Dustin Kellner HEAD BREWER 

The Background Stuff

Dustin Kellner began his brewing career in 2005 at Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz, CA in the fall of 2005. In 2006, Dustin and his wife Heather moved to Portland, Oregon where he worked as a cellarman at BridgePort Brewing. From 2007 to 2012, he was Head Brewer at Laurelwood Brewing on Portland’s East Side. He also attended the Siebel Institute of Technology to learn what he needed to learn. The Kellners have a son, Harrison. 

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Why Worthy?

In Kellner’s own words: “What gets me pumped up about working for Worthy is the opportunity to create a completely new beer lineup from scratch. Brewing seasonals is what keeps a brewer going when so much of what we do involves extreme repetition. Fortunately for me, ‘in the details’ is where I live. Even when doing the same thing I’m questioning whether there’s a better way. Yes, I’m a fan of consistency but I don’t let that turn off my pursuit of perfection, which of course should forever remain a quest and not a destination.”

“Whether we’re talking about a beer recipe or the brewery process, I’m a firm believer there’s always room for improvement.  Every brewer dreams of being able to reboot, to get a fresh start. A blank slate. This is it:  A state of the art brewhouse. A seasoned brew crew. A sophisticated management team. For me, this is that moment you daydream about.”

Hops are the Juice

“It’s also exciting to have a tight connection with Indie Hops, with their passion for aroma varieties, and Oregon State, where they’re breeding new and exciting hop flavors. With our access to Willamette Valley hops and experimental varieties, I’m like a kid in a candy store!

“Hops are the juice, but balance is the holy grail.  A great IPA has to achieve both – great hop aroma and flavor, along with balance.  Since grain and hops are farm products and subject to variation, I like to stay on my toes and be ready to blend hop varieties. Hops, like any spice, can be overused and too often are. Bitterness is not the flavor we are trying to achieve (save that for coffee).

“Hop breeders and growers are now playing a more vital role than ever in helping fashion the next best thing. As brewers, we have an opportunity to help guide the creative process, from what flavor compounds to genetically select for, to where certain cultivars should be grown, when they should be harvested, and how they should be processed. Brewers in the past simply settled for what was available, and followed the herd. Today, a brewer can and should get involved at the laboratory and farm level.

“I’m drawn to Worthy Brewing’s mission to not simply mix up the retail ingredients but to add new ingredients to the kettle and fermentation tanks. And not just for the sake of being different, but to truly add value. I like the idea of getting feedback from beer drinkers – what do they like and why? Remember in grade school how excited we were to go on field trips? Well, with a hopyard, a greenhouse, and beer garden, every day at Worthy will be like a field trip. The only difference is instead of being passive observers, we want our customers to feel like they are part of the creative process.  From the herb garden to the pilot system's unusual offerings,  Worthy's patrons will be immersed in the same world that makes us brewers  passionate about what we do. “

Oregon Green Gold

  

Where the Magic Begins

  

Drink Up. Dream On.

Favorite Beer Style

Dustin’s favorite beer style is without a doubt the "West Coast" IPA. “It defines the creativity that drives craft brewing,” he said. “The style is completely hop driven. It’s a style that even when perfectly balanced showcases the fruitful blessings of hop oil more so than the malt or yeast.”

Dustin admits to being obsessed with perfecting the IPA, which says a lot considering he spent years at Laurelwood brewing the award winning Workhorse IPA. “It’s a style that really has no guidelines. It’s constantly evolving. As soon as you think you have found the best example of the style, a brewer can create something completely foreign to your taste buds and blow your mind.”

Crafting on Worthy’s Pilot System

On the subject of perfecting styles that will open doors and blow minds, Dustin’s champing at the bit to start tinkering on Worthy’s 3.5 barrel pilot system.

“This is where the beauty of a pilot system comes into play. The ability to experiment on a small system is paramount when trying to stay relevant in this ever-changing industry. For many production brewers, tinkering is more of a dream than a practice – it’s hard to justify unfettered freedom to toy and dabble on a 60 keg system when chances are you wont get it right the first or even second time and have to  pour the batch down the drain. I like that saying ‘wasting time is not time wasted’ if it’s in the service of getting it right. It’s far less expensive to tinker on a small system and plus you get more reps. 

“With the scarce availability of many of the most popular hop varieties, brewers have been forced to get out of their comfort zone. We’ve had to introduce new combinations and interpretations, and this is what makes coming to work fun and exciting. Worthy not only wants to experiment, it’s a mandate. Worthy knows the Pacific Northwesterner’s palate is sophisticated -- they demand and deserve a fresh perspective, on a weekly if not daily basis! With Chad at the helm, I want to help take this Worthy vessel to new and unchartered territory.”

The Joys of One-Stop-Shop Packaging

Is Dustin excited about packaging beer in kegs, bottles and cans under the same roof on his own schedule?

“Packaging has been a constant thorn in my side. It’s a crucial part of growth beyond a local market, and it has to have a consistent availability. At Worthy Brewing, we’ll have the power to package on demand, in both bottles and cans, a 1-2 punch I’ve never heard of a start up having. As far as cans go, I can think of no better way to present our beer. Besides being the superior way to ensure a fresh product and increase shelf life, it just makes sense from lifestyle standpoint – want indoor/outdoor beer.

“For me personally, as a huge fan of craft beer and a former consumer of macros, I still experience the ‘a hah’ moment when I drink a good IPA out of a can. What my brain has been conditioned to expect and what I’m actually tasting is a big ‘wow’ moment. Craft beer, much like imports, has been synonymous with glass bottles. For the craft beer consumer, who is obviously driven by a desire for a better alternative to what the masses accept as the norm, the advantages of the can are being realized and quickly accepted.“

  

Dustin steeled to take Worthy's Vimercati "Top Can" out for a spin. Dude - 3,000 12 oz cans per hour. Whoa.

A beer man outstanding in his field, flanked by Tanks of Glory

The Worthy Line Up

“The beer lineup Worthy is poised to introduce is very well thought out. The focus on lighter bodied beers is important as consumers tend to choose styles based on the seasons. While the IPA is always a favorite out here, people certainly drink lighter in the summer and darker in the winter. Outdoor enthusiasts want a ‘portable’ beer that can be enjoyed on the go. They don't want the ‘one and done’ curse when its only noon and there’s mountains to climb

Worthy to the last drop.