293: Old Nation’s Travis Fritts Applies German Training and Precision to Hazy IPA

Travis Fritts didn’t set out to brew hazy IPA. In fact, the initial plan for Old Nation was far more conventional—brew traditional American craft beer styles like stout and pale ale, with some European standards like altbier and weizenbock, make the beers good, slap some cool branding on them, and wait for the sales to come. But it was 2015, and craft beer consumers had other ideas. To survive, Old Nation starting looking at new and evolving styles, while trying to understand (from a technical perspective) how they worked. The project ultimately led to the beer M-43, a hazy IPA that is now a mainstay of Old Nation’s production and which now sees distribution to upwards of twenty states. In this episode, Fritts recounts that process of reverse engineering as they set out to understand what makes hazy IPA tick, and later touches on his approach to brewing helles. Along the way, he discusses: why biotransformation isn’t all that important to the style how the lipids in oats provide an important building block for haze stability the contribution of London Ale III yeast to mouthfeel dialing in the perfect water chemistry nailing a pH of 4.4 for longer stability and to underscore fruit flavors in hops building just the right “snap” from bitterness giving each hazy beer small amounts of eccentricity through smaller left-field hop additions helles passing the "sauf test" And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers ( https://gdchillers.com ) : For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project. BSG Craft Brewing ( https://BSGCraftbrewing.com ) : Navigating the seas of brewing can be a treacherous affair, so let Rahr North Star Pils™ be your guide. With overtones of honey and sweet bread, flavor and aroma notes of hay and nutty character, Rahr North Star Pils™ is a base malt you can set your compass by! Set a course for BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn how. Accubrew ( https://accubrew.io ) AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. The AccuBrew sensor, mounted through your tank’s sample port, creates a record of sugar conversion, clarity, and temperature for every batch run. Something BIG is coming, find out more at accubrew.io . ProBrew ( https://www.probrew.com ) At ProBrew, we believe that your brewery deserves equipment as unique as the drinks that you craft. ProBrew’s customizable equipment empowers breweries to expand operations at their own pace. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com . Old Orchard ( https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer ) : If you need a central source for fruit flavor, Old Orchard has you covered. Old Orchard supplies flavored craft juice concentrate blends to beverage brands for the production of beer, cider, seltzer, wine, spirits, kombucha, and more. Flavor your lineup and streamline your sourcing by heading to oldorchard.com/brewer Ss Brewtech ( https://www.ssbrewtech.com ) : Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com . PakTech ( http://resources.paktech-opi.com/beer-and-brewing-inquiry ) : 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, and reusable—PakTech handles are the sustainable solution to handle your craft beer. PakTech has been a leading producer of secondary packaging for the craft beer industry for over 30 years. Order your free samples today! Call 541.461.5000. Berkeley Yeast ( https://berkeleyyeast.com ) : The creators of Tropics yeast, which produces massive notes of guava and passionfruit, now bring you Thiol Boost. Berkeley Yeast’s Thiol Boost is pure liquid thiol precursors that take Tropics to the next level. Mention this podcast and get 15% off your next order. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast