508: Steve Luke is Surfing the Next Wave in Cloudburst’s Evolution

Earlier this year, Cloudburst founder Steve Luke announced that longtime friends at Bale Breaker would be buying the brewery while he and his wife relocated to New Zealand for her career. For many in the industry, it felt like an ideal outcome, with the beloved Seattle brand finding a home with the talented team at the Yakima-based brewery. But the move hasn’t taken Luke out of the game—he’ll be involved for at least a few years, and hasn’t let up on the tongue-in-cheek humor around craft beer history that has led to creative and award-winning takes on things like imperial hoppy red ale or hoppy amber ale.

Through the episode, Luke looks back as well as forward, and touches on:

• dealing with burnout as a brewer and business operator
• continuing to meet expectations the brewery has set for themselves
• selling throwback beers by adding “West Coast” to the name
• brewing hoppy red and amber beers as a homage to craft beer’s roots
• first wort hopping, hot side hops in hazy IPA, and avoiding muddled hop character
• lagering hoppy beer for better hop expression
• where hazy IPA went awry
• kiwi brewing from a North American brewer perspective

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

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Berkeley Yeast At the World Beer Cup this year: Gold for West Coast IPA; Gold for Session IPA; Bronze, Silver, and Gold for New Zealand IPA; Bronze, Silver, and Gold for Classic IPA. All these beers were fermented with one yeast: FRESH™ Chico, Berkeley’s low-diacetyl ale yeast. There’s something you need to know: Diacetyl isn’t just a pass or a fail. Yes, at high levels, it’s tragically bad. But even at low levels, it masks the good flavors. So if you want hop notes to pop, you need diacetyl to be ultra-low. These brewers trust Berkeley Yeast for an ultra-clean fermentation because on the finals table, every little detail matters. And now FRESH™ Chico is available in dried bricks for as low as $88 at berkeleyyeast.com.

PakTech This episode is sponsored by PakTech—delivering craft-beer multipacking you can trust. Our handles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic and are fully recyclable, helping breweries close the loop and advance the circular economy. With a minimalist design, durable functionality you can rely on, and custom color matching, our carriers help brands stand out while staying sustainable. Trusted by craft brewers nationwide, we offer a smarter, sustainable way to carry your beer. To learn more, visit paktech-opi.com.

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