VINNIE CILURZO

MASTER BREWER

Russian River Brewing Company has become one of the most famous brew pubs in the country. Originally opened by Korbel in 1997, it was purchased in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, who opened the Santa Rosa location in 2004. It’s known for aggressively hopped California ales, Belgian styles and barrel-aged beers, with quirky names like Supplication, Rejection and STS Pils (named after Sonoma County’s airport).

Although he grew up in a winemaking family—his father planted the first vineyard in Temecula Valley in 1968—Vinnie Cilurzo was destined to make beer. He started homebrewing when he was in college. “Almost immediately I knew I wanted to brew professionally,” he tells me over a flight of samples. “IPA was my first interest. It was a big flavor and a distinctive style. At the time there were no American IPAs. It was a style that really interested me, but I wanted to put an American twist on it by using American hops.” Vinnie made a double IPA at his first brewery, Blind Pig, in the mid-1990s. “Looking back, it’s considered the first double IPA made in America.”

Although the raw ingredients for beer are simple, the list of beers available at Russian River’s pub is long, with almost 20 selections and new brews being added all the time. So how do brewers create so many different styles of beer from so few basic ingredients?

“You have the flexibility to make so many flavors of beer because there are so many variations of malt and hops and they all impart different flavors,” he explained. “The same barley can be used to make 20 different types of malt with varying colors and flavors.” The same is true for hops. There are many different breeds, which all impart different characteristics—sort of like different types of grapes in winemaking. “Hops grown in the US are a lot more forward in flavor and aroma than European hops,” Vinnie said. “About 95% of our hops comes from the US, and you get different flavors from different breeds of hops. Some give citrus notes, floral notes and woody qualities. Others give more fruity character. English hops are more earthy and herbal, while German hops can impart a certain grassiness.”

A fan of Lambic beers, Vinnie became interested in the roles of yeast and bacteria in beermaking and began experimenting with barrel-aged sour beers. “I wanted to work with my favorite component of Lambic beers—those funky, earthy, leathery notes,” he explains. “In 1997 I had two wine barrels and I put a blonde ale in them and pitched them with some brettanomyces. I kept making barrel-aged beers and began incorporating bacteria: lactobacillus, pediococcus, brettanomyces. The flavors were good and unique and it was challenging—there were no books at the time on how to use brettanomyces in beer.”

Vinnie pours a sample of Sancitifcation for me to try, his 100% brettanomyces-fermented beer. Contrary to what a wine-lover might expect of something fermented with the brettanomyces yeast (the culprit of barnyard, horse sweat and manure notes in some wines), this was fruity, spicy and refreshing with just a hint of pleasant funkiness underneath. “When brettanomyces are used in the primary fermentation, it’s incredible how neutral the resulting beer is. It doesn’t taste like brett, because the yeast has been given a healthy environment in which to ferment the beer,” Vinnie explains. “It’s only in bottle that you really capture those bretty flavors.”

“There is a lot the beer industry can learn from the wine industry,” he continues. “We bottle condition our sour beers with saccharomyces, the winemaking yeast, because it’s more tolerant of the higher alcohol and acidity of those beers. That’s how we get natural carbonation in the bottle.” Vinnie also regularly uses barrels from local wineries. “We’re fortunate to be in wine country, because we can go directly to winemakers to get barrels instead of having to use a broker. Winemakers can teach us how to take care of barrels, like how to fix a barrel with a leak, or what kinds of flavors aren’t fixable in a barrel—acetic acid, for example. If one of your barrels develops volatile acidity, you may as well throw it out.”

Vinnie and Natalie are particularly forthcoming about their methods and recipes. “Our mentor was Ken Grossman, the founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. He always had a giving, open approach. Now we’re 20-plus year veterans of the industry and we try to do the same and give back where we can,” he says. “For example, think about sour, funky beers. If someone has a bad barrel-aged beer, they may never have another one. We need to be an open book for the industry because this affects us as much as it affects other breweries.”

The popularity of barrel-aged beers is on the rise and super-hoppy brews continue to be in high demand. “Consumers can’t get enough IPA right now,” Vinnie said. “It’s hard to be in the beer industry and not make one IPA or several.” Although Russian River Brewing Company has seen huge success with its Pliny the Elder double IPA and Pliny the Younger triple IPA, Vinnie continues to experiment constantly with new brews. “We don’t want to rest on our laurels with Pliny. We always run the business with that paranoid sense that we need to continue to make new beers, whatever they may be.”

“We just got some Petite Sirah barrels and in the future, we plan to create a brew using Merlot barrels,” he says, excitedly. “In the past we made a Pilsner in Sauvignon Blanc barrels, retaining some of the Sauvignon Blanc juice, so that’s something we’ll make again this coming harvest.” He pours a sample of his latest brew, Apical Dominance, a 5.75% alcohol hoppy blonde ale with refreshing citrus and grapefruit flavors. “For Apical, we used 692, an experimental new breed of hops,” he says, smiling. “We’ve been looking at this breed for years and finally someone grew an acre of it.”

