142: Drekker's Mark Bjornstad on Balancing Tart, Thick, Envelope-Pushing Fruit-Smoothie Ales

Drekker Brewing (http://drekkerbrewing.com) in Fargo, North Dakota, has grabbed the attention of enthusiasts across the country with funky, smoothie-thick, highly fruited beers such as their Chonk and Braaaaaaaains series. Here, Mark Bjornstad, the brewery's president and cofounder—not to mention, part-time nurse anesthetist—talks about building maximum character and body into those beers while maintaining balance via acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, and strength. He also discusses careful selection of Lactobacillus strains for complexity, acidity, and souring time, to prepare the wort for large additions of fruit, hops, lactose, and other flavorings. Drekker's flagship Irish red, Broken Rudder, is popular locally, but is now contract-brewed so that they can focus on the weirder stuff in their own brewhouse. That's the evolution of their original plan to win the trust of local drinkers while gradually rolling out weirder beers. "If we could get people into these beers, and we could introduce them into what craft beer was and what style diversity was, then they might trust us—and then we might try some weird things. ... We could immediately challenge them on what beer could be." "When we were coming up with those things, we were scared—whether they were going to be too weird, whether anyone would follow us with this," Bjornstad says. "Now that I look back at it, those are some of the tamest things we do now, what we thought was crazy 10 years ago." This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): Nearly 2,000 breweries across the US, Canada & Mexico partner with G&D Chillers. Innovative, Modular Designs and no proprietary parts propel G&D ahead as the premier choice for your glycol chilling needs. Breweries you recognize—Russian River, Ninkasi, Jack's Abby, Samuel Adams and more—trust G&D to chill the beer you love! Call G&D Chillers to discuss your project today or reach out directly at GDChillers.com. (https://gdchillers.com) BSG (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/): Crisp Flaked Maize! Shake up your beer recipe with an easy-going adjunct from BSG. Crisp Torrefied Flaked Maize from BSG is a ready-to-mash, pre-gelatinized adjunct. Crisp Flaked Maize provides a subtle flavor and mouth feel without a significant color contribution. It has 80% extract, does not require milling, and is a non-GM certified ingredient. Learn more about Crisp Torrefied Flaked Maize at bsgcraftbrewing.com (https://bsgcraftbrewing.com), or contact them at 1.800.374.2739. Brewmation (https://www.brewmation.com/): With nearly 20 years of innovation and experience, Brewmation specializes in electric, steam, and direct fire brew houses, complete cellar solutions, and automated controls for the craft brewing industry. From ½ barrel to 30 barrel systems, Brewmation puts you in control to design a brewery that fits your needs and brewing style. Whether you’re starting a new brewery, upgrading your cellar, or just need some parts to keep you up and running, Brewmation has you covered. Visit them at Brewmation.com (https://www.brewmation.com) to get started. Spike Brewing (https://spikebrewing.com/craft): Born out of a basement in Milwaukee a decade ago, Spike has grown to become a leading manufacturer of premium-quality brewing equipment. So, if you’re looking for a reliable system for home or a commercial-grade Nano for your brewery, this is the time to buy! Spike is offering CB&B listeners a special 10% off all three-vessel system purchases, while supplies last. Visit spikebrewing.com/craft (https://spikebrewing.com/craft) and enter the code CBB at checkout. Spike Brewing—pursue what’s possible. ABE Beverage Equipment (https://ABEequipment.com): ABE Beverage Equipment provides complete brewing and packaging solutions worldwide. Whether you are just starting out or are looking to expand, ABE offers brewhouses, tanks, canning lines and more for small to medium sized brewers. ABE has equipped over one thousand breweries worldwide and has the best customer service in the industry. Call ABE Beverage Equipment at 402-475-BEER or visit ABEequipment.com to learn more. That’s ABEequipment.com (https://ABEequipment.com) for complete brewing and packaging solutions.