E203: BGR203: StillFire Brewing with Phil Farrell and Walt Wooden

Talking homebrewing, hazy IPAs, and brewing to style with StillFire Brewing Phil Farrell and Walt Wooden

StillFire Brewing didn't mess around when selecting a brewmaster.  Phil Farrell is well-known in homebrewing circles around the world as well as the beer community in general.  He's been homebrewing for over 30 years, is a Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Grand Master Level 5 beer judge (one of the top 10 ranked judges in the world), previously served as Vice President of the BJCP, and has even been named Beer Drinker of the Year.

We asked Farrell why he's going pro after all these years.  He explains that it's all about timing.  He lived a rockstar beer life as an "amateur", brewing with some of the biggest names in the industry - Sierra Nevada, Rogue, Wynkoop, Fill Sail, and many more.  He'd thought of starting a brewery a couple of times but it just wasn't right at the time.  Things fell into place at StillFire when he was approached by one of the founders explaining he wanted to open a brewery in an old firehouse not far from Farrell's home.  Finally, after 30 years, it's time to go pro.

StillFire Brewing brings approachable beers to their local community

Teaming up with Head Brewer Walt Wooden, StillFire is bringing many recipes that have been perfected over 30 years to taps for everyone to try.  They want to offer a variety of approachable beers to their local community.  Taps are flowing now and they've got some tallboy cans with awesome labels available to-go.  There's no distribution yet, so you'll have to visit the brewery to get your hands on brews like the awesome Glory Haze NEIPA.

We had a lot of notes on what to talk about with the guys, but we threw that out the window and just let the conversation flow.  The discussion covers a lot of homebrewing, entering competitions, the evolution of beer styles, and more.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to talk about Farrell's well-traveled rubber chicken.  Maybe next time.

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