About This Course

This course includes 67+ minutes of video

When he was the brewing innovation specialist at New Belgium in Fort Collins, Colorado, Ross Koenigs led the analytical research that led to the Hemperor, the groundbreaking hemp-flavored IPA. His journey continued as he experimented and gathered more expertise for his book Brewing with Hemp, published by Brewers Publications, and more recently as he launched his own Second Dawn brewery in eastern Denver.

In this detailed 67-minute video course aimed at homebrewers, Koenigs explains the science and practicalities of brewing with cannabis. Along the way, he discuses: 

  • brewing with hemp seeds as a flavor adjunct
  • how hemp seeds promote esters and desirable phenols
  • adding hemp-seed oil in fermentation to extend a beer’s shelf life
  • hop varieties that pair well with hemp-seed flavors
  • brewing with cannabis for flavor
  • the organic similarities or cannabis and hops
  • the potential aroma and flavor outcomes of brewing with cannabis
  • the constituent aromatic components of “dank”
  • adding cannabis to the whirlpool
  • biotransformation and cannabis flavors
  • watching out for hemp creep
  • dry hopping (or dry hemping) techniques with cannabis
  • decarboxylation to unlock cannabinoids in beer
  • using a pressure cooker to decarboxylate cannabis
  • solubilizing decarboxylated cannabinoids to make tinctures
  • controlling safe dosage with tinctures
  • using tinctures to add other flavors

And much more.

Instructor

Ross’s older brother showed him how to make beer, which ignited a passion for brewing that united his creative, culinary and scientific minds. His instant interest evolved and grew, taking Ross out of Wisconsin to the UC Davis Master Brewers Program in California and ultimately to New Belgium Brewing Company in Colorado. Working there for over a decade, Ross became a leader and author in brewing innovation, developing new recipes and techniques including for the VooDoo Ranger series, the Hemperor, and Oak Spire. Over that same course of time, Ross also met and married Amy, a native Coloradoan working as a graphic designer for a national education non-profit.

Ross Koenigs

Founder and brewmaster, Second Dawn Brewing

Course Curriculum

  • 01

    Welcome

    Show Content

    • Intro and Course Overview
  • 02

    Hemp Seeds and Hemp-Seed Oil

    Show Content

    • Brewing with Hemp Seeds

    • Using Hemp Seed Oil for Fermentation and Shelf Stability

    • Hemp Seeds and Fermentation Profile

    • Hops that Pair Well with Hemp Seeds
  • 03

    Brewing with Cannabis for Flavor

    Show Content

    • Cannabis as a Flavor Ingredient

    • The Aroma and Flavor Outcomes of Brewing with Cannabis

    • Cannabis Whirlpool and Biotransformation Considerations

    • Fermentation and Cannabis Aroma/Flavor Extraction

    • Dry Hopping (or Dry Hemping) with Cannabis
  • 04

    Brewing with Cannabinoids

    Show Content

    • Decarboxylation to Unlock THC

    • Solubilizing Cannabinoids for Beer

    • Safe, Controlled Dosing with Your Tincture

    • Using Tinctures to Extract Flavors
  • 05

    Conclusion, Recipes & Further Reading/Listening

    Show Content

    • Summing It Up

    • Podcast Episode 133: New Belgium’s Ross Koenigs Takes an Analytical Approach to Hops and Cannabis

    • Some Basics of Brewing with Cannabis

    • Dazed & Infused: THC in the Brewery

    • More Perspectives: Keith Villa on the New Frontier of Cannabis in Beer

    • Recipe: Keith Villa’s NA Peanut Butter & Pot Porter

    • Podcast Episode 102: Blue Moon & Ceria Beverage Founder Keith Villa Is Exploring Uncharted Territory in Beer With Cannabis

    • Dosing Homebrew With Marijuana Tinctures

    • Recipe: New England IPA with Infused THC

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