BYO Nano Brew Podcast
Brew Your Own
Recent Episodes
Having food options is a way to bring in new customers and to keep fans coming back. There are many ways a small brewery can approach a menu and this month we’re talking with folks who have dedicated kitchens and robust food truck programs.
First up, Tony Cordova of New York's Scale House Brewing. Cordova, the Head Brewer, talks about the evolution of the company, what goes into running a pizza program of note, and how the brewhouse and the kitchen work together to create a memorable customer experience.
Then Jason Stengl of Colorado's Cannonball Creek shares insight into running a food truck program. When he and his partners started the brewery, they had come from a brewpub chain that did great business. They knew they wanted to focus on beer so opted against having a kitchen. Now they have a robust food truck program - at least one each day of the week they are open. He shares insight on how scheduling, managing, and working with those businesses has its own challenges.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 71 is sponsored by:
Five Star Chemicals
Brewers, listen up! Five Star Chemicals just dropped their newest EPA registered sanitizer called Saniclean PAA Pro. It’s a low-foam peracetic acid sanitizer that knocks out bacteria, yeast, and mold fast, leaving your tanks, lines, and kegs spotless with no rinse required. And right now, it’s Buy One, Get One Free through the end of the year. Email [email protected] or reach out through their website to order now.
Fermentis
Wanna brew a strong ale or a barrel aged beer? Discover SafBrew™ HA-18, a powerful solution consisting of POF+ Active Dry Brewer’s Yeast and enzymes! You can now brew high alcoholic beers, such as strong ales, barleywines, and barrel aged beers with very high density. A pro tool for pro brewers. More information visit Fermentis.com.
BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 71
Host: John Holl
Guests: Tony Cordova, Jason Stengl
Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell
Photo: by John Holl
Yeast is the critical ingredient that turns humble wort into magical beer. This month, a look at the microbe from multiple angles and how to make the most out of it in your small-scale craft brewery.
Guests:
Laura Burns, Ph.D. is the Director of Research and Development at Omega Yeast. After studying stress responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for her graduate thesis at Vanderbilt University, she decided the best place to apply this knowledge was in brewing. She worked in production brewing for five years as Head Brewer and Director of Quality Assurance before heading back to the bench at Omega Yeast. Her undeniable curiosity drives her to tackle difficult questions that brewer’s face daily.
Technical Sales Manager for the home segment at Fermentis, Hugo Picard is in charge to support homebrewers, winemakers, cidermakers, in their hobby for beverage production at home. Hugo graduated with a Master’s in Science and Agricultural Engineering from ISA Lille in France. He also acquired a Master’s degree in International Marketing and Communication at Lille University. Before joining Fermentis, he has been president of a brewing and winemaking association and worked in several breweries and brewpubs in France and New-Zealand as a brewer or as a marketing/communication associate.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 70 is sponsored by:
BYO NanoCon on October 24
Next week on Friday, October 24, learn from craft brewing industry experts with live online sessions covering Brewery Operations, Business Operations & Sales, and Start-Ups.
• Full-Day of Live, Online Seminars and Q&A Panels
• Access to Video Recordings and Course Materials for All Sessions
• 3 Learning Tracks: Business & Sales, Brewing Operations, Start-Ups
• Get Your Questions Answered Live by Craft Beer Experts
• Interact with Other Small-Scale Craft Brewers & Breweries-In-Planning
• Q&A Sessions with Leading Small-Scale Brewing Suppliers
Check out https://byo.com/product/2025-nanocon-online/ for more details.
BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 70
Host: John Holl
Guests: Laura Burns, Hugo Picard
Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell
Photo: by John Holl
Lagers have been having a moment for a long time now. In this current age of brewing, there are many small breweries that are giving the time and attention to making lagers of note. We have two guests here that will explain how to best approach the style, and bring great pints to your patrons.
Andreas Miller has over 20 years of experience in the brewing industry, and has been an adjunct instructor, consultant, and one of the brewers for the Siebel Institute's pilot and research brewing department since 2023. A graduate of Doemens Akademie in Munich, Andreas has worked as a brewmaster for a number of breweries large and small internationally, and provided consulting services for many breweries worldwide. His expertise covers practically every phase of brewing, packaging, and engineering operations, along with troubleshooting.
Daren Orr and business partner Matt Bartle decided that the town of South Hero, Vermont, would benefit from a public house with community (and great beer) at the forefront. While watching the brewery market for over a decade, they believed that a small town nano brewpub would be a stable model to both produce beer and run a local restaurant so opened Two Heroes Brewery in 2020 and expanded to their current brewpub public house in 2023. They believe that community is the most important aspect of the town and they serve to fill the void for a local gathering place for community members and visitors alike. And in keeping with the theme this month, they are brewing some lagers of note.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 69 is sponsored by:
Fermentis
Are you ready to add a cider to your brews? Whether you want a crisp, sweet or fruity cider, discover the SafCider™ range: 4 cider strains available in 5g pouches, the perfect size for you. Just make your choice or try them all! To learn more about how Fermentis can improve the quality of your fermentation, and for the latest on their exciting new product releases, visit Fermentis.com.
BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 69
Host: John Holl
Guests: Daren Orr, Andreas Miller
Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell
Photo: Lager at the Little Beer Festival. Photo by John Holl
While many of us are still holding on to the last days of summer, trying to make the most out of downtime, the work is gearing up on farms across the Pacific Northwest in North America. It’s almost hop harvest season and we’re going to talk with farmers and hop professionals on what is happening for the 2025 season.
Guests include Diane Gooding of Gooding Farms and Malissa Gatton and Josh Viganskyof Haas.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 68 is sponsored by:
Yakima Valley Hops
YakimaValleyHops.com is your simple and straightforward way to source hops.Everything from traditional pellets to innovative hop products and liquid extracts is available whenever you need them with just a couple clicks. No contracts. No guessing. No complicated terms. Just reliable access to the highest quality hops from the Yakima Valley and premium growing regions around the world. Explore the possibilities at YakimaValleyHops.com and see how simple hop sourcing can be.
BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 68
Host: John Holl
Guests: Diane Gooding, Malissa Gatton, and Josh Vigansky
Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell
Photo: Dolcita™ HBC 1019 c.v. hop cones and leaves on bine in hop field
Sensory analysis, setting up a lab for QC tests, and understanding your raw ingredients are all paramount when it comes to improving the quality of your beer. We talk with two experts - Lindsay Barr and Ashton Lewis - who are here to help you level up beer quality in a small-scale brewery.
Guests:
Lindsay Barr is the CSO and Founding Partner of DraughtLab Sensory Software where she helps food & beverage companies use tasting technology to make products that people love. After earning a Masters in Food Science from UC Davis, she began her career at New Belgium Brewing Company managing the Sensory and Consumer Research program. Along with her work at DraughtLab, she teaches Sensory for the Master Brewers course at UC Davis and the Siebel Institute and judges global beer competitions. During her career, she has published numerous groundbreaking techniques to lower the barrier-to-entry into sensory science and continues to be passionate about making sensory accessible for all businesses. She currently lives in San Francisco and can be found running or lounging in Golden Gate Park, sailing, or playing around in the Castro.
For the last 29 years Ashton Lewis has worked for Brew Your Own Magazine as technical editor and “Help Me, Mr. Wizard” columnist. His day job since December 2016 has been with RahrBSG where he is currently Manager of Training and Technical Support. Prior to working in the world of ingredients, Ashton was the Staff Master Brewer and Brewing Group Sales Manager for the Paul Mueller Company living in the world of custom stainless steel. He was also a partner in the Springfield Brewing Company (SBC) in Springfield, Missouri, and SBC’s master brewer from 1997 to 2019. Ashton holds a B.S. in Food Science from Virginia Tech (1991) and a M.S. in Food/Brewing Science from UC Davis (1994), and is currently the MBAA District Great Plains Technical Chair. In his spare time, he enjoys music, cooking, homebrewing, talking about beer, and playing with Excel.
The BYO Nano Podcast Episode 67 is sponsored by:
Five Star Chemicals
Looking for a powerful, no-rinse sanitizer that gets the job done fast? Meet Saniclean PAA Pro from Five Star Chemicals. This EPA-registered, PAA-based acid sanitizer is tough on beerstone and perfect for everything from kegs to packaging lines. Available in two convenient sizes, it’s ideal for coarse sprayers, fermenters, and more. Trusted by pros, designed for performance—Saniclean PAA Pro helps you brew with confidence. Learn more at fivestarchemicals.com. Brew better. Brew with Five Star.
Fermentis
Wanna brew a Lager? Discover the whole SafLager™ range by Fermentis. Whether you’re looking for floral, fruity, or even estery notes, Fermentis has your back! Want to know more about Fermentis yeasts? Visit www.fermentis.com!
BYO Nano+ Membership
Get access to hundreds of hours of on-demand videos covering small craft brewery strategies with BYO’s Nano+ Membership. Learn from craft beer experts watching replays of past NanoCon seminars plus a complete library of in-depth workshops. You’ll also have full online access to all of BYO’s digital content and an annual digital magazine subscription. Check out byo.com/nanoplus for more details.
BYO Nano Brew Podcast Episode 67
Host: John Holl
Guests: Lindsay Barr, Ashton Lewis
Contact: [email protected]
Music: Scott McCampbell