hutchinson walk us through a real pilot at Bluestone Brewery. Setup, quality, cost and how this could scale. This one for those looking to the future, a truly sustainable one. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:57 Sustainability in Brewing 02:4...

Are Non Alcoholic Beers Safe? With demand for no and low alcohol beer BOOMING, more and more breweries are brewing their own. But when you remove alcohol, you remove one of the strongest safety mechanisms in beer. And with the rise of unfiltered, unpasteurised NA beers hitting shelves, this episode asks a simple but essential question: How do you make NA beer safe? To help answer it, I’m joined by...

This year alone, I’ve seen multiple breweries unknowingly bleed cash through their refrigeration systems. Why? Because chillers are often misunderstood, undersized or poorly maintained. And they happen to be one of the biggest operational costs in any brewery. In this episode, I sit down with Jon Keyte from RefCool, one of the sharpest minds in refrigeration, to break down everything a brewer need...

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do you actually become a great brewer?” this episode is for you. We’re joined by the brilliant Georgina Young, Brewing Director at @St_Austell_Brewery and one of the most respected figures in British beer, to unpack the real story behind learning, mentorship and development in brewing. From running Fuller’s iconic Griffin Brewery to now leading brewing at St. Au...

What happens when a brewery grows really fast…but still wants to make world-class beer?  In this episode, I sit down with Mark Gammons, Head of Operations at Tiny Rebel, to talk about what it actually takes to scale production without sacrificing flavour, brand or quality. We dive deep into the balance between efficiency and volume, how Mark manages production, expansion and quality and why your b...

Ever wondered what it’s like to brew at one of the countries most historic and respected breweries? Or have you ever wondered what it would be like to manage a dual yeast strain? In this fun but insight-packed episode, I sit down with Fergus Fitzgerald & Dan Gooderham from Adnams to talk about their truly unique brewing approach, the quirks of square fermenters and the art of managing a dual y...

Innovation and NPD in Beer 🍻 New Product Development - Something DEYA are industry leading in without question! When brewers from outside the UK ask me ‘which UK brewery should I try’ I nearly always say DEYA.  Why? Because I know, whatever the style that person loves, DEYA will nail it. That, in my opinion, is world class NPD. In this episode, I sit down with Gareth Moore from DEYA to dive deep...

Is Craft Beer Doomed? ☠️ Is it f*%k.  I'm sure, like most, you are sick to death of the relentless doom and gloom surrounding the craft beer industry. "It's too saturated" "Brewery closures LEAP 49%" "Cost of living means people are spending less" In this episode I sit down with the iconic Luca Lorenzoni to discuss exactly why these tpyes of headlines are ab...

2024 was a year to remember in brewing! 🍺 From sustainability wins to industry shake-ups, join me, Chris as I share: 🖐️ My top 5 brewing highlights 👨‍🏫 Lessons learned across the year 🔮 Bold predictions for what 2025 might bring Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome to the Show! 02:12 - 2024 in Review: The Biggest Wins 07:45 - Chris’s Top 5 Moments of 2024 15:32 - Sustainability: Where Are We Winning? 2...

The Best of 2024: My top 5 This year has been crazy! 🎙️ From hitting 10k downloads to ranking in the top 10% of podcasts globally, the show couldn't have done it without YOU. Join me, Chris as I revisit my 5 favourite clips of the year—moments that made us think, laugh, and reassess what we all believe as brewers 🍻 A huge shout out to this episode’s sponsor, Brewing Trade . Tune in now and c...

In this episode, we dive into the art and evolution of Beavertown’s branding with none other than Nick Dwyer, the creative mind behind Beavertown’s iconic look. From the home brew kits in the early days to navigating life under Heineken, Nick shares a candid glimpse into the world of brewery design and its challenges. What you'll learn: 💀 How Beavertown’s unique branding came to life 🏗️ The...

In this episode of the Modern Brewer podcast, we focus on the growth of non-alcoholic beer, featuring an in-depth discussion with Jordan Childs, founder of Mash Gang. A leading non-alcoholic craft beer brewery. Jordan discusses the challenges and intricacies of brewing non-alcoholic beer, including recipe development, stabilisation and market perception. We touch on the importance of proper cleani...

Ep 33 - How to Get to Net Zero: George Wade - Zevero Every brewery wants to be more Sustainable — but what does it really take to get there? In this episode, George Wade, founder of Zevero, guides us through the realities of reaching Net Zero. From the basics of carbon neutrality to the practical steps every brewery can take, George breaks down complex sustainability challenges into actionable ins...

Wastewater: Craft Beer’s Dirty Secret 💧🤐 The topic that no brewer wants to talk about. Wastewater. But what if that “waste” could power your brewery? In this "Tomorrow's World" style episode, Dr. Thomas Fudge, Founder of WASE, reveals how wastewater can be converted into valuable biogas—turning pollution into power. With brewing as a significant contributor to water waste, Dr. Fud...

In this episode of The Modern Brewer Podcast, we sit down with Felix James, the mastermind behind Small Beer’s world-class water efficiency.  Discover how they’ve redefined brewery operations with radical concepts like the Dry Floor Policy - NO floor drains, NO hoses, just innovative water-saving techniques that brewers globally are taking note of. Felix breaks down their approach to minimizing wa...

In this episode of The Modern Brewer Podcast, I sit down with Chris White , the founder of White Labs and a true G.O.A.T in the brewing industry.  From pioneering yeast research to shaping the future of fermentation, Chris has been instrumental in the evolution of brewing science. Get an inside look at Chris's journey, the pivotal moments that defined his career, and his thoughts on the role...

Get exclusive early access to the 2024 hop harvest insights from both America 🇺🇸 and Germany 🇩🇪 in this episode of The Modern Brewer Podcast!  Myself, Chris Lewington is joined by Douglas Mackinnon, providing an independent resource for brewers looking to navigate the ever-evolving hop market. With practical advice on how to play the market this year, this episode is a must-listen for anyone serio...