hops

This week my guest is Dave Wills of Freshops and we talk about how to grow your own hops in your garden. Dave is a long time brewer, hop grower and also microbrewer at the Oregon Trail Brewery and he provides some great advice on how you can start your own hop garden. Download the […]

BeerSmith Hops and Yeast Updates

by Brad Smith on March 6, 2011 · 4 comments

This week I took a few hours to enter the latest yeast and hops into BeerSmith for you instead of writing a blog article. Many of you have been asking for some of the newest hops and yeasts to be included in a data update – so here it is. First check your version – […]

Dr Glenn Tinseth, the author of the Tinseth equation for estimating bitterness is my guest this week. The Tinseth equation is the most widely used equation for estimating bitterness by brewers from around the world. Glenn talks about hops, bitterness, international bitterness units, hop utilization and much more. Download the MP3 File – Right Click […]

5 Ways to Save Money Home Brewing

by Brad Smith on September 22, 2010 · 9 comments

The global recession has put pressure on the budget of many home brewers, so this week I share 5 tips to help you save money on your next batch of beer.

Using a Hop Back for Homebrewed Beer

by Brad Smith on November 25, 2009 · 20 comments

hopback

The “hop back” is used by many micro and commercial brewers to add hoppy flavor and aroma to any beer. Homebrewers can also take advantage of this technique with simple equipment to add additional aroma to home brewed beer.

Best Hop Techniques for Homebrewing

by Brad Smith on November 11, 2008 · 20 comments

This week we take a look at the best hop techniques for homebrew beer – our hop technique roundup. A good understanding of various hop techniques is critical for successful brewing. Yet the wide array of hopping techniques with terms such as mash hopping, first wort hops, dry hops, boil hops, and late hop additions […]

Dry Hopping: Enhanced Hops Aroma

by Brad Smith on May 21, 2008 · 112 comments

Bitters

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.

Ten hop-saving tips for surviving the ongoing hop crisis. With brewing hops in short supply, everyone is looking for ways to use less hops. This week’s article includes a collection of home brewing tips to conserve and preserve your precious hops supply and save you money in the process.

Hops2

A look at beer bitterness for home brewers, estimating International Bitterness Units (IBUs) and balancing your beer recipe. How much beer hops is enough? With the hop crisis in full swing, it is important to understand the quantity of hops you need to properly balance your home brewed beer…

Brewing Hops Storage: Preserving Precious Hops

by Brad Smith on April 15, 2008 · 16 comments

Today we’re going to look at the best way to store and preserve your beer brewing hops and also some of the effects of hop aging. With hop prices pushing $5 US per ounce and the hops crisis likely to get worse before it gets better, caring for your precious hops supply is more important than ever…

With the ongoing hop crisis, brewers are turning to growing hops for beer in the garden. Learn how to grow your own hops at home from rhizomes to create your own perennial hop supply. Part 1 of our 5 part series on the hop crisis.

The First Wort Hop: Beer Brewing Techniques

by Brad Smith on March 17, 2008 · 48 comments

Hops2

Brewing beer with first wort hops (FWH) is a method I have used extensively for beer brewing over the last few years to improve the character of many recipes. First wort hopping produces complex bitterness and aroma that is both smooth and pleasing to the pallet…

Given the hop shortage of 2008 we featured in an earlier article, it was great to hear that Samuel Adams will be offering 20,000 pounds of Tettnang and East Kent Goldings hops pellets for sale to microbreweries at cost. Though the 88 pound boxes are above the reach of most homebrewers, the sale is welcome […]

Hops

If you’ve made a trip to the local homebrew store you have probably noticed that hop prices are up and many of your favorite hops simply are not available at any price. I ordered hops last week at prices over $4 per ounce for some varieties. What caused the shortage? What does it mean for […]