RECIPES

US WEST COAST IPA - ALL GRAIN

RUSSIAN RIVER BLIND PIG ORIGINAL 1994

20 LITERS | ABV 7.2 | IBU ~192 | SRM 6.1 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.070 | FG 1.017
MASH 90 MIN @ 67°C | SPARGE 3 LITERS | BOIL 75 MIN 

NOTES: A few years before he would become the brew master at Russian River, longtime home brewer Vinnie Cilurzo started the Blind Pig brewpub in Temecula, California. He brewed his first batch of commercial beer there on June 23, 1994. That batch also is believed to be the first commercially brewed double IPA.

This recipe, shared with Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® by Cilurzo, is based on that recipe he brewed that day. Compared to a modern-day IPAs, this might appear to be a little pedestrian—but keep in mind that 1994 was a much different time in the brewing industry. IPAs were not yet popular, and the two featured hop varieties here—Centennial and Columbus—were newly available. Also notable is the relatively high volume of bittering hops—a far cry from how most brewers bitter IPAs today. But it might be a welcome change of pace from today’s generally softer IPAs.

BREWER’S NOTES: Very important: On the day of the first dry hop, take a gravity reading of the beer and note this in your brew log. This exercise will be particularly helpful as it relates to hop creep. Three days after the second dry hop, take a gravity reading and note it. Do the same the following day. Once you go 2 days in a row where your gravity has not dropped from the secondary fermentation from hop creep, you can proceed with bottling or kegging. Depending on your conditions, you might have to wait up to 2 weeks to clear the diacetyl from hop creep.

About those bittering hops: There is a limit to how much alpha acid can be isomerized in beer and also to how much can be perceived. While the calculated IBUs for this recipe might be about 195, a spectrometer reading measured them closer to 80. (The yeast also take up a large portion of isomerized alpha acids, which is why the yeast from an IPA fermentation tastes so bitter.)

01.

MALT

MASH:
• 4700g GLADFIELD AMERICAN ALE MALT 2.5 SRM
• 439g GLADFIELD GLADIATOR MALT 5.1 SRM
• 264g GLADFIELD LIGHT CRYSTAL 32 SRM
• 264g GLADFIELD WHEAT MALT 2.1 SRM 

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
BITTERING:

• 99g CHINOOK 13% AA @ 75 MINUTES
FLAVOUR/AROMA:
• 43g CASCADE 5.5% AA @ 45 MINUTES
• 35g CENTENNIAL 10% AA @ 30 MINUTES
STEEP/WHIRLPOOL FOR 30 MINUTES START @ 98°C:
• 57g CASCADE 5.5% AA
DRY HOP 3 DAYS INTO PRIMARY FERMENT FOR 7 DAYS:
• 57g CASCADE
• 28g CENTENNIAL
DRY HOP 3 DAYS BEFORE PACKAGING FOR 3 DAYS:
• 43g CASCADE
• 21g CENTENNIAL
• 21g CTZ

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP 001 CALIFORNIA ALE
• 2ND CHOICE: WLP 090 SAN DIEGO SUPER YEAST

US WEST COAST IPA - ALL GRAIN

RUSSIAN RIVER BLIND PIG CIRCA 2000

20 LITERS | ABV 6.2 | IBU ~64 | SRM 5.5 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.061 | FG 1.014
MASH 90 MIN @ 67°C | SPARGE 3 LITERS | BOIL 60 MIN 

NOTES: CURRENTLY BREWED VERSION

01.

MALT

MASH:
• 4850g GLADFIELD AMERICAN ALE MALT 2.5 SRM
• 168g GLADFIELD GLADIATOR MALT 5.1 SRM
• 224g GLADFIELD LIGHT CRYSTAL 32 SRM 

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
BITTERING:
• 12g CHINOOK 13% AA @ 60 MINUTES
• 12g CTZ 15.5% AA @ 60 MINUTES
FLAVOUR/AROMA:
• 12g AMARILLO 9.2% AA @ 30 MINUTES
STEEP/WHIRLPOOL FOR 20 MINUTES START @ 90°C:
• 14g CASCADE 5.5% AA
• 14g AMARILLO 9.2% AA
• 14g CENTENNIAL 10% AA
• 14g SIMCOE 13% AA
DRY HOP:
• 28g CASCADE
• 28g AMARILLO
• 28g CTZ
(for 3 days after fermentation has finished. Typically day 10)

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP O90 SAN DIEGO SUPER YEAST

US DIPA - ALL GRAIN

RUSSIAN RIVER PLINY THE ELDER

20 LITERS | ABV 8.0 | IBU ~90 | SRM 5.7 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.074 | FG 1.014
MASH 90 MIN @ 67°C 
SPARGE 3 LITERS
BOIL 60 MIN

NOTES:

01.

