Troubleshooting Homebrewed Beer
This week we examine the topic of troubleshooting homebrewed beer. Despite the best laid plans of mice and men, not every beer you brew is going to be a homerun.
Brewing to Lose: 10 Tips for Making Bad Beer
Losing is a topic that little has been written about. Yet losing is something that every brewer needs to know. This week we’ll focus on how to make really bad beer to keep you out of the winner’s circle.
Scotch Ale Recipes: Beer Styles
Scotch Ale brings forth visions of fog filled bogs, dimly lit pubs and a hearty pint of ale. Scotland has
Decoction Mashing for Beer Recipes
Decoction mashing is a great way to enhance the flavor and clarity of your all grain beer recipes, and requires only minimal additional equipment and time. Few homebrewers use decoction mashing in their recipes, but it is a very powerful technique for enhancing many styles of beer. This week we’re going to demystify decoction mashing so you can add it to your arsenal of homebrewing tools.
Brewing Water – Hard or Soft?
Brewing water plays a very important role in the flavor of your homebrewed beer. Knowing the character of your local
Malt Extract Beer Brewing
Brewing with malt extract (liquid or dry) is the starting point for every new brewer. This week we take a look at how to optimize your beer by understanding malt extract and the brewing process.
The Beer Gun and Counter Pressure Fillers: Bottling Beer
Counter pressure bottle fillers and the Blichmann Beer Gun make short work of bottling directly from the keg. These systems let you keg your home brewed beer while still maintaining the flexibility to bottle when needed for competitions as well as share a bottle of your homebrew with friends.
Yeast Washing: Reusing your Yeast
Washing yeast to reuse it in another batch of beer is a great technique to have in your home brewing arsenal. Yeast washing is a simple process used to separate the live yeast from the underlying trub (hops and spent grains) left at the bottom of your fermenter when making beer.
An Interview with Dan Listermann (of Phil’s fame)
This week we feature a short interview with Dan Listermann of Listermann Manufacturing. You may not instantly recognize Dan’s name, but most home brewers have seen Listermann’s line of products including his innovative “Phil’s” line including Phil’s Phalse Bottom, Phil’s Lauter Tun and Phil’s Sparger.
Brown Ale Recipes: Brewing Styles
Brown ale is a distinctively English style that has also become popular with microbreweries in the United States. Today we’ll look at the origins of this classic style, how to brew Brown Ale at home and also a sampling of Brown Ale recipes.
5 Ways to Improve your All Grain Beer Efficiency
All grain brewers can be obsessive about the efficiency of their brewing system. This week we will look at 5 methods you can use to improve your overall brewhouse efficiency to get the most out of your all grain brewing session.
Enhancing Beer Head Retention for Home Brewers
An important characteristic in homebrewed beers is the ability of the beer to retain a nice foamy head for a long period of time. Commercial brewers go to great lengths to improve head retention by a variety of additives. However homebrewers also have access to ingredients and additives that can help your foam last until the last drop…
Beer Yeast, Fermentation, and Home Brewing
Today we look at home brewing beer yeast, fermentation, and how it affects the flavor and character of finished beer. Yeast is one of the most important ingredients in home brewing, but also one of the least understood.
Steam Beer and California Common Recipes: Beer Styles
“Steam Beer” brings to mind visions of the California gold rush, and San Francisco. Today we’ll look at the history of California common beer (aka Steam Beer) and how to design steam beer recipes and present a collection of Steam Beer recipes you can brew at home.
Converting All Grain Recipes to Malt Extract
Convert your all grain beer recipes to extract (or back). This week we examine how to convert an all grain home brewing recipe into one that uses extract including the delicate process of balancing color and bitterness in the final beer.
Home Brewing Social Sites: Beer and Web 2.0
A look at four web 2.0 social sites for home brewers. These sites help you cut through the mass of web clutter and get fresh home brewing content on a regular basis. By participating in these sites, you can also help other brewers focus on better brewing news, stories and articles.
Dry Hopping: Enhanced Hops Aroma
Dry hopping is a great way to enhance the hoppy aroma of your home brewed beer. Real hopheads will tell you that in addition to boil and late hop additions, dry hopping is a preferred technique for preserving a burst of delicate hop aroma for IPAs and other hoppy beers.
Bottling Beer: 10 Tips for Home Brewers
Ten beer bottling tips for your next batch of home brewed beer. Bottling can be a time consuming and messy process. This week we look at some ideas to make your bottling session less painful and more productive.
