85: Russian River Brewing’s Vinnie Cilurzo: Sweating the Small Stuff When Brewing Hoppy Beers

Vinnie Cilurzo is a brewer who needs no introduction. The cofounder of Russian River Brewing Company has been pushing the limits of hoppy beers for the better part of three decades, developing innovative techniques along the way while defining styles like “Double IPA” with ubiquitous beers like Pliny the Elder. In this conversation, he discusses the early days of C-hops, the origins and design approach to Blind Pig IPA and Pliny the Elder DIPA, adjusting recipes for iconic brands as tastes shift and ingredients vary, tracking polyphenol levels batch by batch, accurately measuring total packaged oxygen, the impact of brewhouse equipment on beer recipes, how they’reeliminating whirlpool hopping in favor of hopping with a hop back, the impact of hops creep while dry hopping, getting faster extraction by mixing tanks while dry hopping, the variance in hops picking windows and the effect of picking time on hops flavors, and more. This episode is brought to you by: CraftBeer.com ( http://craftbeer.com): This episode is brought to you by CraftBeer.com, whose mission is to tell the stories behind America’s small and independent breweries and the cities and businesses that support them. Ss Brewtech ( https://www.ssbrewtech.com): The founders launched Ss Brewtech with a very clear goal to advance brewing equipment design, performance, and quality to the very highest standards in the industry. With a team that draws upon strong functional backgrounds in brewing science, mechanical engineering, industrial design, supply chain, and manufacturing, Ss Brewtech has the people and skill sets you would want and expect from your supplier of pro brewing equipment. Head over to SsBrewtech.com for more information on their brewhouses and brewing gear. BSG ( http://bsgcraftbrewing.com): Great beers are made from select ingredients. With BSG, you’ll bring the world to your brewhouse with an unparalleled and diverse selection of ingredients, from across the globe to just down the road. Our dedicated customer service team and industry experience provides you with the assistance you need in every step of the way. Let BSG be your supplier of choice for products essential to making great artisanal beverages, so you can stay focused on your craft. For more information, visit us as bsgcraftbrewing.com, or contact us at 1.800.374.2739. G&D Chillers ( http://www.Gdchillers.com): As the brewing industry’s premier choice for glycol chilling, G&D Chillers has set the standard on quality, service, and dedication to their customer’s craft. For 25 years G&D has led the way on innovative solutions that match their brewing customers immediate and future needs. With a wide selection of custom built chillers; G&D offers the Nano chiller, the perfect solution for Nano breweries all the way up to their larger capacity units like the Vertical Air Chiller, built for higher volume operations. Contact G&D Chillers today for your chiller sizing needs at 800.555.0973 or reach out online at Gdchillers.com Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast Links: CraftBeer.com — This episode is brought to you by CraftBeer.com, whose mission is to tell the stories behind America’s small and independent breweries and the cities and businesses that support them.