Episode Details

Generally speaking, there’s some correlation between brewery scale and lager quality—and while there are plenty of exceptions to that rule, there’s no denying that honing lagers into the best versions of themselves requires repetition, time, and access to the best ingredients. Over the past few years, however, an ever-increasing number of very small breweries have found success in major competitions not despite their size, but because of it.

In Ferndale, Michigan, Urbanrest is squarely in that group, and their recent GABF gold medal in the American Pilsner category is further proof that careful process and thoughtful beer design don't depend on scale. The beer itself, Kaiser, started as a Franconian-inspired keller-pils, but over the years it’s morphed into what they now call an American pils. Funny enough, it contains only Vienna-style malt from a small craft maltster and none of the pilsner malt that most would expect.

But that’s not the only way Urbanrest has strayed from the classic narrative. In this episode, founder and brewer Zach Typinski discusses how they:

• ferment German lager with a dry 34/70 strain while fermenting American pils with a liquid 34/70
• blend various base malts in both lager and IPA
• find the perfect amount of “rusticity” in American pils
• manage caramelization in their direct-fire kettle, in lieu of decoction
• kräusen lagered beer for carbonation, since the brewery doesn’t own a carb stone
• build texture and retain foam through the kräusening process
• source and contract great hops despite their small size
  

And more.

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PakTech
This episode is sponsored by PakTech—delivering craft-beer multipacking you can trust. Our handles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and are fully recyclable, helping breweries close the loop and advance the cir