Heavy Hops

It’s no secret that the vinyl pressing industry has faced a surge in demand over the last 18 months. The British Phonographic Industry recorded 4.8 Million Vinyl Albums sold in the UK in 2020, marking a decade of growth, which globally eclipsed 1 billion dollars for the first time. In the United States LP and Ep shipments increased 23.6% while compact disc shipments fell 33.6% between 2019 and 2020 according to the RIAA. Joining us this week to offer a manufacturer’s perspective on this growth - and the challenges it presents - is Michael Greig Thomas, the Chief Operating Officer at Kindercore Vinyl in Athens Georgia. We put the manufacturer at the center of our thinking for this conversation, discussing what materials go into producing records, how they are acquired, and the pain points that exist in the manufacturing. By drilling into the supply chain and non-linear process involved in transforming these raw materials, and their components, a richer understanding of why production estimates are lengthy is attainable. We also discuss popular narratives about purchasing power of major record labels to bump small releases in production queues, the Amazon effect, use of recyclable plastic, and how independents can use their size and nimbleness to their advantage in getting their records pressed on favorable timelines. I’d like to note that Michael speaks openly about the industry during this conversation and that his opinions are his, and not necessarily those of Kindercore Records. Find Michael Greig Thomas & Kindercore Vinyl Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!

Smoked beers are thought to be an acquired taste. Aromas and flavors of campfire or bacon, when presented in the context of a pale or dark lager, can be surprising, jarring or intriguing. However, when we think broadly about our own relationship to this sensory experience we can be transported to familiar and even nostalgic places: an outdoor gathering with friends and family, the smell of breakfast, or a barbecue. Enjoying a glass of smoked beer is a window into not only our own past, but also the history of beer. Joining us this week is Matthias Trum, 6th generation brewmaster and patron of Schlenkerla Brewery and tavern located in Bamberg, Germany. Brewers and fans of smoked beer hold the distinctly smokey lagers and wheat beer from this Bavarian brewery in the highest regard. Known for its unique malting handling and preparation methods that impart a distinctly smokey aroma and flavor, Schlenkerla’s Märzen, Wheat beer, bocks and pale lager are gateways into a special sensory experience. We discuss how Matthias translates historical brewing records into modern recipes; what his experience as family business owner and operator has been like; and how he balances modernity, tradition and innovation. This conversation wouldn’t have been complete without a discussion of the Reinheitsgebot, the evolution of the purity laws in Bavaria, and how they are employed and relevant to consumers today. Find Schlenkerla: Website Instagram Facebook Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!

Joining us this week is German multi instrumentalist Dave Schmidt. He is a pillar in the modern psychedelic music scene: his projects Electric Moon, Zone Six, Krautzone, Intercosmos as well as his solo work - released under the name Sula Bassana - are essential listening for anyone looking to open their mind and reach the outer galaxies. His label Sulatron Records sits at the convergence of neo-psychedelic, krautrock, ambient electronic and progressive rock - in a normal year releasing a prolific amount of records for a one person operation. We discuss improvisation in heavy music, Dave’s experience growing up in Berlin in the 1980s, playing in non-traditional venues such as the planetarium in Bochum where I first saw Electric Moon, his collaboration with Portuguese kosmische explorer Talea Jacta for Roadburn Redux, and what he’s been up to with his numerous musical projects during the last year and a half. You’ll find links to Dave’s projects and label in the episode notes (below), as well as a killer video of Electric Moon performing at Freak Valley Festival in 2019. Find Dave Schmidt: Electric Moon Sula Bassana Intercosmos Zone Six Krautzone Sulatron Records Electric Moon Live at Freak Valley 2019 Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please consider donating to our fundraiser to help Sam (Co-Host of Heavy Hops) fight cancer! Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!

Gert van der Waal refers to his ventures in hop growing, malting, and distilling as “experiments.” There’s a level of modesty in this claim indicative of his character. On his small farm located outside Pretoria, South Africa, you’ll find four varieties of hops: Cascade, Kracanup (a cross of Chinook and Cascade originating from Australia), DrakGold (a variety bred near Durban on the east coast) and NAK, a local strain whose name references the rocky terrain on his farm, Nog-a-Klip. In the face of monopolistic and uncompetitive practices on the part of South African Brewers (or SAB) - a direct subsidiary of AB InBev which owns over 90% of South Africa’s hop production - to discourage hop growing outside of a region in which its interests are vested, Gert developed a method to multiply his plants quickly, and has engaged a number of small scale growers who have seen positive results. On Constitution Hill - a Johannesburg fort that served as a prison for Nelson and Willie Mandela during apartheid years - Khaya Maloney is growing hops from rhizomes provided by with Gert. In addition to his curiosity, creativity, and willingness to experiment, Gert’s success can be attributed to his commitment to ecological farming and symbiosis which are unusual in a trade dominated by monocropping. Our conversation with Gert revolves around these topics, home distilling; how shutdowns, alcohol bans, COVID-19 and social unrest have impacted the burgeoning craft brewing and distilling spaces in South Africa. Photos Provided by: Lucy Corne (Facebook, Twitter, Website) Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!

Joining us this week is Kate Bernot, a contributing Editor for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, Sightlines contributor for Good Beer Hunting, and previously beer editor for Draft Magazine. In addition to her award winning writing, she is a BJCP certified beer judge, based in Montana. Her work covers a variety of companies and stories within the alcohol and beer spaces, making her the perfect insider for our wrap up of 2021 and peek into 2022. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on journalistic and academic integrity in reporting, research and policy; the Neo-Temperance Movement; ethics in journalism, why we should be careful when talking about growth in the non-alcoholic beer segment; globalization of craft beer and the role that technology and mass media have played in shifting expectations and styles; and impending supply chain issues. We look at what success brewers have experienced during the pandemic and what challenges lay ahead in the new year. Find Kate Bernot: Twitter Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Good Beer Hunting Sightlines Website Find Heavy Hops: Website (Listen to all episodes and access detailed show notes!) Facebook Instagram Twitter Support The Show By Donating Episode Art and HH Logo By: Bryn Gleason Audio editing, mix and mastering: Esben Willems / Studio Berserk Music by: Sam Cangelosi Please Subscribe to our podcast via your preferred listening platform. Rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts to help others find us! Support The Show By Donating. Give the gift of HH by sharing our episodes on social media! Small actions such as these go a long way in helping others find us!