Burning Brothers Brewery opens in Midway

Gluten-free beer so popular company expanded in month one

by Tesha M. Christensen

For over a year, Megan Quick of Minneapolis has yearned for a good beer. Every so often, she has tasted a sip of someone else’s, but she’s stayed away from drinking any more than that since she became gluten-free.

She was very excited to check out the recently opened taproom at Burning Brothers Brewery, 1750 W. Thomas Ave. in St. Paul. It’s the only gluten-free brewery in the Midwest.

“This is a niche that is growing,” said Quick. She appreciates that Burning Brothers owners Dane Breimhorst and Thom Foss recognize that Minnesotans are gluten-free for health reasons, and it’s not part of the latest diet fad.

Quick admits that she has never drank pale ales before, but instead prefers stouts. “But being gluten-free, I’ll take what I can get,” Quick said, as she tipped back a mug of Burning Brothers’ American Pale Ale, the only variety currently available. She is looking forward to new flavors. The IPA will be released in mid-May. “I know I’m going to like it because they’re trying different things,” Quick stated.

“I love that they’re pushing the boundaries of gluten-free beer,” she added.

“It’s good beer,” agreed her husband Daniel Quick, who isn’t gluten-free.

“It’s nice to see people doing something different,” observed Nathan Steigman, a Como resident who is also a homebrewer. “It’s a very good quality beer.” Steigman, a chef himself, recognizes the chef in head brewer Dane Breimhorst, which comes across in how Breimhorst describes his beer-making efforts and the detailed knowledge he has about ingredients.

“You can taste the passion,” remarked Steigman.

HEAD BREWER DIAGNOSED WITH CELIAC DISEASE

Breimhorst knows how hard it is to find a good gluten-free beer. Diagnosed with Celiac disease five years ago, Breimhorst and longtime friend Thom Foss were in the middle of developing beer varieties for what would eventually become Burning Brothers Brewery (named after their former fire-eating antics at many fairs, including the Renaissance Festival). Following Breimhorst’s diagnosis, they started from scratch and relearned how to brew. It took three years to perfect a gluten-free recipe.

“It’s a really big thing for the Celiac community to have a real multi-beer,” remarked Breimhorst.

Burning Brothers don’t use gluten-free filtering, gluten-free enzymes or any other gluten-free gimmicks. Instead they use naturally gluten-free ingredients to create great-tasting and unique beers, including sorghum, buckwheat and millet.

Foss and Breimhorst have known each other since they were 19 years old. “My head is in the clouds,” remarked Breimhorst. “I come up with the ideas. He scales them down to reality.”

FROM THEIR BASEMENTS TO A WAREHOUSE

In July, Breimhorst became a full-time Burning Brothers employee, and Foss followed him in December (after having worked in operations at his former IT company for exactly 10 years and a day). The brewery moved from their garages and Brienhorst’s basement in December to the warehouse in Midway. In the last month and a half, Foss and Breimhorst have taken one day off — Easter Sunday.

“It was a big slap-in-the-face difference,” remarked Foss. Instead of making five gallons at a time, they’re brewing 270 gallons, which means that the timing is completely different. “We can’t brew the same way,” he said.

“I’ve become an engineer, microbiologist, chemist and chef,” noted Breimhorst.

They started with two 7-barrel fermenters and quickly added three more 15-barrel fermenters, expanding in month one instead of month four when they had planned. “I wasn’t surprised that we grew,” noted Foss, “but I am surprised at how quickly.”

When its time to brew beer, the perfectionist in both Foss and Breimhorst comes out. “When I am brewing beer, I am brutal,” Breimhorst admitted. “I am an absolute stickler. I demand my own standards because my name is on the beer.” A lot of beer has been poured down the drain. It can’t just be “good enough,” added Foss. Before they’ll release it, it has to be great.

They are currently on target to produce 150 barrels a month or 1,500 cases.

Despite the stigma regarding cans, its what Burning Brothers opted to use. “Beer is better out of cans 100%,” said Breimhorst, who explained that a beer is fresher from a can than a bottle. Part of that is because it is not exposed to light, which degrades the beer. Burning Brothers also makes sure that no air touches the beer, pumping a bit of foam into the can as the last step in their bottling process to ensure there’s no space for oxygen.

Their process is environmentally friendly. “I love fishing so I don’t want to kill my fish,” remarked Breimhorst. “We try to stay as environmentally safe as possible.”

Why did they opt to locate in the Midway neighborhood? “We are St. Paulites,” noted Breimhorst. “We live in St. Paul. This is where we want to work.”

Foss, who lives near Lake Como, added that St. Paul has very good water, and considering that water makes up 95% of the beer, “it plays a tremendous role in how beer tastes.” He noted, “We do very little to treat the water,” primarily removing the chlorine and floride that the city has added.

Both have appreciated how supportive the neighborhood has been.

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect,” said Foss. “I’m tickled we’ve gotten the exposure we’ve gotten, even just having one style of beer.”

VISIT THURSDAY TO SATURDAY

Right now, Burning Brothers beer is available only in Minnesota, but they hope to expand to surrounding states soon, and from there to Chicago and the west coast. They also have plans to partner with Minnesota growers to use barley. And they’re eyeing up 30-barrel fermenters.

Breimhorst, who is always working on a new recipe, jokes that perhaps, in true-Minnesota style, he’ll make a rhubarb lambic next.

Taproom hours are Thursday from 4-9pm, Friday from 4-9pm, and Saturday from noon-5pm. Learn more at www.burnbrosbrew.com/.