429: Cody Peczkowski of Moontown Maximizes Malt Expression in Medal-Winning Märzen

In Whitestown, Indiana, just outside Indianapolis, this small-town lager brewery has made big waves with multiple World Beer Cup golds for its märzen, Follow the Lederhosen—not to mention a WBC silver for its pale Skool House Bock, knockout scores from Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® judges, and five GABF medals for various lagers.

However, Moontown’s success is a story of working within the confines of their two-vessel system to find processes that produce the flavors they want. Step-mashing is a must, and their mashout decoction—while not a traditional one, by any means—gives them an extra nudge of flavor and attenuation.

In this episode, director of brewing operations Cody Peczkowski talks about the deep influence of his experience brewing for the Gordon Biersch chain, and the how his approach to recipe design has developed in the ensuing years. Along the way, he touches on:

• focusing on premium ingredients for better beer
• step-mashing a hazy IPA
• adjusting the step-mash regimen for body or better attenuation
• using a mashout decoction process on their two-vessel brewhouse
• brewing two different märzens with different origin malts, including both German and American craft malts
• bunging rather than spunding tanks
• managing competition beers that are “too hoppy”
• bringing alcohol levels down in malt-forward lager
• taking a hop-forward approach to West Coast–style pils
• asking the question, “What would Gordon Biersch do?”
  

And more.

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