Riverlands’ head brewer explains what makes a great Hazy IPA, breaks down his award-winning Kayak Pils, and delves into barrel aging science.

Riverlands Brewing Company Co-owner and Head Brewer Eric Bramwell tackles what truly separates haze from haze, why German Pils lives or dies on tiny process tweaks, and how a 50-barrel program helps a young Chicagoland brewery compete with the big stout scene. He shares how Dean Street stays juicy without bitterness, why he only brews styles he loves, practical pro tips for scaling homebrew recipes, and what judges look for at the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

After the beer break, Eric tells the Kayak Pils origin story, from early Italian-style dry-hopped batches to today’s German Pils with assertive noble-hop snap, and what “just bitter enough” really means. Then he talks about Mexican lagers and Riverlands’ stout program (Duels & Duets coffee-vanilla imperial, Tranquil non-adjunct BA stout, Tri-City Black session stout, and coconut-heavy Kamoho), and how their barrels are stored, stacked, and aged for years. Plus: Riverlands’ taproom culture (“brewed by friends for friends”) and the hand-built wood aesthetic that literally flows like a river across tables.

About Riverlands Brewing Company: Riverlands Brewing Company opened in 2019 as a taproom and brewery in St. Charles, Illinois, focused on brewing high-quality ales and lagers. Learn more on their website at https://www.riverlandsbrewing.com/

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You can learn more about Crafty Brewers and get in touch with us on our official website, https://craftybrewerspod.com

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC. Is your brewery or business looking to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting? Then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/ to learn more.

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: New England IPA, dry hopping technique, cold-side hop saturation, hot-side bitterness, whirlpool hopping, hop oil mouthfeel, Heady Topper (The Alchemist), Trillium Congress Street IPA, Italian Pilsner (dry-hopped), Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger hops, Saaz hops, German lager yeast, German Pilsner malt, Munich Helles, Märzen, Festbier, River Life lager, San Carlos Especial, barleywine, rye wine, mezcal barrel-aged gose, FoBAB (Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer), World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, double-barrel maturation, double oaked stout, barrel racks, and temperature swing aging.

Learn how Black Lung brews a pistachio-rose white stout and lactose-free maltshake IPAs — inside a taproom they say is haunted.

Black Lung Brewing Company’s president and brewer Josh Grubbs joins Brian and Cody at Black Lung’s brand-new Grayslake brewhouse to talk about moving an entire brewery, brewing baklava-inspired white stouts with real rose petals, and why his “maltshake IPAs” give milkshake fans all the body with none of the lactose. He shares how his grandfather’s near-death experience in a Kentucky coal mine inspired both the brewery’s name and its family-first philosophy, how an early alternating-proprietorship deal at ZümBier helped him go pro, and how he balances core taproom favorites without sacrificing the creative flexibility that keeps brewing fun.

Josh also shares the full story behind Black Lung’s haunted brewery truck “Sylvie,” how Pistachio Rose evolved into a Valentine’s Day ritual beer, and why Josh is so committed to inventing lactose-free “maltshake IPAs” using maltodextrin, monk fruit, and high mash temperatures instead of ingredients he personally can’t drink. He also discusses Hopservation, Black Lung’s experimental hazy IPA series that later helped spawn beers like Galaxy 503, Intergalactic Space Juice, and Trampled by Sliders, and breaks down how he trials new hops like Nectaron on a full 5-barrel system without a pilot brewhouse. Plus: how Lung Light stays on tap with contract-brewed batches while he saves tank space for coffee stouts, Kentucky Common, Kolsch, and other small-batch seasonals.

About Black Lung Brewing Company: Black Lung Brewing Company operates a cozy brewery taproom in Round Lake Beach, a waterfront brewpub with craft burgers in Fox Lake, and a new full-scale brewery, kitchen, and taproom in downtown Grayslake, Illinois. Their lineup ranges from light lagers and ambers to pistachio cream ales, baklava-inspired white stouts like Pistachio Rose, maltshake IPAs, and experimental hazy IPAs in their Hopservation series. Learn more on their website at https://www.blacklungbrewing.com

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Here is the Nardwuar Top 20 Reactions video Cody mentioned (profanity warning): https://youtu.be/1UxPXdhoI-g?si=ZafW7Ed5_Qek4QO_&t=13

You can learn more about Crafty Brewers and get in touch with us on our official website, https://craftybrewerspod.com

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC. Is your brewery or business looking to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting? Then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/ to learn more.

