De Garde Brewing

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De Garde Brewing's logo

Website: http://www.degardebrewing.com/
Phone: 503-815-1635
Address: 114 Ivy Ave, Tillamook, OR 97141
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/De-Garde-Brewing/454141454626661
Twitter: https://twitter.com/degardebrewing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/degardebrewing/

Overview

In 2012, Linsey and Trevor Rogers founded de Garde Brewing in Tillamook, Oregon. De Garde is often considered the first exclusive spontaneously fermented beer producer in the United States, despite initial intentions to also produce conventional beers. Due to the positive progression of their first three spontaneously fermented batches, the Rogers decided to solely focus on spontaneously fermented beer because it was a "representation of [their] heart and soul" [1] (~11 min in). Their first spontaneously fermented beers were released to the public in 2013 [2].

History

(In progress)

Trevor Rogers is formerly of Pelican Brewery [3] but boasts an original affection for wine - even working several wine industry jobs and at one point planning a career in wine [4]. He credits Brouwerij Rodenbach for opening his eyes to mixed fermentation beers [5], 3 Fonteinen, Cantillon, and Tilquin as the catalysts to encourage his exploration of spontaneously fermented beer [6][2][5], and Upright Brewery and Block 15 Brewing for introducing wild beers to consumers in Oregon [7].

Before selecting a physical home for the brewery, Rogers wanted to qualify potential locations for spontaneous fermentation character. He exposed sterile wort to ambient microflora in various towns along the Oregon Coast [1], originally considered for its consistent year-round temperature and climate [2]. Using a grist of pilsner and wheat, Rogers brewed 15-gallon trial batches on a MoreBeer! Tippy-Dump BrewSculpture. The wort was chilled and split into food grade buckets, standardized to 1-gallon volumes for consistency. The buckets were brought to prospective locations and left uncovered overnight, emulating the function of a coolship. Once retrieved, the beer was allowed to ferment for approximately 12 months before undergoing sensory assessment to understand the unique representation of ambient microflora from that area. Rogers noticed a distinct sensory difference in spontaneously fermented trial beers in as few as 10 miles apart [1]. This trial batch method allowed Rogers to refine his list of prospective locations and repeat batches to qualify consistency [2]. Ultimately, Tillamook was selected for its desirable microflora character and shorter fermentation timeline [8].

De Garde initiated brewing operations in 2012 in downtown Tillamook using a 7-bbl brewing system. Their initial focus was to brew a wide variety of clean beers and spontaneously fermented beers [3], however the early success of initial spontaneous batches encouraged the shift to a singular focus. Rogers specifically credits the first batch of Bu Weisse, brewed on a whim to determine brewhouse efficiency and specifications, for reinforcing his desire to pursue spontaneous fermentation exclusively. By 2015, the Bu Weisse beers represented 15-20% of total production, quickly becoming de Garde's flagship beer [1].

Today, de Garde is motivated to be as close to an authentic lambic brewery outside of Belgium. They rely strictly on ambient microflora to create a local manifestation of spontaneously fermented beer [9]. As the brewery matures, production and sales should converge to approximately 1,300 - 1,400 bbls per year [10].

The name de Garde is inspired from the concept of beers destined for keeping, holding, and cellaring – a reference to the breweries who have inspired Rogers in both process and product. De Garde purposefully brews beers that will evolve over time, giving credence to both inspiration and reality [1].

Brewing Methods

(In progress)

90-95% of of the grist used in de Garde beers is Northwest grown and/or malted [10] and only some recipes use raw grain, such as unmalted wheat in Saison Premiere [1]. Oats are sometimes used to reduce dryness [2].

