169: Fair Isle’s Andrew Pogue and Nick Pauley Push the Farmhouse Paradigm with Mixed Cultures, Foraged Ingredients, and Creative Grains

For Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, Washington, the founding concept was simple—focus on a narrow niche of the beer world, and do it really, really well. It’s one thing to state an audacious goal, and it’s another to actually deliver on it, but the tightly executed saisons they’ve produced over the past year exude a confidence and class that belie their young age. In this episode of the podcast, cofounder Andrew Pogue and head brewer Nick Pauley walk through the brewery’s creation and their thoughtful approach to developing and corralling the house culture that the brewery uses to ferment every one of its beers. They discuss how to manage the cultural drift toward acid production, creating different environments that push the culture in different flavor directions, and the ways that initial fermentation flavors and aromas change and develop over the 90-day fermentation schedule. Grain plays a big role in the brewery’s experimentation, and they discuss using heirloom barley varieties such as Purple Egyptian, as well as newly developed perennial grain Salish Blue. They’ve also focused intently on brewing with native ingredients from the region—working with a licensed ethnobotanist who harvests foraged ingredients. They discuss their process of learning how to best use new-to-them ingredients—from foraged fireweed to wild elderberry, hawthorne, and yarrow, they’ve been learning as they go. They then discuss the re-pitching process for their culture, and how they re-use spent hops for certain beers. Creating a saison-focused brewery in hops-loving Seattle is clearly a labor of love—but the Fair Isle team wouldn't have it any other way. * This episode is brought to you by: * G&D Chillers ( https://gdchillers.com ) : As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, reliability and dedication to their customer’s craft. New this year, Redundancy meets Efficiency! G&D’s Micro-Channel Condensers are built with all aluminum construction which eliminates galvanic corrosion. Using half the refrigerant of conventional condensers with fewer brazed connections, translates to a lower GWP and less opportunity for leaks. Call G&D Chillers today to discuss your project or reach out directly at GDChillers.com . BSG ( https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/ ) Haze for days in your IPAs! Kerry BioHaze from BSG adds that perfect stable cloudy appearance for your hazy recipe. Made with all-natural materials, BioHaze is a free-flowing microgranular powder that binds with protein molecules in beer that form polyphenol-protein complexes to produce a cloudy haze. This unique product can be added to final beer to give your beer that famous haze. Find out more about BioHaze at bsgcraftbrewing.com , or contact them 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 . Brewery DB® ( https://www.marketmybrewery.com ) : For years, BreweryDB® has been the industry’s only professionally curated source of brewery and beer information – and responsible for mapping millions of visits to breweries all across the United States. In early 2021, BreweryDB® will reveal a whole new platform with all new marketing features for breweries to attract craft lovers to their unique brewery experience. To take full advantage of the enhanced marketing power of BreweryDB® – and to increase your tap room traffic, visit MarketMyBrewery.com, that’s MarketMyBrewery.com . It’s easy and it’s free! ABS Commercial ( https://www.abs-commercial.com ) : ABS Commercial is excited to be a part of today’s Podcast! ABS is a full brewery outfitter offering brewhouses, tanks, keg washers and small parts. As a part of ABS Commercials on going give back campaign, they will be giving away an ABS Keg Viking Keg Washer in June, so make sure to periodically check the ABS Commercial Facebook page to find out when the contest opens up and how you can enter to win a Keg Viking! Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast