Julia Herz, Executive Director of the American Homebrewers Association, joined local brewers and homebrew clubs to discuss the current state and future of the homebrewing community. Drawing on decades of experience as a homebrewer, beer judge, and industry leader, Herz shared insights into the AHA's transition to independence, the importance of national and local brewing communities, and the role clubs and homebrew shops play in sustaining the hobby.

During the talk, Herz highlighted key AHA initiatives including Homebrew Con, the National Homebrew Competition, and member resources such as Zymurgy magazine and the AHA forum. She also discussed broader trends affecting homebrewing, from demographic shifts and changing drinking habits to the importance of strengthening club networks and welcoming new brewers into the community.

The presentation concluded with an open Q&A session where club members discussed strategies for growing local brewing groups, supporting homebrew shops, and building a stronger national homebrewing network.

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In this second session of Gnome Brew’s lager brewing series, Hagen Dost of Dovetail Brewery focuses on fermentation and maturation, explaining how yeast handling, temperature control, off-flavor prevention, and conditioning shape clean, expressive lager beer.

Hagen Dost begins part two of the lager brewing series with a practical look at what defines lager beer, emphasizing that the goal is not yeast-driven esters but a clean presentation of malt and hops. Using Dovetail’s pils as a tasting example, he walks through sensory analysis in terms of appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, foam, bitterness, and aftertaste.

From there, he covers common lager off-flavors including dimethyl sulfide, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, and hydrogen sulfide, explaining how each one presents, what usually causes it, and how brewers can prevent or correct it through stronger boils, better sanitation, proper yeast handling, and patient maturation.

The session then moves into wort production, hop timing, pitching rates, fermentation temperature, diacetyl rests, maturation timelines, forced fermentation testing, and practical homebrewing setups. Throughout, Dost frames lager brewing as a process of intentional control, where yeast health, low-stress fermentation, and steady cold conditioning are central to producing refined, drinkable beer.

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Hagen Dost, brewer and co-owner of Dovetail Brewery, presents a brewing fundamentals session focused on mashing, malt, enzyme activity, step mashing, and decoction techniques as the foundation for brewing lager beers.

In this first session of a two-part lager brewing series at Gnome Brew, Hagen Dost of Dovetail Brewery walks through the fundamentals of malt, barley modification, and enzyme activity to explain how brewers shape beer through mash design.

The presentation covers how protein rests, beta amylase, alpha amylase, and limit dextrinase affect starch conversion, fermentability, body, foam, and overall beer character, with special attention to the role of modern malt and the choices available to brewers during mashing.

Dost also compares single infusion, step mash, and decoction approaches, explaining how decoction can increase malt depth, color development, efficiency, and attenuation, while illustrating how these techniques influence beers like helles, kolsch, Vienna lager, and Czech-style pilsner.

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Omega Yeast’s Director of Quality, Greg, presents an in-depth seminar at Gnome Brew on the company’s Plus and Next Series yeast strains, exploring how modern yeast engineering, fermentation science, and new brewing technologies are expanding what brewers can achieve with yeast.

Greg from Omega Yeast introduces the company’s research-driven approach to brewing yeast and explains how their R&D team develops new strains designed to improve brewing performance or introduce new flavor possibilities. The talk focuses on two major product lines: the Next Series, which explores new flavor and aroma potential, and the Plus Series, which improves practical brewing performance.

The presentation walks through several key technologies Omega has developed using precise CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Greg explains how yeast genes can be targeted and modified to alter specific fermentation traits, allowing brewers to remove phenolic off-flavors, reduce diacetyl production, unlock hop-derived thiol aromas, or control haze formation in finished beer.

Along the way he breaks down the science behind fermentation compounds such as diacetyl, phenols, thiols, and yeast-derived haze. The session includes practical brewing insights on hop creep, fermentation management, yeast health, pitching rates, and how different yeast traits influence flavor, clarity, and fermentation efficiency.

The talk concludes with a discussion of how yeast engineering may shape the future of brewing, including new approaches to haze control, fermentation performance, off-flavor prevention, and expanding the range of flavors brewers can create through yeast-driven fermentation.

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Award-winning cider maker Paul Vander Heide of Vander Mill leads an in-depth session at Gnome Brew on the fundamentals of cider making, covering apple selection, fermentation, balance, and practical techniques for producing high-quality cider at home.

Paul Vander Heide, founder of Vander Mill, shares his experience building one of the Midwest’s most respected cider producers while explaining the core principles behind great cider. The talk begins with an overview of cider history, the growth of modern American cider making, and how Vander Mill developed its approach to producing balanced, expressive ciders.

The presentation explores the role of apples in cider production, including the importance of acidity, tannin, sugar, and aroma in creating structure and balance. Vander Heide explains how different apple varieties contribute these elements and how cider makers blend apples to achieve specific flavor profiles.

He also walks through the practical steps of cider fermentation, including juice preparation, yeast selection, fermentation management, and maturation. Special attention is given to maintaining balance between sweetness, acidity, tannin, and alcohol.

Throughout the session, Vander Heide offers practical guidance for home cider makers, discussing equipment options, fermentation troubleshooting, and techniques for improving clarity, flavor stability, and overall cider quality.

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