440: Jesse Brown of Formula Slows Down to Make Better Lager and IPA

The 2024 World Beer Cup was quite a moment for Issaquah, Washington’s Formula. Head brewer Jesse Brown is no stranger to medals, but four in one year at the world’s most prestigious beer competition made a statement. His career as a brewer may look like “Swiss cheese,” with stints in Wyoming, Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington, but it’s hard to poke holes in any of his thoughtfully designed and thoroughly executed lagers or IPAs. In this episode, Brown discusses ingredients as well as the labor-intensive process behind his helles, touches on the hot-side versus cold-side fresh-hop controversy, shares his approach to New Zealand hops that won him a silver medal for New Zealand–style IPA at World Beer Cup 2025, and finishes with thoughts on what it takes to win when so many brewers are making such great beer. Along the way, he discusses: front-side decoction without a dedicated vessel extended saccharification rests to build malt depth gently handling lager to avoid bruising the beer the differences between 34/70 strains transferring before terminal to get a head start on clearing yeast the fresh-hop “controversy” the beauty of Dolcita and building mouthfeel with hops blending base malts for West Coast IPA selecting early-pick New Zealand hops for lower diesel character 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 North America and beyond. Remote monitor your chiller for simple and fast access to all the information you need, and gain peace of mind your operation is running smoothly. Berkeley Yeast ( https://berkeleyyeast.com ) . Berkeley Yeast bioengineers ordinary strains and make them extraordinary—enhancing the flavors you want and eliminating the ones you don’t. Visit berkeleyyeast.com to learn more and start brewing with science on your side. Old Orchard ( https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer ) : Whether trending flavor additions or nostalgic favorites, the next best thing is around the corner at Old Orchard. More information and free samples are waiting at oldorchard.com/brewer. Indie Hops ( https://indiehops.com ) Celebrating 16 years of delivering compelling new hop varieties along with classics that thrive in Oregon’s terroir, Indie is the original source for Strata, Luminosa, Lórien, Meridian, and their newest variety Audacia. Release your creativity with the magic of pure, uncut Oregon hops from Indie. Indie Hops — Life is short. Let’s make it flavorful. Five Star Chemical ( https://fivestarchemicals.com ) Looking for a powerful, no-rinse sanitizer that gets the job done fast? Meet Saniclean PAA Pro from Five Star Chemicals. This EPA-registered, PAA-based acid sanitizer is tough on beerstone and perfect for everything from kegs to packaging lines. Learn more at fivestarchemicals.com. Canoe Wild Rice ( https://breweryworkshop.com ) Brewers, have you ever considered brewing with North America’s only Ancient Grain—Wild Rice? Joe at Canoe Wild Rice has a stockpile of this unique roasted grain ready to ship to you. Send Canoe Wild Rice an email at joe@canoewildrice.com or give the office a call at 1-800-626-3809 Prairie Malt ( https://prairiemalt.com ) For over 50 years Prairie Malt has been producing high extract malts forged from the fertile soils of Saskatchewan. Stop by the Roadhouse & Melvin booth at GABF to sample some award-winning beers produced with excellent malts and learn more at prairiemalt.com. Sennos ( https://prairiemalt.com ) The Sennosystem platform delivers real-time fermentation control and predictive insights, while the SennosM3 modular in-tank sensor delivers continuous, real-time monitoring. Turn your tank into a smart tank. Order your SennosM3 at sennos.com. Briess Malting ( https://BrewingWithBriess.com ) Briess offers the largest product line of specialty malt and is continuing to innovate. New malts include Heritage Gold and Lighthouse Munich. Check out why so many craft brewers trust Briess for their specialty malt at BrewingWithBriess.com. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast