119: Bell's Brewery's John Mallett on Ingredient Quality, Understanding Malt, and Designing Brewing Workflows

“We’re yeast farmers. We’re trying to set up a party that our guests are just going to rage at,” says John Mallett, VP of operations for Bell’s Brewery . Of course, the reality is far more complex than that, but his flippant tone belies the deep knowledge that this longtime brewing veteran brings to the industry. Mallett joined Bell’s in 2001 after stints as a brewer and brewery design consultant, back when Bell’s produced a now-relatively-modest 30,000 barrels of beer. He’s helped the brewery grow in phases to their current production of about a half million barrels per year, by taking a thoughtful approach to everything from ingredient selection and sourcing to designing the brewhouse for expansion. In this episode, Mallett covers a wide range of subjects, from evaluating hops and controlling the pelletizing process to inspecting malt houses, evaluating barley varieties, reading between the lines on malt spec sheets, understanding what numbers like Kolbach index mean in practical terms, the fundamentals of haze stability in beer, sourcing and evaluating the incredible amount of Centennial hops used in their flagship IPA Two Hearted, and designing and engineering production workflows and brewhouses for future expansion. It’s a thorough, technical conversation packed with the sense of humor for which he’s known. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers ( https://gdchillers.com ) : Nearly 2,000 breweries across the US, Canada & Mexico partner with G&D Chillers. Innovative, Modular Designs and no proprietary parts propel G&D ahead as the premier choice for your glycol chilling needs. Breweries you recognize—Russian River, Ninkasi, Jack's Abby, Samuel Adams and more—trust G&D to chill the beer you love! Call G&D Chillers to discuss your project today or reach out directly at GDChillers.com. Old Orchard ( https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer ) : Old Orchard supplies craft juice blends from the heart of Beer City USA. As the industry blending experts, they supply major national brands and growing breweries alike. They've been the best-kept juicy secret in craft beverage for years, but now the secret's out. Breweries across the board are experiencing a seamless transition to Old Orchard as their new juice supplier. So hop aboard the Old Orchard fruit train; their sample kit starter pack is waiting for you at www.oldorchard.com/brewer. 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. 2nd Kitchen ( https://2ndkitchen.com ) : Did you know breweries that serve food see an increase in revenue of 1.8X? 2ndKitchen is a food-tech startup that connects local breweries to iconic neighborhood restaurants to help provide your brewery with food experiences to keep customers in your taproom longer. 2ndKitchen provides the technology, support, custom menus, and more all at no cost to your brewery. Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast