Changes

In 2012, Linsey and Trevor Rogers founded '''de Garde Brewing''' in Tillamook, Oregon. De Garde is often considered the first exclusive [[Spontaneous_Fermentation|spontaneously fermented beer]] producer in the United States, despite initial intentions to also produce conventional beers<ref name="wweek">[http://www.wweek.com/outdoors/2016/05/27/tillamooks-de-garde-might-be-the-worlds-quirkiest-brewery/ Tillamook's De Garde Might Be the World's Quirkiest Brewery. Retrieved 3/5/2018]</ref>. Due to the positive progression of their first three spontaneous beer batchesbatch, the Rogers decided to solely focus on spontaneous fermentation because it is a "representation of [their] heart and soul" <ref name="craftbeertemple">[http://craftbeertemple.com/videoblog/2015/05/on-location-at-de-garde-brewing/ The Beer Temple Episode #264: On Location at De Garde Brewing]</ref> (~11 min in).

The first de Garde beers were released to the public in 2013 <ref name="bierversuche">[http://www.bierversuche.ch/blog/2016/05/interview-with-trevor-rogers-of-de-garde-brewing/ Interview with Trevor Rogers of De Garde Brewing. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref>. Notable releases include Bu Weisse, a [[[[Berliner_Weissbier | Berliner Weisse]]-inspired low-alcohol beer (often fruited), Saison Premiere, a saison-inspired blend (often fruited), and The Broken Truck, a gueuze-inspired blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old beers. Roughly 90-95% of de Garde's beers are sold directly out of the tasting room <ref name="wweek"></ref><ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~9 min in).

Trevor Rogers is formerly an a former assistant manager 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 name="talkbeer">[https://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/de-garde-brewing.5908/ Talk Beer- AMA De Garde Brewing. Retrieved 2/25/2018.]</ref> (post 158205). 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 | 3 Fonteinen]], [[Cantillon]], and Tilquin as the catalysts to encourage his exploration of spontaneously fermented beer <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 157084) <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 more than 100 miles of the Oregon Coast (from Newport to Astoria) <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~5 min in) <ref name="wweek"></ref>, originally considered targeted 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<ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~5 min in). Rogers noticed a distinct sensory difference in spontaneously fermented trial beers in as few as 10 miles apart <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~4 min in). 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 <ref name="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<ref name="wweek"></ref><ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~2 min in). By 2015, the Bu Weisse beers represented 15-20% of total production, quickly becoming de Garde's flagship beer <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~2 min in). In 2014, they closed the 2nd St. location and moved to a new3, larger 000 sq ft facility four miles south, next to the Tillamook Air Museum <ref name="bendsource">[https://www.bendsource.com/bend/the-wild-wizards-at-de-garde/Content?oid=2426667 The Wild Wizards At De Garde. Retrieved 3/5/2018.]</ref>. They expanded to a new 10 bbl system, which can squeeze out up to 15 bbl of wort due to the modest gravity and alcohol content of many of the beers <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~26 min in). The expansion also included a 14 bbl coolship fabricated by Practical Fusion of Hillsboro, Oregon <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 737875). In 2017, after more than two years of renovations, de Garde returned to downtown Tillamook with the opening of their new tasting room and brewery. Their existing 10 bbl brewhouse was moved to this new location which promises to hold more than 2,000 oak vessels, including dozens of foeders <ref>[http://www.newschoolbeer.com/2017/12/inside-look-de-garde-brewings-new-tasting-room-brewery.html An Inside Look at De Garde Brewing’s New Tasting Room & Brewery. Retrieved 3/4/2018.]</ref>. With the expansion, they intend to shift from using small format oak vessels (~60 gal) in favor of large format one (~130-550 gal) in an effort to increase efficiency and limit oxidation <ref>[https://www.portlandmercury.com/lush-life/2017/11/08/19453175/inside-de-garde-brewings-expansion Inside de Garde Brewing’s Expansion. Retrieved 3/4/2018.]</ref>.

