It seems like only yesterday that the beer industry would spend their days and weeks wondering who Anheuser-Busch would buy next. It all started when A-B bought Goose Island back in 2011. Fast forward to today, Bud Light is no longer the #1 selling beer in America, and Anheuser-Busch is selling off breweries they once acquired to a cannabis company.
Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewery, Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, Square Mile Cider Company, Blue Point Brewery, and Hi Ball Energy have been sold to Tilray Brands Inc. in an all-cash deal that will close by the end of 2023.
By Tilray’s estimates, this acquisition will put them as the 5th largest craft brewing company in the United States, upfront 9th. Combined, the craft brewing portfolio is worth $300 million.
According to Andy Thomas, the president of Bud’s “The High End,” the brewery’s segment of craft breweries they have purchased (Goose Island, Wicked Weed Brewing) stated in a press release that Tilray approached Bud earlier this year about acquiring these brands – which would pre-date Budweiser’s massive multi-billion dollar crash this summer after a failed marketing move with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Ty Gilmore, the president of U.S. Beer at Tilray states this transaction will push their beer production from 4 million case equivalents to 12 million.
Tilray is headquartered in New York City, with operations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America, with an annual revenue of $628 million dollars in 2022.
Big news dropped today as Tilray Brands announced the acquisition of eight beer brands, including Shock Top, from Anheuser-Busch In-Bev. If you have been following along here at The Full […]
Big news dropped today as Tilray Brands announced the acquisition of eight beer brands, including Shock Top, from Anheuser-Busch In-Bev. If you have been following along here at The Full […]
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Norm Ryder has been homebrewing since 1971, and he still considers himself a student of the craft.
“I guess it is rare to see someone still learning after brewing 52 years,” Ryder shares from his home in Ontario, Canada.
We caught up with Norm to hear about his homebrew journey and his current process that keeps his kegs full and taps flowing.
Love at First Pint
Norm’s first taste of homemade beer was during a university study session. “A lady in my class asked me if I wanted to try her husband’s beer,” recalls Ryder. It was the best homebrew he’d ever had (at the time).
“What really piqued my interest was that a major brewery added his beer to their tasting lineup to decide what recipes they were going to showcase, and the tasters were most impressed with the homebrew recipe,” shares Ryder. The recipe used a hopped malt extract found at the grocery store.
Norm decided to try making the beer and opted for the light variety since he was a Labatt’s 50 ale fan then. “I think the real secret was the freshness of the malt extract since the store was located in an area with many European homebrewers.”
After six weeks of conditioning, Norm was able to test his wares. The sample must have been good, as it would be the inaugural brew for a 50+ year homebrewing spree.
Dual-Brew System Setup
Norm pushed on making batch after batch of homebrew, honing his skills and enhancing his brew system. Today, he is not only still making beer but doing so in a big way.
Norm’s all-grain homebrew system consists of 3 mash tuns, two boil kettles (21- and 31-gallon), and five propane burners. He is also a DIYer, fabricating, customizing, and refurbishing equipment to evolve his brewery. “I still use the capper my mother used on the farm to make grape juice for me as a youngster!”
This collection of gear is central to the brewing process that allows Norm to make multiple batches during one brew session.
“I tend to brew one tried-and-true recipe and one experimental recipe each brew day,” shares Ryder. “I get my brewing ideas from fellow [True Grist] club members, brewery tasting tours, and beer magazines.”
This dual-recipe approach to brew day keeps his 22 kegs full, along with cases of bottles conditioning in the fruit cellar.
Keeping the Beer Pipeline Flowing
Norm has a brewing season and off-season, but it is a year-round process to ensure his homebrew well doesn’t run dry.
In the off-season, Norm ensures all his equipment is in tip-top shape and ready to be used once the Canadian winter starts retreating. Mash tuns and kettles are broken down, thoroughly cleaned, and sanitized; kegs have their rubber seals replaced; the plate chiller is flushed and stored wet.
The list of tasks is impressive and would be a daunting level of attention for some. But this level of care keeps Norm on top of his game and excited about homebrewing.
As brew season approaches in March, the attention shifts to ingredient supplies. After inventorying all the ingredients left from the previous season, Norm starts planning nearly all the recipes he’ll be brewing the following year. Using BeerSmith, he knows what he will need for malt, hops, and yeast.
“I store my hops in an upright designated freezer with the 21 hop varieties organized alphabetically. The 36 different malts (1,550 pounds) each have a chart taped on the outside of the lid with the starting weight,” Ryder shares of his near-homebrew shop level of ingredient inventory.
