Josh Bischoff, head brewer of Indeed Brewing Company, is tackling the challenge of keeping up with the growing demand for his company's products. With the flagship canned ales that are hop-forward and a rotating set of specialty beers and one-off releases, Bischoff knows that his customer's expectations are high. So he works hard to make sure that the Indeed Brewing Company stands ahead of the competition and meets the demands of its customers. Be on the lookout for the latest offerings from this talented brewmaster!
Indeed Brewing Company is gaining attention for creative use of hops and keeping up with rapidly growing demand. Much of the credit for the brewery’s success goes to Josh Bischoff, Indeed’s head brewer, who specializes in the art of combining the brewery’s flagship beers with specialty and one-off brews. Here’s a closer look at the man behind the growing brewery.
A long-time beer enthusiast, Josh Bischoff grew up in the Milwaukee area and left for college in Arizona. He graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2000 with a degree in management. He also went through the Siebel Institute of Technology World Brewing Academy, an intense program that teaches the history, science, and brewing technique.
Josh Bischoff started his brewing career in 2003 at Sprecher Brewing Company in Wisconsin. It was here that he learned the craft and developed his love of beer. Over the years, he managed to hone his skills and moved up the ranks before landing the head brewer job at Indeed Brewing Company in 2011.
Bischoff adds his own twist on classic beer styles at Indeed Brewing Company to create a world-class selection. At the core of his creations are two hop-forward canned ales: Day Tripper Pale Ale and Mexican Honey Light Lager. Beyond these flagship items, Bischoff and his staff have created a wide range of specialties and one-offs that delight both the craft beer connoisseur and the casual beer enthusiast.
Perhaps the most notable of Josh Bischoff’s creations is the fruity and light Twilight Summer Ale. Following the success of this brew, Bischoff has continued to create and develop ales that are light and easy to drink, often with tropical or citrus influences. The result is Indeed Brewing’s signature style - a crisp, refreshing taste that is both pleasing and tantalizing.
Beyond Indeed Brewing Company, Bischoff also has branched out into training sessions and speaking engagements. His work with these events has helped to further his knowledge, build relationships with other breweries, and lend insights into the process of brewing a great beer. He currently serves as the head judge for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild’s Annual Homebrew Competition.
At the heart of Josh Bischoff’s success is creating a basic recipe that can be tinkered with and recombined to form a variety of flavors. From his two flagship beers, Bischoff can create everything from IPAs to stouts to lagers to wheat beers.
To accomplish this, Bischoff, who handles brewing and recipe development, starts with a baseline recipe that meets the standards of Indeed Brewing Company. From there, he can add different hops, grains, or other ingredients to create a new, unique beer. He then considers how the ingredients interact to produce a tasty, sessionable brew.
To bring the recipe to life, Bischoff works with brewer Jason Ritcey, who is responsible for the actual production of the beer. This includes measuring out the ingredients, pitching the yeast into the wort, and monitoring fermentation and maturation. Once the beer is ready to be packaged and sent to the market, brewmaster Paul Schneider oversees the process to ensure a top-notch product.
One of the challenges Josh Bischoff and his team face is meeting and continuing to satisfy the growing demand for Indeed’s craft beers. The brewery is still relatively young, but has grown quickly since its inception in 2012. Indeed’s beers now can be found in various bars, stores, and restaurants around the Midwest.
The challenge is compounded by Bischoff’s need to not only create beers that satisfy the needs of customers, but also challenge them. Indeed beers are created for those who appreciate the complexity and the variety that craft beer has to offer. Bischoff is always experimenting and coming up with new recipes to meet the needs of his customers.
A testament to Bischoff’s success is the fact that Indeed Brewing Company has become one of the most successful craft breweries in Minnesota in a relatively short amount of time. The brewery has racked up numerous awards, including an Alpha King Award, a RateBeer