Episode Details

Chris O’Connor, VP of brewing operations at Prost in Northglenn, Colorado, has built a career on being a process nerd. He spent a decade in engineering for the pharmaceutical industry before switching gears and following his passion for brewing. His analytical approach to colllecting data, testing, and questioning conventional logic is a big part of what drives quality at Prost’s award-winning lager program. The success spans three Great American Beer Festival medals in the past three years, including silver for Prost Pilsner in 2023 and two golds in 2025, for Schwarzbier and Viennal Lager.

Despite that success, the production team recently made a leap, moving to a new house lager yeast—the Augustiner strain, instead of 34/70. In this episode, O’Connor discusses that careful process, plus:

• huskless endosperm mashing for a refined lager profile
• taking advantage of Prost’s fully customized, five-vessel Kaspar Schulz brewhouse
• an intentional, eight-step decoction process—and completely changing it to accomodate a new yeast strain
• why they use “marine-blade” custom rakes to agitate the mash and decoctions
• using a vacuum-evaporation process after the kettle to drive off DMS precursors and other volatiles
• open fermentation and the impact of tank geometry
• using blind tasting, polls, and sales data to evaluate lagers made with the new yeast
• the palpable difference in sulfur impact from the 34/70 and Augustiner strains

Ultimately, despite brewing traditional styles using traditional methods, O’Connor’s view is that no process is sacred—challenge everything, test, observe, and always be ready to change.

G&D Chillers
The Craft Brewers Conference is coming up April 20 through 23, 2026—and G&D Chillers will be there. If you’re heading to CBC, swing by and talk shop with the folks who know brewery operations inside and out. G&D’s biggest strength isn’t just the equipment—it’s our deep understanding of how a brewery runs. From cellar layout to production flow, our team brings decades of hands-on experience to every install and every conversation. Whether you’re running a single-stage 5H unit or scaling up with a Vertical Air Chiller, G&D builds systems that are reliable, efficient, and built to last. Because when your chiller’s solid, your beer stays cold—and your operation stays on track. Plan your visit at gdchillers.com/podcast—and come see us at CBC, Booth 1518.

Berkeley Yeast
Berkeley Yeast just launched Dry Tropics London! Our best-selling liquid yeast strain, now with all the ease-of-use benefits of dry yeast. Dry Tropics London delivers the soft, pillowy mouthfeel and juicy character you’d expect from a top-tier London Ale strain, but with a serious upgrade: a burst of thiols that unleash vibrant, layered notes of grapefruit and passion fruit. A lot of brewers love the clean passion fruit you get from Tropics, but they don’t want every IPA to be a tropical-fruit bomb. At the dry yeast price point, you can pitch and ditch without breaking the bank. Or, you can co-pitch with your house strain to adjust the intensity of the notes. And with nationwide free shipping, there’s never been a better time to try Dry Tropics. Order now at berkeleyyeast.com and experience the ease and impact of Dry Tropics London Yeast.

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 circular economy. With a minimalist desi