The one thing in my mind that really separates Belgian ale from other regional styles is their unique fermentation character.

Esters and phenols imparted by a certain type of yeast, the degree of which varies between strains. For those who are into more balanced Belgian character something that won't clash

with hops or overwhelm the senses, Imperial Yeast just released B53, a new seasonal strain that

promises to produce beers with a clean bright ester profile.

And while it works great on its own, using it in conjunction with W-15 Suburban Brett in secondary

leads to a beer that's crisp, dry, and deliciously complex.

Be sure to grab some B53 precious right away

because it is a seasonal release

and will not be around for long.

It wasn't that long ago that craft brewers proudly flaunted the fact the beer they peddled was living, chock full of all the flavorful compounds and yeast absent in the popular pale loggers offered

by big beer.

While some have held on to this idea, many craft brewers of today

make an effort to ensure their beer is beautifully bright. This is the Brulosophy

podcast, I'm your host Marshall Schott, and with me today is contributor Jay Koolahan to chat about the impact

mechanical filtration has on beer. Yeah, as someone who really loves clear

beer, mechanical filtration has kind of always been something that I've been

very interested in.

I understand the romantic aspect of craft beer being hazy and unfiltered and, you know,

free of any commercial process, but for me I just, I love that bright beer. Yeah I'm you know that I'm with you on that and you know we live in it in a day and age where where bright beer you know there are styles that are specifically made to not be bright.

People kind of pine for that haze.

But what we're talking about is the impact

that filtration can have on beers

...