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Black Lung Brewing, Black Lung Brewing Grayslake, Black Lung Brewing Fox Lake, Black Lung Brewing Round Lake Beach, haunted brewery, Pistachio Rose white stout, pistachio baklava white stout, baklava-inspired beer, rose petal beer, pistachio beer, Toxic Puddles pistachio cream ale, Hopservation hazy IPA, experimental hop series, Galaxy 503 maltshake IPA, maltshake IPA, lactose-free milkshake IPA, Nectaron hops, Trampled by Sliders pale ale, Intergalactic Space Juice IPA, Kentucky Common beer, Left Fork Kentucky Common, Lung Light lager, Black Crow Kolsch, Noon Porter, dry Irish stout homebrew, Irish red ale, Eagle Fang amber ale, experimental hops in IPA, brewery glycol system, fermentation temperature control, alternating proprietorship ZümBier, Beer Bazaar collaboration, Lake County Beer Festival, baklava white stout recipe, rose water in beer, maltodextrin in beer, high mash temperature brewing, haunted brewery truck Sylvie, and craft brewery Grayslake Illinois.

Learn how Tighthead is bringing cask-ale pub culture to Illinois and how they make IPAs that changed Cody’s entire perspective on beer. Plus: hear a traditional rugby song!

Tighthead Brewing Company Owner/Brewer Bruce Dir and Brewmaster Billy Oaks share the fascinating story behind their Mundelein, Illinois brewery, from rugby roots and homebrewing origins to crafting balanced, award-winning beers. They discuss everything from scaling up recipes and mastering pub culture to developing new hemp-infused beverages.

They share their humble beginnings from the Lake County homebrew club, learning the ropes of judging beer competitions, and why Irish Red Ales deserve more love. Plus: the messy first batch of Scarlet Fire Irish Red, opening-day chaos, and the now-legendary story of Metra trains waiting so commuters could grab a growler.

After the break, they dive into Boxcar Porter and the fine line between porter and stout, explore balance in recipe design, and detail how their collaboration with Chicago Bears legend Patrick Mannelly led to the Long Snapper IPA, a “crushable” West Coast style brewed with Cascade and Centennial hops. They also taste Irie IPA, a 7.8% “hop candy” of 100+ IBUs that challenges IPA skeptics, and introduce listeners to pub culture and cask conditioning, explaining how natural carbonation creates creamy texture and warmth in a hand-pulled pint. Plus: in a Crafty Brewers first, hear Bruce sing the rugby drinking song “Biddy McGraw”!

0:00 Tighthead Brewing interview intro

2:29 What is a tighthead? Rugby 101

4:48 The first beer Tighthead brewed

6:38 From homebrew club to brewing buddies

9:20 What’s it like to judge a beer competition?

12:42 Why aren’t Irish Red Ales more popular?

15:26 What were the challenges of scaling up brewing operations?

16:40 The story of opening day and how things started

24:36 Metra trains would wait for customers to buy beer

25:39 Boxcar Porter and what sets a porter apart from a stout

29:05 What separates a good beer from a great beer

31:59 Longsnapper IPA beer collab with former Chicago Bears player Patrick Mannelly

38:45 Achieving “hop candy” flavor with Irie IPA, 7.8% ABV and 100+ IBUs

44:16 What is “pub culture” and what is a beer engine?

45:57 How cask conditioning changes the way a beer tastes

49:28 Bruce sings Biddy McGraw, a rugby drinking song (Irish folk song)

51:54 What makes a good beer festival for brewers? Consumers?

58:40 Might As Well sparkling hemp beverage for today’s consumer

1:01:53 How a sparkling hemp beverage is made

1:04:30 Final four questions

1:13:38 Final toast

About Tighthead Brewing Company: Tighthead Brewing Company is a craft brewery with pub culture, located in the same parking lot as the Metra station in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, Illinois. Learn more on their website at https://www.tightheadbrewing.com/

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You can learn more about Crafty Brewers and get in touch with us on our official website, https://craftybrewerspod.com

Crafty Brewers is a production of Quantum Podcasts, LLC. Is your brewery or business looking to capture a loyal audience to drive business results with the power of podcasting? Then visit https://quantum-podcasts.com/ to learn more.

Our executive producer and editor is award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. He insists that we tell you that in this episode, you’ll learn about: Scarlet Fire Irish Red Ale, Boxcar Porter, Irie IPA, Longsnapper IPA, hop candy IPA, West Coast IPA, Cascade hops, Centennial hops, porter vs stout, cask conditioning, beer engine, pub culture, craft beer Illinois, Mundelein brewery, homebrewing, Lake County homebrew club, beer competitions, BJCP judging, Irish Red Ale, American ale yeast, caramel malt, roast barley, craft beer collaboration, rugby beer culture, Biddy McGraw song, Mundelein Craft Beer Festival, Might As Well hemp beverage, hemp seltzer, THC beverage, Perfectly Dosed emulsion, craft beverage innovation, hop balance, West Coast style, and cryo hops.