205: Jeremy Grinkey of The Bruery Puts His Faith in the Blend

Jeremy Grinkey worked in wine for the better part of a decade before joining The Bruery in Orange County, California. That winemaking background still informs the way the director of brewing operations and the Bruery itself make beer. From their club-focused sales approach—with special access for their best customers—to the focus on blending and the use of wine grapes as an ingredient, the influence is palpable. In this episode, Grinkey discusses: Their process of developing new beers and growing them as they move through the various “tiers,” from special events through smaller and then larger clubs Putting faith in barrels and the aging process Developing a sensory-based understanding of how barrel-aged beer will evolve with time The freedom to let things go and to make beers what they can and should be The difficulty in forecasting brewing for barrel-aged stock years before a beer’s release Leaving space and place for sweetness in beer design The technical process behind wine-beer hybrids Using fermentation aids as well as heat to your advantage Bottle-conditioning to amplify funk The changing tastes for high-gravity beers And more. * This episode is brought to you by: * G&D Chillers ( https://gdchillers.com ) : Like your flagship beer you can rely on G&D Chillers for the same quality and consistency. G&D guarantees that every chiller they build will hit 28 degrees without breaking a sweat. They never stop. They draft, they craft, they service each and every brewery – big or small. All in an effort to build one hell of a chiller. For nearly 30 years, G&D's been committed to cold. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com . BSG ( https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/ ) Even the best yeast deserves a helping hand with seltzer fermentation, which is why Pathfinder N-Pure Seltzer Nutrient ensures reliable and complete fermentation of a seltzer base, while providing a clean, neutral fermentation profile. Not to mention it provides all the essential nutrients required by yeast for production of hard seltzer bases fermented from those sweet refined sugars. Give your seltzer yeast a boost by visiting bsgcraftbrewing.com and searching for Pathfinder N-Pure Seltzer Nutrient, or call BSG at 1.800.374.2739. Old Orchard ( https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer ) : The most common complaint about hard seltzers? They need more flavor. Extract alone is a weak flavoring agent and can leave a chemical aftertaste. But there's a better way. The craft concentrate blends from Old Orchard are packed with REAL FRUIT FIRST, no added sugars, and just enough natural flavor. Breweries are turning to Old Orchard concentrates for seltzer with more body, color, and aroma. Turn seltzer skeptics into supporters with seltzer that drinks like a beer. Get started at www.oldorchard.com/brewer . ProBrew ( https://www.probrew.com ) : Still emptying those overflowing wastebins of crushed, low-fills or under carbonated cans every canning day? It’s time to Fill Like a Pro. ProFill Can fillers from ProBrew use rotary, true-counter-pressure gravity filling and seaming technology to run at speeds of 100 to 300 cans per minute with minimal DO pickup. Stop wasting perfectly good beer. Email ProBrew at contact@probrew.com today! Clarion Lubricants ( https://www.clarionlubricants.com/Welcome.do ) : When it comes to brewing, nobody has your back like Clarion. Because their food-grade lubricants are formulated to help make your brewing system 100% food safe. That means, when you switch to Clarion, you can put the costly potential of contamination and recall out of your mind. All you need to worry about is brewing great beer. And since you already do that, well, it’s more like focusing on business as usual. Go to clarionlubricants.com to learn more. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast