All About Beer AAB 082: How Rice Helps Create Flavorful Beers and New Trends in Japanese Rice Lager
10 snips
Oct 16, 2025 Scott LaFontaine, assistant professor and food scientist studying beverage chemistry, and Sean Buchan, CEO of Cerebral Brewing known for scientific brewing, discuss rice in beer. They explore Japanese rice lager trends, using oak foeders, rice formats and gelatinization, varietal choices, and rice’s sustainability and flavor roles. Multiple short, punchy conversations dig into techniques and brewing futures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Foeder-Fermented Lagers Origin Story
- Sean Buchan described buying American oak foeders after being inspired by beers he tried in Copenhagen.
- He fermented many lagers directly in those foeders and preferred the rounded results to stainless-first conditioning.
Oak Foeders Add Softness, Not Funk
- Fermenting and conditioning lagers in full oak foeders provides mild micro-oxidation that softens and rounds the beer.
- Cerebral's foeders are neutral after six years, so they add subtle texture without overt oak or mixed-culture funk.
Practical Tips For Brewing Rice Lagers
- Use pre-gelatinized flaked rice and rice syrup solids to avoid cereal mashes and stuck mashes when substituting substantial rice percentages.
- Ferment at typical lager temps (48–50°F) with a de-rest and cold conditioning for 5–6 weeks to finish cleanly.