“I buy bricks (500g) of yeast and weigh out five- and ten-gallon portions in ziplock bags,” says Ryder, who primarily ferments with SafAle US-05 and SafLager W-34/70.
“This procedure allows me to start each year ready to go,” Ryder shares proudly.
Norm’s Kolsch Recipe
We asked Norm to share one of his tried-and-true recipes that he enjoys homebrewing. “The neighbors keep clambering for it! Everyone just loves it, especially in Kolsch glasses.”
Recipe Details
Volume: 11 gallons (41.6 L)
Efficiency: 82%
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 13.4
SRM: 4.7
Ingredients
Malts
13.5 lb. (6.1 kg) 2-row malt
2 lb. (0.9 kg) White Wheat malt
1 lb. (0.4 kg) CaraPils, Dextrine, or Carafoam
1 lb. (0.4 kg) Wheat flakes, lightly toasted (do not mill)
0.5 lb (0.2 kg) Honey malt
Hops
0.75 oz. (21 g) Hallertauer hops, 5% a.a. @ 60 min
0.75 oz. (21 g) Hallertauer hops, 5% a.a. @ 20 min
0.75 oz. (21 g) Hallertauer hops, 5% a.a. @ 10 min
Yeast
SafLager W-34/70 or SafAle US-05 (I use both with almost identical results)
½ tsp. Yeast Energize @ 15 min
Misc
3 hand fulls of rice hulls (in mash tun)
1 Whirlfloc tablet @ 15 min
Directions
Mash at 154°F (68°C) for 70 minutes. Adding in the rice hulls can help prevent a stuck mash.
Conduct a 70-minute boil, following the kettle addition timings as listed in the ingredients.
Ferment at 64°F (18°C) for four days. Increase the temperature 1 degree per day until you hit 68°F (20°C). Hold for one day and then set the fermentation chamber temperature to 64°F (18°C). Wait ten days if using US-05 and 14 if you are using 34/70. The lager yeast just takes longer! Let it shine!!
I use pure oxygen before I add yeast with the regulator set at 0.5 flow rate for 1 minute.
This beer is so tasty you need to just keep brewing it! Pour into a Kolsch glass and enjoy! Prost!
When the entire country seems entrenched in the warmest days of the year, many beer enthusiasts run for something lighter and more refreshing to quench their thirst. Just because the weather is warmer does not mean that beer lovers must sacrifice flavor for a lighter and more refreshing beer.
Here are a few styles to wet the whistle and examples of where to find them from local and regional brewers.
Berliner Weisse: Berliner weisse is the lightest of all wheat beers, originating in Berlin and enjoyed by the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte, who called it “The Champagne of the North.” These light and tart beers can be enjoyed fruited or unfruited and can provide relief on even the hottest days since their alcohol content is typically quite low (between 2.8% and 5%).
Italian-Style Pilsner: One of the newest styles that American craft brewers have embraced, Italian Pilsner has become a favorite beer style for many. An Italian Pilsner is typically aggressively hopped with noble varieties but is a very dry lager otherwise. This fan-favorite and brewer-beloved beer style can walk drinkers through even the summer swelter with a low alcohol content and maximum lager goodness.
Kolsch: This dry, crisp beer is a well-kept secret within the beer community. Originating from Cologne, Germany, this light-bodied beer has been a favorite of American brewers and beer lovers for many years. Whether chosen for poolside enjoyment or tapped for food-pairing potential, Kolsch is a versatile beer for all seasons—summer and beyond.
Belgian-Style Witbier: While this style of beer is usually cloudy, it maintains a light body and a bright citrus character that can refresh on even the hottest of days. With an alcohol presence of less than 6%, the Belgian-style witbier fits any occasion from boats to beaches to backyards and beyond.
Mexican-Style Lager: An outgrowth of classic German lager styles, Mexican-style Lager was born from German brewers who emigrated to Mexico and longed to produce the lagers of the Old World. With a slight fruit character and low alcohol content, there is almost no bitterness to speak of in these clear lagers, only waves of refreshment radiating like the sun against the shore.
Session IPA: Designed especially for hop lovers who want to enjoy all of the flavor without the big body of an IPA or double IPA, the session IPA is a summertime favorite. This style oftentimes uses dry hopping to pour on the hop aroma but has a light enough body to be thirst-quenching. The malt backbone is flexible enough to allow the hops to shine, with the style maintaining an ABV in a wide range of 0.5% -5.0%.
Hefeweizen: Another fine example of wheat beers meeting the needs of summertime, the hefeweizen style is a mainstay of the cooler in many parts of the country. Cloudy, carbonated, and packing flavors of banana, clove, nutmeg, and vanilla, hefeweizen should be on the list of tag-team partners for any summertime drinking.
