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Added fermentation methods
Trevor Rogers is formerly of Pelican Brewery <ref name="newschoolbeer">[http://www.newschoolbeer.com/2013/03/de-garde-brewing-opening-soon-with-a-wildbarrel-agedfarmhouse-focus.html De Garde Brewing Opening Soon With a Wild/Barrel-Aged/Farmhouse Focus. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref> but boasts an original affection for wine - even working several wine industry jobs and at one point planning a career in wine <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-2#post-158205 Talk Beer - AMA De Garde Brewing. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref>. He credits Brouwerij Rodenbach for opening his eyes to [[Mixed Fermentation|mixed fermentation beers]] <ref name="craftcommander">[http://www.craftcommander.com/10-questions/2015/7/9/trevor-rogers-de-garde-brewing Trevor Rogers of de Garde Brewing. Retrieved 1/28/2017.]</ref>, 3 Fonteinen, Cantillon, and Tilquin as the catalysts to encourage his exploration of spontaneously fermented beer <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/#post-157048 Talk Beer - AMA De Garde Brewing. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref><ref name="bierversuche"></ref><ref name="craftcommander"></ref>, and Upright Brewery and Block 15 Brewing for introducing wild beers to consumers in Oregon <ref name="oregonbeer">[http://www.oregonbeergrowler.com/blog/de-garde-goes-wild-in-tillamook de Garde Goes Wild in Tillamook. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref>.
Before selecting a physical home for the brewery, Rogers wanted to qualify potential locations for spontaneous fermentation character. He exposed sterile wort to ambient microflora in various towns along the Oregon Coast <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>, originally considered for its consistent year-round temperature and climate <ref name="bierversuche"></ref>. Using a grist of pilsner and wheat, Rogers brewed 15-gallon trial batches on a MoreBeer! Tippy-Dump BrewSculpture. The wort was chilled and split into food grade buckets, standardized to 1-gallon volumes for consistency. The buckets were brought to prospective locations and left uncovered overnight, emulating the function of a coolship. Once retrieved, the beer was allowed to ferment for approximately 12 months before undergoing sensory assessment to understand the unique representation of ambient microflora from that area. Rogers noticed a distinct sensory difference in spontaneously fermented trial beers in as few as 10 miles apart <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>. This trial batch method allowed Rogers to refine his list of prospective locations and repeat batches to qualify consistency <ref name="bierversuche"></ref>. Ultimately, Tillamook was selected for its desirable microflora character and shorter fermentation timeline <refname="beerandbrewing">[https://beerandbrewing.com/breakout-brewer-de-garde-brewing/ Breakout Brewer: de Garde Brewing. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref>.
De Garde initiated brewing operations in 2012 in downtown Tillamook using a 7-bbl brewing system. Their initial focus was to brew a wide variety of clean beers and spontaneously fermented beers <ref name="newschoolbeer"></ref>, however the early success of initial spontaneous batches encouraged the shift to a singular focus. Rogers specifically credits the first batch of Bu Weisse, brewed on a whim to determine brewhouse efficiency and specifications, for reinforcing his desire to pursue spontaneous fermentation exclusively. By 2015, the Bu Weisse beers represented 15-20% of total production, quickly becoming de Garde's flagship beer <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Tillamook water is mineral deficient much like distilled water. Rogers does not treat the water for the vast majority of recipes because he wants the beer to be an authentic representation of the environment <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>.
Rogers experimented with traditional turbid mash regimens but switched to a radical modern approach instead <refname="beervana">[http://beervana.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-spontaneous-files-de-garde-brewing.html]</ref>. De Garde uses a typical mash procedure, though some recipes require higher-than-normal mash temperatures. This helps produce wort that "could be found at almost any brewery" with the exception of more adjuncts, such as wheat. Mash pH is adjusted on occasion, specifically for the Berliner Weisse/Gose-Inspired recipes since brewers intentionally avoid the enteric bacteria phase of spontaneous fermentation to shorten fermentation duration and produce less funky character. It is important to note, however that no pH adjustments are made after the mash <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>. The Berliner Weisse/Gose-inspired beers are mashed at 150°F for a longer duration for a more fermentable wort <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. The lambic-inspired beers are an entirely different recipe designed to be slightly less fermentable <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. A high mash temperature, bordering on the edge of denaturing conversion enzymes, is used for most beers <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-4#post-163644]</ref>. A hot sparge is used to rinse the grain <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>.
De Garde does not oxygenate the wort <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
De Garde often fills empty foeders with multiple batches over as long as a week. Often by the third batch, vigorous fermentation is already occuring inside the foeder <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
The inoculated wort is transferred directly into oak barrels - either standard wine/spirits barrels, puncheons, or foeders (1500 - 1800 gal) <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref><ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref><ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-5#post-164564]></ref>. The brewery nearly exclusively uses Northwest-sourced oak barrels <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. Some non-neutral barrel types used include cognac <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>, gin <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>, rum <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-3#post-161740]</ref>, and bourbon <ref name="beerandbrewing"></ref>.
The foeders contain Bu Weisse and Petit Desay to take advantage of economies of scale to offer better pricing to customers <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-15#post-361517]</ref>.
De Garde enjoys the synergy between gin barrels and hops which is why they age most of their hop-forward beers in gin barrels <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-4#post-164378]</ref>.
Beers are fermented and aged on the lees and the ambient microflora is never repitched into subsequent beers <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>.
Approximately 15% of production is set-aside to encourage off-flavor rectification or dumped. Brewers see intense butyric acid and isovaleric acid character early in fermentation but expect flavor resolution around the one-year mark. Sometimes, howevever, these off-flavors are persistent and the beer is dumped. Any beers demonstrating acetic acid are immediately discarded <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>, including the barrel <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Barrels go through a full sanitization regimen before first use and between subsequent uses. A high pressure wash of 180 F got 20-30 minutes is applied to inverted barrels. Rogers has noticed Brettanomyces character expresses itself earlier in subsequent batches <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
The Berliner Weisse/Gose-inspired beers complete fermentation in approximately three months <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>.
Peak fermentation temperature can hit 84°F in the foeders <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Barrels are stacked three levels high to help maintain consistent temperature throughout. De Garde prefers cool fermentation and aging temperature to discourage acetic acid production <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Overall, ambient microflora character is consistent year round but intra-batch variation (from barrel to barrel) varies widely. It is rare to dump and entire batch, often just individual barrels from a batch <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Most of de Garde's beers go through a ropy period in the barrel <ref>[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/page-2#post-160189]</ref>.
Rogers has intentionally left barrels exceed the four-year mark to see how they will evolve. He willingness to gamble at times is a direct desire to make the best beer possible <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>.
Rogers believes that most of the ambient microflora comes from the brewhouse itself. He looks for a re-supply of enteric bacteria via coolship for added complexity of character <ref name="beervana"></ref>.
==Recipes==