Graining In

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#89: Doug Lyford | Bitcoin Enthusiast Feb 28, 2021

Show notes

We're mixing it up in a big way this week and do our best to set the ledger straight on blockchain technology with software engineer Doug Lyford. Doug and Noah were in high school together and were brought back together by coincidence and a shared interest - Cryptocurrency. With Bissell Brothers actively exploring both transferring some liquidity to cryptocurrency and accepting it as payment, Doug helps us grasp what exactly blockchain is, why it's so important, and how it functions as the basis of virtually all cryptocurrency. We also dive in to the multitude of available cryptoassets and how they separate themselves, how "mining" (or minting) works and how its changed over time, and why we all feel this is just the beginning in the evolution blockchain and crypto in our society.
Blockchain technology is a wildly complex concept and the misunderstandings of it are ubiquitous. Regardless of how much or little you know about this world, you'll know more after hearing a dude that's been getting familiar with it for a decade dissect it. BBB is betting that knowledge will come in handy before it quickly becomes necessary. In a whole new world, it's damn nice to have the right guide. ...................... ........................................ .................................................................... .................................................................................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#88: Evan Richardson II | Eaux! • Cafe Louis Feb 21, 2021

Show notes

The apology tour returns and the guys once again find themselves in the home of Evan Richardson. An early auditory casualty of this podcast (see episode 7, if you dare), Evan owns Portland's Eaux! and South Portand's soon-to-be Cafe Louis. An awful lot has happened in the 18 months since we last caught up, and Evan reflects on the early days of COVID, the massive strain it put on his restaurant, how he dealt with the very foreign feeling of having spare time, and the myriad of positive impacts the pandemic ultimately has yielded on both a personal and professional level. The rolling conversation also yields a refresher on Cajun vs. Creole cooking, a dive into what makes bread baking so addictive, and an extremely important discourse around the genres of music that are most representative of the various roles and personalities within a kitchen. Finally, the (rice and) beans are fully spilled on Evan's new concept Cafe Louis; he explains what a Costa Rican-style meal looks like, why brunch gets a bad rap, and how Eaux! represents where he's from while Cafe Louis will represent WHO he's from.
There's not a cooler cat to be found this side of the Mason Dixon. Go in with a notepad, an appetite, and 'lil a kernel of hope, and you'll leave feeling a hell of a lot better (and hungrier) about 2021. .............. ............................ ........................................................... ............................................. .......... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#87: A CRISPR Collab Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

The guys start this week's episode by FINALLY trying their hand at an ad read, which goes predictably terrible (but carries a message surprisingly great for everyone else). With that out of the way, the conversation focuses on Noah's recent experience with BBB's first virtual collaboration, done with none other than podcast A+++lister Scott Janish's brewery Sapwood Cellars. Matt pokes and prods to get all the juicy details on the Riwaka/Callista heavy recipe, some interesting process tweaks, and fermentation using a new, genetically-modified yeast from Omega Lab called "Sundew". The guys discuss their feelings on gene editing in and apart from beer making, lament opportunities lost capitalizing on it in the stock market, and end with a fantastically abstract Three Bay that Matty slyly whips out his very best Noam Chomsky for. .............. ........................ .......................................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#86: Matt Richardson | Titled Barn Brewery Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

The guys are joined virtually this week with Matt Richardson of Titled Barn Brewery! On multiple levels, Matt has a story unlike any we've heard to date. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Matt bucked a trend we've grown used to, and instead of dreaming of a urban life outside of country roots, he actually wanted to get out of the 'burbs of Providence and find a quieter pace of life elsewhere. So, he went to college in Vermont, fell in love with beer, moved back to Rhode Island, fell in love with his future wife, and before he knew it he was the only commercial hop grower in the state or Rhode Island. You'll have to listen to hear about his transition to brewery owner, but we wade firmly into it and also talk about the difficulties of literally living at your brewery, the push/pull of expansion, the perpetual challenges of delegation, and tons more in one of the most enjoyable and natural brewer-to-brewer conversations the podcast has seen with what just might happen to be the nicest guy on Earth. Available now, through whatever channels you listened to the last 85 episodes!
.............. .......................... ..................................... ........................................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#85: Bob Cutler | Novio's Bistro Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

This week, we're joined by the first guest ever to give Matty Energy a formidable match, Bob Cutler of Novio's Bistro. Bob is Matt's old boss, and their story traces back to the early days of the Family Dog, a time which represents Matty's oft-mentioned experience of "coming from food". Since then, Bob has ditched hot dogs and DIPAs for steak tartare and 12-year whiskey with Novio's. We get into the meaning of the restaurant's "inspired bistro" tagline, the critical importance of experience and comfort in any food or drink setting, the surprisingly exclusive ways Novio's has pivoted through COVID, and why beer STILL doesn't seem to get no re-spect when it comes to having a seat at the fine dining world's white linen table. Naturally, we also dive into the beginnings of this chapter in Matty's life, the ways he and Bob were such a great (if not absolutely exhausting) match in a young business, and how they both learned the immense value of not being afraid at throwing anything and everything at the proverbial wall in the pursuit of growth.
It might have been the pre-noon whiskey pours, but this long-awaited conversation managed to pack in even more than expected. Noah's still deep asleep to recover, but it was all worth it.

