BGA members, non-members, homebrewers and craft beer fans are invited to join the BGA for its annual seminar day, taking place Friday, November 15, 2024 from 9AM to 4:30PM during Alaska Crafted Weekend. See below for this year's featured speakers, and stay tuned for additional details about this year's event! Join us at 6PM after the seminars for the awards ceremony for this year's AK Beer Awards!
Access to this year's seminars is included in the Alaska Crafted Conference admission ticket. BGA members receive discounted registration fees, and early bird pricing is available through October 3! You can register for this year's conference and view full details at the link below.
9:00AM - 10:00AM No/Low Alcohol Brewing 101 - Andres Furukawa, AEB Brewing Company (Sweden) In-Person
No alcohol and low alcohol beers are continuing to gain popularity within the beverage industry yet remain some of the trickiest beers to brew well. AEB Brewing's Andrés Furukawa knows all about it, though: as head brewer at Sweden's Nils Oscar Brewery, he brewed and launched a non-alcoholic beer in collaboration with Iron Maiden (yes, the rock band). Get an overview of the NA/LA brewing process and bring plenty of questions to this enlightening talk!
10:15AM - 11:15AM Small Brewery Finance - Audra Gaiziunas, Brewed for Her Ledger (Asheville, NC)Virtual
Synopsis Coming Soon
11:30AM - 12:30PM (Shared Presentations) CO2 Recapture & You - Jeff Muston, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (Chico, CA) VirtualNitrogren Generation for All - Campbell Morrissey, pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, OR) Virtual
Disruptions to the CO2 supply chain have plagued the craft beverage industry over the last few years, and CO2 recapture is a promising technology to help alleviate this production bottleneck. Sierra Nevada is known for its commitment to sustainable practices, and Jeff Muston will discuss the process of CO2 recapture, best practices for utilizing recaptured CO2, contaminants and solutions and effective testing and monitoring.
Nitrogen is a viable alternative to carbon dioxide for a number of processes throughout the brewery. While purchased nitrogen can be expensive and inefficient, nitrogen generation is a surprisingly simple and affordable technology. Learn how nitrogen can be effectively implemented in the brewery and how installing a generator can help build resiliency into your gas supply.
12:30PM - 1:00PM Lunch (Taco Bar by 49th State Brewing Company) In-Person
Country Malt Group's Tyler Shoales will join us for his annual update on this year's barley crop, including anticipated yields, current challenges and more.
1:30PM - 2:00PM Trade Practice Review & Update - Lee Ellis, Midnight Sun Brewing Company (Anchorage, AK) In-Person
Affecting manufacturers, distributors and retailers, the trade practice regulations implemented as a result of Alaska's Title IV rewrite are new rules that dictate how alcohol can be sold and promoted within the state. Lee Ellis, president of the Brewers Guild of Alaska and Midnight Sun Brewing Company, will review these new regulations and how they effect your business.
2:15PM - 3:15PM From Bine to Beer: The Hop Breeding Process - Joe Catron, Yakima Chief Ranches (Yakima, WA) In-Person
Ever wonder how new hop varietals come to be? Yakima Chief Ranches' Joe Catron will provide an overview of the entire process, from selecting parent varietals to choosing desirable flavor and aroma characteristics to the introduction of marketable hops.
3:30PM - 4:30PM Come Together: Making & Marketing 3-Way IPA - Mike Francowicz & Brian Bovenizer, Fort George Brewery (Astoria, OR) Virtual
Collaboration and making fun bevies with your friends is one of the best parts of working in the craft beverage industry. An outstanding example of successful collaboration is Fort George Brewing Company's annual release of 3-Way IPA. Each year, the IPA style, recipe and collaborators of this brew change, but the idea stays the same: learn from each other and make something that you'll all enjoy drinking. Fort George's head brewer, Mike Francowicz, and marketing director, Brian Bovenizer, will discuss the creative process that goes into both brewing and selling this noted collaboration and, hopefully, will inspire your next collab!