De Garde prefers three or four-year-old aged Cascade or Willamette hops for most of its recipes. Rogers is not particularly fond of the cheesy character of aged hops, instead preferring a wild, earthy, and herbal character. In his experience, aged hops can also contribute a noticeable tannins, particularly in more aggressively hopped beers [9]. Beers are hopped at 1.5 to 3.0 lb/bbl, with the latter representing the hopping rate in the lambic-inspired beers. They have progressively increased the hopping rate over the years to prevent beers from becoming too acidic. Occasionally, non-aged hops are used at the end of the boil, in the whirlpool, or dry hop for fresh hop character found in some of the saison-inspired recipes [9], such as Azacca in Saison Troisieme, designed to marry the fruity yeast esters with fruity hop flavors [1]. In Spears, de Garde used 5 lb/bbl of hops [11]. Bales of aged hops are lab-tested for de Garde to ensure they are not too aggressive or mild [2].

Rogers is not adverse to using imported ingredients, such as European malts and hops, when no suitable domestic substitute exists since it contributes to the overall quality of his beers [12]

Tillamook water is mineral deficient much like distilled water. Rogers does not treat the water for the vast majority of recipes because he wants the beer to be an authentic representation of the environment [10].

Rogers experimented with traditional turbid mash regimens but switched to a radical modern approach instead [13]. De Garde uses a typical mash procedure, though some recipes require higher-than-normal mash temperatures. This helps produce wort that "could be found at almost any brewery" with the exception of more adjuncts, such as wheat. Mash pH is adjusted on occasion, specifically for the Berliner Weisse/Gose-Inspired recipes since brewers intentionally avoid the enteric bacteria phase of spontaneous fermentation to shorten fermentation duration and produce less funky character. It is important to note, however that no pH adjustments are made after the mash [9]. The Berliner Weisse/Gose-inspired beers are mashed at 150°F for a longer duration for a more fermentable wort [10]. The lambic-inspired beers are an entirely different recipe designed to be slightly less fermentable [10]. A high mash temperature, bordering on the edge of denaturing conversion enzymes, is used for most beers [14]. A hot sparge is used to rinse the grain [9].

De Garde does not oxygenate the wort [1].

De Garde describes their system size as 15 bbl despite the mash tun being realistically sized for 10 bbl batches [2]. Brewers can squeeze up to 15 bbl due to the modest gravity and alcohol content of many of the beers [1].

Post boil, wort is transferred to the coolship, typically around 3 or 4 pm. Upon entering the coolship, the wort is still at near-boiling temperatures. The next day the wort is removed from the coolship around 12 pm, though overnight ambient temperatures can impact the cooling rate [9].

For the Berliner Weisse/Gose-inspired beers, the coolship inoculated wort is transferred back into the kettle and held between 100-120°F (110°F target) for approximately 48 to 72 hours to encourage acidification from ambient lactic acid bacteria. This contributes to a relatively clean, yet still slightly funky character in the beer. After the warm temperature hold is complete, the wort is transferred to oak and allowed to cool naturally [10][15].

Every De Garde beer runs through the coolship [9]. The ~14 bbl coolship was built by Practical Fusion out of Hillsboro, Oregon [16]. Prior to having the coolship installed, de Garde used their 7 bbl hot liquor tank and boil kettle (which featured removable tops) for spontaneous inoculation. They equalized the volume between the two to give a higher surface area to volume ratio [17].

Rogers can brew year-round due to the steady, cool, wet climate in Tillamook [7].

Fermentation Methods

(In progress)

Consistency between recipes aged in barrels and foeders is very high [1].

De Garde often fills empty foeders with multiple batches over as long as a week. Often by the third batch, vigorous fermentation is already occuring inside the foeder [1].

Recipes

(In progress)

De Garde brews about one dozen different base recipes with slight variations [2].

In general, de Garde produces three recipe types; Berliner weisse/gose-inspired, saison-inspired, and lambic-inspired. As the brewery grows and matures, Rogers plans to phase-down or phase-out the Berliner weisse/gose-inspired beers, giving more focus and attention to saison-inspired and lambic-inspired beers. The former were produced out of necessity for quick turnaround production but it is not where de Garde's heart is. The brewery recognizes the Berliner weisse/gose-inspired beer popularity with customers, therefore still plan to produce several batches per year. The end goal is to have the lambic-inspired beers represent a significant majority of the production [18].

See Also

References

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