Graining In

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#59: Nature's Bounty Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

It's that time of year again, and Matty and Noah spend the episode discussing Maine's most wonderful time of the year that doesn't include Santa - FRUIT HARVEST. Matty (settling into his long-term stay in the Milo house and feeling very comfortable) talks about his recent experience picking up the season's Montmorency cherry supply, and how putting a face to the farmer deepened his belief on using whole fruit. Meanwhile, Noah couldn't make trip and seems at his most vulnerable to the allure of the Devil's Sauce, also known as aseptic fruit puree.
The guys discuss their experiences so far on using fruit and their feelings on the beers that have resulted from them, and touch on how the limitations of what fruits Maine's climate yields have had some unexpected benefits. For the second time ever, they also blasphemously ignore their own rule and drink a couple fruited beers from Allagash while they chat in an exclusively audio medium.
The guys request feedback on his proposed moniker for the podcast's listeners, as their opinion is, per usual, split in two. Regardless, it produces a standout Three Bay, highlighted by a big revelation about Matty's past. Let's just say, he and Meek Mill aren't so different, after all. Take it all in, wherever podcasts are found ................................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#58: Zac Ross | Marlowe Artisanal Ales Jul 27, 2020

Show notes

Matty and Noah are talking remotely with the Kryptic Kid, the Vibe Valet, or simply the current head brewer at Twelve Percent Beer Project: Zac Ross. Though he and Noah are the same age, Zac's worked in 500% more breweries, including Voodoo, Kent Falls, The Answer. These days, while he's keeping the day-to-day in order at Twelve Percent's largely contract-based production facility, he's also producing beers for his own brand, Marlowe Artisanal Ales. His interesting arch in the industry isn't neglected from the conversation, but all roads of dialogue keep leading to Marlowe - a brand named after the proverbial Boss Ross (Zac's grandfather) that produces almost exclusively on sessionable, lower ABV beers. Zac breaks down the particular advantages Twelve Percent provides people like himself, who want to eventually open a brick-and-mortar brewery, but are getting their beers into the world at scale, in a way to give their goal steam.
Brewing philosophy dominates most of the conversation, with Zac's admittedly vague and "vibe-focused" approach providing a fun contrast to Noah's more obnoxious and verbose angle to discussing the profession they both love so much. This was a fun one, and ultimately takes a long look at the relationship between the place a beer is produced and the person that conceived of it. Also, tacos ............................................................................................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#57: John Holl | Beer Edge Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

We put a temporary hold on the Monday Morning Ratings War this week to welcome John Holl himself - our nemesis // respected veteran industry journalist we hold in particularly high esteem - for a virtual conversation!
In all seriousness, John is part of the very short list that makes up the top echelon of journalism in the beer industry. His extensive resume includes authorship of countless articles in the industry's leading magazines (All About Beer, BYO) and multiple books, one of which - Drink Beer, Think Beer - shares the name of the podcast he currently hosts which ultimately made this all happen in the first place. In this eclectic conversation, John puts the uncomfortable level of reverence Matt and Noah have for him aside, and walks us through his entry into journalism, his move to focus exclusively on beer, and the ways he's adapted to a media landscape that has changed just as rapidly as the industry it covers. We also get into John's approach and perspective to journalism itself and how he balances objectivity within it, dissect the relationship between deadlines and hangovers, and discuss how the beer industry slowly but surely seems to be spurring more positive and broader conversations about its own narrative.
While found the perspective of one of the most highly-regarded people covering the our industry extremely insightful and hope you do as well...John Holl is still our rival. But this conversation might have shifted our approach in the ratings arena from that of a starred general to more of a multi-cause telethon operator.
Bring on the ratings, PERIOD!(?) ......................................................................................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#56: Prime Time for Lime Jul 12, 2020

