John Maier Image courtesy of Rogue AlesThese days, American brewers seem to be constantly expanding the boundaries of their craft, tapping myriad beer varieties and flavors from around the globe, like the lush, roasted body of Russian imperial stouts, face-puckering Belgian-style sours, the bitter, citrusy smack of double India pale ales (IPA), and the tantalizing spice of ancient brews first crafted in the shadows of Egyptian pyramids. But for brewmaster John Maier, of Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon, the flavors of his latest creation weren’t plundered from a far-off place—he found them right in front of his own face
Maier used yeast clinging to the bristles of his 34-year-old beard, which were plucked during a hunt for signature yeast, says Rogue’s president Brett Joyce. Rogue Ales already grows its own barley, hops, and even honey, which it uses to make Meade. The next step was finding a source of homegrown yeast. “There are only four core ingredients of beer: hops, barley, water and yeast. And it’s pretty hard to grow your own water,” Joyce says.
The brewery teamed up with White Labs, a San Diego, California-based distributor of brewer’s yeast, to find a new yeast strain around their farms or brew house. “We gave them some agar culture plates,” says Neva Parker, manager of White labs and fermentation specialist, “and they set them out ...