MALT

• 5000g GLADFIELD AMERICAN ALE MALT 2.5 SRM
• 224g GLADFIELD GLADIATOR MALT 5.1 SRM
• 224g GLADFIELD LIGHT CRYSTAL MALT 32 SRM

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
• 336g CORN SUGAR (DEXTROSE) @ 90 MINUTES
• 40g CTZ 15.5% AA @ 90 MINUTES
• 10g SIMCOE 13% AA @ 90 MINUTES
• 10g CENTENNIAL 10% AA @ 90 MINUTES
WHIRLPOOL/STEEP FOR 30 MINUTES:
• 10g AMARILLO 9.2% AA
• 10g CASCADE 5.5% AA
• 10g CENTENNIAL 10% AA
• 10g SIMCOE 13% AA
DRY HOP FOR 3 DAYS AFTER FERMENTATION HAS FINISHED:
• 28g CENTENNIAL 10% AA
• 28g SIMCOE 13% AA
• 28g CTZ 15.5% AA

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP001 CALIFORNIA ALE YEAST

US DIPA - ALL GRAIN

RUSSIAN RIVER PLINY THE YOUNGER

20 LITERS | ABV ~10.25 | IBU ~225 | SRM 4.4 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.091 | FG 1.015
MASH 90 MIN @ 67°C | BOIL 60 MIN

NOTES:
KEG HOPS (OPTIONAL)
• 28g AMARILLO
• 28g CENTENNIAL
• 28g SIMCOE

RECIPE COURTESY OF THE MAD FERMENTATIONIST

01.

MALT

MASH:
• 6700g GLADFIELD AMERICAN ALE MALT 2.5 SRM [87.1%]
• 454g GLADFIELD GLADIATOR MALT 5.1 SRM [5.9%]

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
• 426g CORN SUGAR 0 SRM [5.5%]
• 113g CANE SUGAR 0 SRM [1.5%]
• 10ml HOPSHOT @ 90 MINUTES
• 56g CTZ 15.5% AA @ 60 MINUTES
WHIRLPOOL/STEEP FOR 30 MINUTES:
• 112g AMARILLO 9.2% AA
• 85g CENTENNIAL 10% AA
• 56g SIMCOE 13% AA
DRY HOP FOR 3 DAYS AFTER FERMENTATION HAS FINISHED:
• 28g AMARILLO
• 28g CENTENNIAL
• 28g SIMCOE

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP001 CALIFORNIA ALE YEAST

US BROWN ALE - ALL GRAIN

RUSSIAN RIVER JANET'S BROWN ALE

20 LITERS | ABV 7.2 | IBU ~42 | SRM 21.6 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.071 | FG 1.017
MASH 90 MIN @ 67°C | SPARGE 3 LITERS | BOIL 60 MIN 

NOTES:

01.

MALT

MASH:
• 3200g GLADFIELD AMERICAN ALE MALT 2.5 SRM
• 1000g GLADFIELD VIENNA MALT 3.5 SRM
• 680g GLADFIELD TOFFEE MALT 5.3 SRM
• 454g GLADFIELD MEDIUM CRYSTAL MALT 56.3 SRM
• 454g GLADFIELD WHEAT MALT 2.1 SRM
• 227g GLADFIELD LIGHT CHOCOLATE MALT 456.9 SRM
• 113g GLADFIELD GLADIATOR MALT 5.1 SRM
• 24g BREWERS GOLD HOPS 8.5% AA

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
• 20g BREWERS GOLD 8.5% AA @ 60 MINUTES
• 20g BREWERS GOLD 8.5% AA @ 15 MINUTES
• 16g CASCADE 7% AA @ 10 MINUTES
STEEP/WHIRLPOOL FOR 20 MINS- START @ 98°C:
• 57g CASCADE 7% AA
DRY HOP FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE PACKAGING:
• 57g CENTENNIAL 10% AA

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP 090 SAN DIEGO SUPER YEAST

US PILSNER - ALL GRAIN

FIRESTONE WALKER / RUSSIAN RIVER STIVO

20 LITERS | ABV 5.3 | IBU ~35 | SRM 3.2 | MASH EFFICIENCY 75% | PRE BOIL 24L | OG 1.051 | FG 1.011
MASH 90 MIN @ 67⁰ C | BOIL 90 MIN 

NOTES: 
Substitutes for Aramis hops:
• Wakatu
• Saaz
• Hallertau Mittlefruh

Caramel Crystal 30L at the recipe percentage mimics the decoction mashing used by most Czech breweries

01.

MALT

MASH:
• 4100g WEYERMANN PILSNER MALT 1.7 SRM [94.8%]
• 168g WEYERMANN CARA FOAM 2.0 SRM [3.9%]
• 56g CARAMEL/CRYSTAL 30L 30 SRM [1.3%]

02.

HOPS

BOIL:
• 4g MAGNUM 12% AA @ 60 MINUTES
• 28g SPALT 4.5% AA @ 30 MINUTES
WHIRLPOOL/STEEP FOR 30 MINUTES - WAIT UNTIL TEMP HITS 90°C:
• 14g ARAMIS 8% AA
• 14g SAPHIR 3.5% AA
DRY HOP FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE PACKAGING:
• 14g ARAMIS 
• 14g SAPHIR 

03.

ADDITIONS 

ADD 15 MINS BEFORE FLAME OUT:
• 1/4 TSP IRISH MOSS (or clarifier of choice)

04.

YEAST 

• 1ST CHOICE: WLP 830 GERMAN LAGER

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