This week I take a look at what type of water is best for extract beer brewers. I make the case that distilled or RO water may be the best choice for extract brewing. Water Chemistry for Extract Brewers Advanced all grain brewers go through a lot of effort to get their water profiles right […]
extract
This week I offer a tip for extract brewers about steeping grains and why its important not to steep your grains with too much water. Many extract brewers start by steeping their grains with their entire boil volume, which can lead to excessive tannin extraction. Steeping Grains in Extract Brewing and Tannins Tannins are a […]
Astringency, a bitter tea-bag like flavor in beer is closely associated with mash problems and all-grain brewing, but this week we’ll look at the risk of astringency for extract beer brewers as well. It is not well known that you can introduce astringency when steeping grains for extract. In particular using too much water when […]
While water chemistry and adjustments are very important for all grain brewers when mashing grains, extract beer brewers may get their best results using neutral (distilled, deionized) water instead since the liquid malt was already made with the proper water additives before it was concentrated. BeerSmith Quick Brewing and Software tips are some short 1-3 […]
I’m offering the “How to Brew All Grain” and “How to Brew Extract” DVDs on sale for $14.95 when you order from Amazon Prime through 1 September 2015. This is an amazing deal on these professionally shot videos done with co-host John Palmer, author of the popular How to Brew book. The special price applies […]
Randy Mosher just published his new book Mastering Homebrew which I believe will soon become a home brewing classic. This week I join Randy to talk about his new book which covers a huge number of beer brewing techniques, ingredients, and focuses on the flavor of beer instead of just the technical aspects. Subscribe on […]
John Palmer and I have been working for several months on two home brewing DVDs – one on malt extract and one on all grain brewing. It has been a huge project – planning, scripting and shooting literally thousands of clips of the brewing process in full HD in a professional package. We intend to […]
Fresh ingredients are one of the keys to great beer. More than once I’ve been burned by old or improperly stored brewing ingredients resulting in flat, cardboard tasting beer. So this week I’m going to share some of the lessons I’ve learned about keeping ingredients fresh. Brewing Extract Fresh extract is really important for beginning […]
This week we go all grain with Grandmaster brewing judge Gordon Strong. Gordon tells you how to make the leap from extract brewing to all-grain, including basic equipment, how to do a simple infusion mash, and sparging. Gordon also shares his thoughts on his new book “Brewing Better Beer” which was just released. Download the […]
Attenuation is a term often thrown around by home brewers at parties to impress non-brewers, but understanding the different forms of real and apparent extract and attenuation can help beginning and advanced home brewers alike. So in this two part series on the BeerSmith blog we take a look at beer attenuation in all of […]
Steeped grains enhance the flavor and color of home brewed beer. Award winning extract beers all use some kind of steeped grains. Steeped grains add body, color, and fresh flavor to your homebrewed beer. In our earlier series on beginner brewing, we covered the basic process for making extract beer at home. This week we’ll […]