The Escarpment Labs Podcast

What does it take to oversee the yeast, science, and flavour profile of one of the world's most recognizable lagers?
In this episode of the Escarpment Labs Podcast, Richard sits down with Willem Van Waesberghe, Global Master Brewer at Heineken. Together, they trace the profound impact Heineken has had on global lager brewing, starting with the fascinating history and genetics of the legendary Heineken A-yeast strain.
Willem also takes us behind the scenes of two groundbreaking projects: the development of H41—a unique lager brewed using Saccharomyces eubayanus, the rare mother strain of lager yeast—and the Heineken Studio, where his team experiments with innovative blending techniques and mixed fermentations.
If you’re interested in scaling a clean lager, fascinated by wild yeast genetics, or curious about how legacy brands push the boundaries of modern brewing, this conversation will bridge historic scale with cutting-edge experimentation.

We're back with Part 2 of our interview with Master Cicerone & Keeping Together founder, Averie Swanson! In this episode, Richard and Averie get granular on recipe development, fermentation mechanics, and beer style philosophies.
They explore Averie’s renowned approach to brewing Saison, what it means for a mixed-culture specialist to approach "clean" beers, and the technical realities of managing Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus. Plus, they break down their recent collaboration brew and discuss fascinating biotransformation interactions—like how lactones influence hop aroma in mixed-fermentation environments.

Featured in this Episode:
To learn more about the effect of lactones on biotransformation, download our Brewer's Guide to Yeast Flavour & Biotransformation.
For advice on mixed fermentation, visit our Knowledge Base article, Mixed Fermentation and Sour Beer Advice.
Check out our saison, sour, and clean beer strains available for purchase at escarpmentlabs.com

At Escarpment Labs, we love connecting with beer’s brightest minds to help brewers make better, more impactful beer. In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Richard sits down with Averie Swanson—celebrated brewer, Master Cicerone, and founder of Keeping Together Brewery and Beverage Garden in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Averie shares her journey from Chicago to Santa Fe, detailing the triumphs and obstacles of opening a unique beverage space centred on connection, thoughtful brewing, and community. She dives deep into her philosophy on house cultures, the realities of brick-and-mortar execution ("it’s hard when everything goes right"), and how to design a hospitality concept that truly reflects its surroundings.

Is decoction mashing a timeless secret to world-class lager brewing, or just an outdated, energy-draining waste of brewhouse time?
As lager brewing continues its massive resurgence in craft beer, many brewers hit a wall with thin mouthfeel, poor head retention, sluggish cold fermentations, or stubborn off-flavours. While it's easy to blame the yeast, the real problem might actually be hiding back in the mash tun.
In this episode, Mark and Richard break down a landmark Czech brewing study by Enge et al. (2005) to explore how boiling physical portions of your mash fundamentally changes wort chemistry, yeast health, and final beer drinkability.
We unpack:
Natural Yeast Fuel: How decoction acts as a brewhouse nutrient engine, driving Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN) up to 207 mg/L to prevent cold fermentation stalls.

Thermal Cell Rupture: The physical mechanism behind boiling mash fractions to unlock bound proteins and starches.

Cleaning Up Off-Flavours: Why triple and double decoctions significantly reduce fusel alcohols, suppress unwanted esters, and cut acetaldehyde nearly in half (6.0 mg/L vs. 10.7 mg/L in infusion).

Finding the Sweet Spot: Weighing the energy costs of a 3.5-hour triple decoction against the practical efficiency and sensory benefits of a modern double decoction.

Whether you're team single-infusion or a traditional step-mash diehard, this episode will change how you look at lager wort preparation.

Featured in this Episode:
Check out the research: Technological Aspects of Infusion and Decoction Mashing (Enge et al., 2005)
Read our companion blog post: Does Decoction Mashing Actually Do Anything? (Plus Free Decoction Volume Calculator)
Our full Lager Collection can be found here.

What happens when you bring the world's most dedicated fermentation rebels into one room?
In this special monologue episode, Richard takes the mic solo to share his recent experience at Carnivale Brettanomyces—the legendary Amsterdam festival dedicated entirely to wild, funk-forward, and alternative fermentations.
Far from a typical corporate trade show, Carnivale operates with a fiercely independent, "punk-rock" ethos. Richard explores why this hyper-niche gathering is so vital to the global brewing community. We trace the historical significance of the homebrew market as the original sandbox for craft beer innovation and discuss the immense power of finding and maintaining your specific "tribe."
Most importantly, Richard makes a case for why commercial breweries must prioritize and fund experiments that aren’t immediately viable for the bottom line if they want to survive and innovate long-term.
If you’ve ever felt like your creative brewing spark is getting bogged down by production schedules and core brand KPIs, this episode is a rallying cry to get weird, stay curious, and keep fermenting on the fringe.

Featured in this Episode:
For more information Carnivale Brettanomyces, visit https://wildegist.nl/