Show notes

Matty and Noah are alone once again, ready to tackle a particularly long list of topics. First and foremost - SHIRTS ARE IN!!! They're honestly sicker than expected, resulting from the exponential power of multiple former guests, and are the best way to support the podcast with a lil' panache. Next, the guys provide an update on the rating war with John Hill, tease Noah's Steal This Beer appearance, and also talk about COVID-19 finally making its way to Milo, Maine and how it led the brewery to stay closed for the peak sales of 4th of July weekend. Closing stung extra, as it prevented Matty and BBB3R from selling the brewery's annual lime lager and answer to Bud Light Lime, Dangol (pronounced "DANG - OL'"). After conducting the podcasts first (and maybe last) blind-tasting ever, Matt grills Noah on Dangol's interesting and multifaceted origin story, how it has evolved, and the ins and outs of where the recipe and concept stands this year. Noah gets specific on corn and ingredient sourcing and how and how many limes are processed for the beer each year, and also laments the disappearance of a very niche tool that has made the beer possible every year. Plenty to chew on here, so let your thoughts be heard by leaving a review on Apple, DMing @GrainingInPod on Instagram, or even buying a particular item of incredibly hip and cool clothing that will make all your pals say, "NEAT-O, friend-o!" ............................................................................................................
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#55: Shahin Khojastehzad II | Novare Res Bier Cafe Jul 05, 2020

Show notes

The apology tour continues! This week, it's another conversation with Shahin Khojastehzad, co-owner of Novare Res Bier Cafe in Portland, ME. A hell of a lot has changed since our earlier episode with Shahin from almost exactly a year ago. We get right into the second-most obvious (behind sound quality) of those shifts, and get into what life has been like for Novare in the COVID era. Unlike breweries, bars, especially less food-focused ones, were left with little in the way of alternative ways of continuing operation during the shutdown. Shahin attributes good ol' "Persian Hustle" as the driver behind Novare's quick adaptation to the pandemic, immediately opening an online store, selling off their vast cellar inventory, and morphing into "Novare Bodega", all despite the constant hurdles of break-ins, fractional revenue, and unsolicited defecations.
Aside from dealing with COVID over the last few months, systematic racism has rightfully occupied a large chunk of our collective headspace, and we dive into Shahin's many, many experiences with racism, from escaping Iran with his family as a child, to being profiled by authority his entire life, to becoming a de facto voice for diversity within Maine's extremely homogenous beer scene.
It was a privilege to get to go deep on some of the less comfortable topics the beer industry and society at large is dealing with at the moment, and if there's any overarching takeaway from the episode, it's that good things come from communication. ................................................................Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#54: Return of the Matt Jun 29, 2020

Show notes

(You lied to me) Even though you said we'd be open sooner
(You lied to me) Even though you said there'd be no masks
Yes he tried, yes he cried, cried, cried
But it's the RETURN OF THE MATT ........................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
The BBB Three Rivers taproom is once open for business, and all is once again right in Matt's world... Or is it? Matty recaps day one of "the new normal" in taproom operation, from the simplicity of viewing the required table service as though the brewery is (temporarily) a restaurant, to his bouts of difficulty having to put names to faces of customers once more, and of course, the unproportionately vocal segment of militant anti-maskers in within society.
Beyond taproom talk, the guys try out something new, and return (once again!) to technical town to breakdown one of Noah's recipes (Reciprocal this time around) through means of Matty self-consciously asking questions about malt selection, approach to hopping in the beer, and origin story from a philosophical angle. Seemed like a segment that has potential, so as always, let us know what you think, subscribe, recommend, and review. Remember, any number of stars helps as long it's more than 4 ;-) ..........................................................................................................................................................................................
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#53: Josh Schlesinger II | Bissell Brothers Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

We're making reparations for past auditory and conversational wrongs by welcoming our FIRST REPEAT GUEST EVER, the BBB's own Josh "Sniff" Schlesinger, former owner/operator of Sleek Machine Distro. A hell of a lot has happened since the last time we spoke with mics on, almost exactly a year ago, so we get right into the most obvious - Sleek Machine being absorbed by Bissell Brothers at the beginning of 2020, after law was passed to significantly raise Maine's self distribution cap. We naturally unpack how beer distribution has adapted to selling beer in a pandemic, what lasting imprints COVID-19 will have on that facet of the brewing industry moving forward, and how the experience of running a business himself has helped Josh navigate the landscape shift with what appears to be a very laudable degree of ease.
More importantly, however, we revisit Project Serpo and get caught up to speed on Sniff's current feelings towards extraterrestrial life, and touch on the state of conspiracy in general (Pulitzer-level stuff, to be sure). Jokes aside (save for the many weaved throughout the episode), this may be to most diverse conversation we've had to date...fittingly had with the man Noah's dad still considers to be exactly one half of "Coolest Guys on Earth" (see Episode #38 w/ Baxter Key). Listen along, and join us in washing away any memories of the travesty that is Episode #2, with a chat of quality much more befitting one of the hardest working dudes in beer.
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#52: Lagers, Lore, and Legends Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