The name de Garde is inspired from the concept of beers destined for keeping, holding, and cellaring – a reference to the breweries who have inspired Rogers in both process and product. De Garde purposefully brews beers that will evolve over time, giving credence to both inspiration and reality <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~19 min in).

90 to 95% of of the grist used in de Garde's beer is Northwest grown and/or malted <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref> and only some recipes use raw grain, such as unmalted wheat in Saison Premiere <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~22 min in). Oats are sometimes used to reduce dryness <ref name="bierversuche"></ref>.

De Garde prefers three or four-year-old aged Cascade or Willamette hops for most of its recipes. Rogers is not particularly fond of the cheesy character of aged hops, instead preferring a wild, earthy, and herbal character. In his experience, aged hops can also contribute noticeable tannins, particularly in more aggressively hopped beers <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>. Beers are hopped at 1.5-3.0 lb/bbl (0.8-1.5 oz/gal), with the latter representing the rate used in lambic-inspired beers. Brewers have progressively increased the hopping rate over the years to prevent beers from becoming too acidic. Bales of aged hops are lab-tested for de Garde to ensure they are not too aggressive or mild <ref name="bierversuche"></ref>. Occasionally, non-aged hops are used at the end of the boil, in the whirlpool, or dry hop for fresh hop character. This is common in some [[Saison | saison]]-inspired recipes <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>, such as Azacca in Saison Troisieme, designed to marry the fruity yeast esters with fruity hop flavors <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~22 min in). In Spears, de Garde used a total of 5.0 lb/bbl (2.6 oz/gal) of hops <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 164405).

Rogers experimented with traditional [[Turbid_Mash | turbid mash]] regimens but switched to a modern approach instead <ref name="beervana">[http://beervana.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-spontaneous-files-de-garde-brewing.html The Spontaneous Files: De Garde Brewing. Retrieved 3/3/2018.]</ref>. He uses a typical mash procedure <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>, featuring a higher-than-normal mash temperature, bordering on the edge of denaturing conversion enzymes, for most beers <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 163644). In general, de Garde produces 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_Weissbier | berliner weisse]]Berliner Weisse/[[Gose | 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 weisseBerliner 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 hot sparge is used to rinse the grain <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>.

Brewers do not oxygenate the wort <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~27 min in). Post boil, the wort is transferred into the coolship, typically around 3-4 pm. Upon entering the coolship, the wort is still at near-boiling temperature. The next day the wort is removed from the coolship around 12 pm (after ~20 hours), though overnight ambient temperatures can impact the cooling rate and exact removal time. Every de Garde beer runs through the coolship <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref><ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~3 min in). The ~14 bbl coolship was built by Practical Fusion in Hillsboro, Oregon <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 737875). Prior to having the coolship installed, de Garde used their 7 bbl Hot Liquor Tank and Boil Kettle (which featured removable tops) for spontaneous inoculation. They equalized the volume between the two vessels to give a higher surface area to volume ratio <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 169003).

For the berliner weisseBerliner Weisse/gose-inspired beers, the coolship inoculated wort is transferred back into the kettle and held between 100-120°F (with 110°F as a target) for approximately 48-72 hours to encourage acidification from ambient lactic acid bacteria. This contributes to a relatively clean, yet still slightly funky character in the beer. After the warm temperature hold is complete, the wort is transferred to oak barrels and allowed to cool naturally <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref><ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 194702).

The inoculated wort is transferred directly into various sized oak vessels including standard wine (~60 gal) and spirit barrels (~53 gal), puncheons (~120 gal), or foeders (~1,600 800 gal) <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref><ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~3 min in) <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 164564). Consistency between beers aged in barrels and foeders is very high <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~28 min in). The brewery nearly exclusively uses Northwest-sourced barrels <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. Some non-neutral barrel types used include cognac <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>, gin <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>, rum <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 161740), and bourbon <ref name="beerandbrewing"></ref>. De Garde especially enjoys the synergy between gin and hops which is why they age most of their hop-forward beers in gin barrels <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 164378). All oak vessels go through a full sanitization regimen before first use and between subsequent uses. A high pressure wash of 180°F is applied to inverted barrels for 20-30 minutes. Despite this process, Rogers has noticed ''[[Brettanomyces]]'' character expresses itself earlier in subsequent barrel uses<ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~15 min in). Barrels are stacked to a maximum of three levels high to help maintain consistent temperature throughout <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~30 min in). Most of de Garde's beers go through a ropy period in the barrel, indicating the presence of ''[[Pediococcus]]'' <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 160189).

De Garde often fills empty foeders with multiple batches over as long as a week. Often by the third batch, vigorous fermentation is already occurring inside the foeder <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~26 min in). The foeders typically contain Bu Weisse and Petit Desay to take advantage of economies of scale to offer better pricing to customers <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 361517).

Brewers prefers cool fermentation and aging temperatures to discourage [[Acetic_Acid | acetic acid]] production, but peak fermentation temperature can creep up to 84°F in the foeders <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~29 min in). Ambient warehouse temperature is consistently 55-60°F, allowing de Grade to skip climate control <ref name="beervana"></ref>. Beers are fermented and aged on the lees and the ambient microflora is never repitched into subsequent beers <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>. The berliner weisseBerliner Weisse/gose-inspired beers complete fermentation in as little as three months <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>.

Approximately 15% of production is set-aside for off-flavor rectification <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>, and a bare minimum of 5% of production will be dumped <ref name="beerandbrewing"></ref>. Brewers see intense [[Butyric_Acid | butyric acid]] and [[Isovaleric_Acid | isovaleric acid]] character early in fermentation but expect flavor resolution around the one-year mark. However sometimes 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>(~15 min in).

Overall, spontaneous fermentation character is consistent year round but intra-batch variation (from barrel to barrel) varies widely. It is rare to dump an entire batch, often just individual barrels from a batch<ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref> (~14 min in). Rogers has intentionally left barrels exceed the four-year mark to see how they will evolve. His willingness to gamble at times is a direct desire to make the best beer possible <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~16 min in).

Rogers believes that the bottle conditioning process is one of the most fragile states of spontaneous beer production <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. De Garde originally packaged beers in 750 ml Belgian-style amber bottles with a crown but have since moved to amber champagne bottles with a cork and crown. The brewery would eventually like to package beers in cans to allow for greater portability and lower cost, further emphasizing Rogers' goal to produce the least expensive beer he can <ref name="thesourhour2"></ref>. Ideally, Rogers would like to target a $10 4-pack of 16 oz cans <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 361517). He aims to price de Garde beers so that it does not require a special occasion to enjoy but rather creates one <ref name="talkbeer"></ref> (post 190063). Bottles are gravity filled, capped individually using a pneumatic capper, hand-labeled and stamped <ref name="wweek"></ref>.

De Garde regularly brews about one dozen different base recipes with slight variations <ref name="bierversuche"></ref>, though in 2014 they brewed over 100 unique recipes, a testiment to their willingess to try new processes and techniques <ref name="craftbeertemple"></ref>(~20 min in).

Recipes are categorized into three general styles; berliner weisseBerliner Weisse/gose-inspired, saison-inspired, and lambic-inspired. As the brewery grows and matures, Rogers plans to phase-down or phase-out the berliner weisseBerliner Weisse/gose-inspired beers, giving more focus and attention to saison- and lambic-inspired beers. The former were produced out of necessity for quick turnaround production but it is not where de Garde's heart is. The brewery recognizes the berliner weisseBerliner Weisse/gose-inspired beer popularity with customers, therefore still plan to produce several batches per year. The end goal is to have the lambic-inspired beers represent a significant majority of the production <ref name="thesourhour1"></ref>.