#84: Daniel Endicott | Forest & Main Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

We finally close the loop on a conversation that's been in INTENSE negotiations for the better part of the last year (or, it was COVID postponed) and are joined by Daniel Endicott of Forest and Main.
Dan and his partner Gerard opened their brewery nearly a decade ago, opting to set up shop inside a large Victorian house, and that tone of eccentricity has been the heartbeat of the brewery ever since. Focusing on roughly equal parts saisons, IPAs, and "Pub Ales", Noah naturally latches on to the latter, and we plunge into the wild world of American beer engines, high serving temps, and BAGS OF BITTER (yes). As the force behind all of Forest & Main's watercolor labels, which are as numerous as they are strikingly unique, Dan speaks on his process and the small and steady goals that fuel his growth as an artist.
We dip into all sorts of other places in this conversation with an immensely talented guy, humble as he is interesting. But let's be honest - if you weren't sold at "BAGS OF BITTER", what the hell are you doing here?
.................................... ......................................... ...................... Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#83: Mind the Yap Jan 18, 2021

Show notes

It's just the plebs in the castle this week, and the guys are talking inert gases, English beer, new horizons, and wrapping last year's beer consumption up with a (kinda ratty looking) bow. Noah gets into the brewery's fledging affair with Nitrogen, its role in BBB's newest beer, an English-style bitter named Oi!, as well as potential growth for Nitro-finished cans within a predominantly hop-focused brewery. Matty, fired up from chatting with an idol last week, makes some public resolutions about video for the new year, which leads up to a modified Three Bay that has the guys host the absolute worst award ceremony you've ever heard.
............................................................................................................................. Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#82: Phil Cassella | Trillium Brewing Jan 09, 2021

Show notes

Marking the second appearance of Team Trillium, Phil Cassella joins the podcast!
As Trillium's "Content Manager", Phil is responsible for essentially all outward-facing communication from the brewery, ranging from photographs, social media, and newsletters. In other words, he's a busy guy. We get into Phil's experience growing up in a town that makes Milo like Manhattan, how that upbringing always attracted him to a city, and entry his into the beer industry in the Adirondacks. As very vocal (obsessive?) admirer of Phil's work, Matty does his best to get into Phil's photographer mind, discussing the near-necessity of becoming a Youtube PhD, the process of finding a voice behind the lens, and his conscious decision to focus on telling the story of beer. Noah does his best to force brewing parallels to varying effect, but any short comings on the host side will be forgotten when the Three Bay Sink rolls around. Graining In is on a streak that' starting to look more and more like a Tesla-esque run in the category of "Closing Free Association Segments on Craft Beer Podcasts". You can be damn sure Mr. Phil Cassella came to the party with a glut of gas.
......................... ............................. ................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#81: John Squadrito | Vacationland Distributors Jan 03, 2021

Show notes

In the first episode of 2021's fresh start, we're joined by John Squadrito of Vacationland Distributors. John got his start selling stainless brewing equipment for TigPro (having sold Bissell Brothers about half its current lineup), but transitioned into beer sales for Vacationland - a "boutique wholesaler" - about five years ago. Since then, he's helped build "V-Land" from a tiny startup operating out of a storage unit to one of the most respectable craft distributors in New England, with warehouses in both Maine and New Hampshire.
We talk about how Vacationland's unprecedented decision to offer fixed-length disto contracts since opening has set them apart and how nine months of COVID looked from through a disto lens. We also dive into the battle of balancing sociability with authenticity in a sales role as well as John's cameos on two of the best labels ever created.
Lastly, we finally deliver what you ALL have been waiting for: shoe talk, and plenty of it. ................... ................................. Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#80: The Filthiest Year Dec 27, 2020

Show notes

With the door nearly shut on this strangest of years, the guys dive into BBB's annual year-capper, Angels With Filthy Souls. Matt picks Noah's brain on the beer's recipe and evolution,
the difference between porter and stout, and the origin of AWFS's name and its increasingly-distant source material. Noah also discusses the role maple plays in the beer, how the brewery handled this year's blending process, and the overdue switch from aluminum to glass.
Matty can't resist the urge to get a little contemplative with 2021 looming, so the guys also discuss what they hope to take with them and build upon into the new year. He takes it one step further with a year-centric Three Bay that once again raises the bar on this impossibly silly "segment."
A very real thank you to everyone who supported the podcast through the chaos of the last 10 months. Here's to buying the dip and making 2021 one for the record books!

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