Graining In is fresh off the heels of its most successful Week One episode to date, with Scott Janish! The Matty and Noah revel in the success, try to find valuable lessons from the recent the podcast's growth in listenership; instead, their predictably petty takeaways are merely fixations on self esteem issues and disbelief in the fact that Scott, a man who has dedicated his brewing career to pushing the scientific understanding of IPAs, isn't in love with lagers. Thankfully, the latter point proves to be a good topic of discussion and the guys don't quite board the technical train, but at least take a ride on the Brewing Science & Psychology Shuttle Bus.
Noah and Matt discuss how lagers grew to become the definitive "brewer's beer", the importance of place in beer enjoyment, each share their favorite lager, and Noah rambles phonetic on his philosophy with lager yeast selection, why he never homebrewed lagers, the importance of decoction and alternative mash schedules, talks temperature, and gushes about spunding valves.
The response to a very technical conversation with Scott was nothing short of eye opening, so hopefully this will be the first of many episodes that live more in that practical arena, while still appealing to brewers, drinkers, and just people in general on a more consistent basis. Pastorianus On, Wayne!
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#51: Scott Janish | Sapwood Cellars Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

The latter half of the journey to triple digits is off with a bang! We're talking remotely with Scott Janish, co-founder of Sapwood Cellars in Columbia, MD, with partner Michael Tonsmeire of The Mad Fermentationist. Noah had been an avid reader of Scott's own fantastic (if not originally named) brewing blog, ScottJanish.com, which has always differentiated itself by using beer research papers to inform brewing trials and experiments. He and Noah eventually met in person while Scott was doing research of his own, effectively developing the approach of his blog into a full book - The New IPA: Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor.
Naturally, we dive head first into Technical Town, and Noah and Matty get the lowdown on biotransformation, timing the addition of specific varietals, hot- vs. cold-side bitterness, and plenty more (which should be a perfect primer to place an Amazon order as soon as the episode is done). We also get into the origins of Scott's blog, what writing a goddamn book is like, and opening a brewery alongside another homebrewing figure, blogger, and author (American Sour Beer) in Mike.
The conversation could have easily gone on for another couple hours, so this certainly won't be the last time you hear this man, despite the fact that he is far too smart to be speaking to Matt and Noah. As remote recordings can go, we had some audio issues from the distance, but be assured they'll be forgotten before you hear the word "linalool". Enjoy!
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill

#50: Samuel Dunning | Actor Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

Graining In has somehow made it to its 50th episode, and the guys are celebrating in style with actor, model, artist, beer connoisseur, and five-star stud, Samuel Dunning! We know Sam as the man responsible for some of our favorite beer labels (as well as the artwork on our soon-to-be-ready SHIRTS!), but you may know him his on-screen roles in Blue Bloods, Legends and Lies, and The American West. We have a lot to talk about (clearly), from his entry into the acting world via stumbling into a prolific modeling gig for Ralph Lauren, to what life is actually like for 99% of working actors, and the formative experience of creating a film from the ground up. Between laughs, we learn of the virtues of covering oneself in soot for the sake of fashion, the ups and downs that come with being typecast as a murderer, and where the hell he got the idea for Rick and Ruby, one of the wildest 14 minutes YouTube has to offer (as well as what he hopes for the concept's future). This was hands-down one of our favorite conversations ever, so please allow yourself the pleasure of listening to one of Harlem's greatest treasures make you laugh 'til it hurts while simultaneously sharing a wealth of insight into a world the vast majority of us see but can't touch.
Music: "Mountain Climb" by Jake Hill
Rick and Ruby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6c2nKLr5zg

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