What Does Mead Taste Like? An Ancient Brew for the Modern Pallet
Mead is quickly earning its place among the beer and cider offerings in taprooms across the globe. It has a long, rich history with evidence of its consumption dating back…
Mead is quickly earning its place among the beer and cider offerings in taprooms across the globe. It has a long, rich history with evidence of its consumption dating back…
If you are a homebrewer, you have at least heard of yeast starters. You are probably even thinking that you want to make one for your next batch of nutty…
Do you think you have mastered extract beer? Then you might be ready for all-grain brewing. That means it is time to buy a mash tun but which one should…
What’s up yeast geeks? Let’s talk brew kettles. The brew kettle is the powerhouse of the cell brewhouse. It is one of the most important pieces of brewing equipment you…
Conical fermenters save you energy and effort when homebrewing. No more time wasted siphoning your beer off the trub. No more risk of shattering a glass carboy. Homebrew sized conicals…
Are you looking to make the switch from extract to all grain homebrewing? Or are you an all-grain brewer looking to simplify your brew day? Brewing in a bag may…
Brewing your own beer can be a fun and rewarding experience. But it takes knowledge and patience to transform raw ingredients into delicious beer. What if there was a way…
Propane has been the fuel of choice for homebrewers for decades. Efficient and inexpensive, propane’s power and flexibility make brewing a breeze. Whether you’re brewing 5, 10, or 20-gallon batches,…
One question we get from a lot of new homebrewers is, “How do I know how strong my beer will be?” Luckily, the answer is easy: use a hydrometer! In…
So, you’ve been doing brew in a bag for a while and you’re ready to take it to the next level. Or maybe you’re jumping into homebrewing with both feet…
All grain brewing is a rewarding experience. Transforming raw materials into delicious beer is a skill, test of patience, and an admirable hobby. If you’ve brewed beer using malt extract,…
Choosing the right grain mill is an important decision for a homebrewer. Mills can be expensive but they’re a crucial investment to ensure consistent and great quality brews. Where to…
Most homebrewers invest in a keg system eventually. Kegs are easy to clean, quick to fill, and fun to have around the house! Bottling beer can be tedious and takes…
Are you ready to sparge your homebrew in the same way as a professional brewer? With a few extra pieces of equipment, you can see your brewing efficiency shoot through…
Brewing beer is where art meets science. Creativity mixed with process and chemistry help transform hops and barley into delicious beer. Many creative beer lovers shy away from homebrewing due…
The popularity of all-in-one homebrewing systems has exploded in recent years. The Grainfather, one of the pioneers, remains at the top of its class in terms of quality and popularity….
The most common and cheapest way to carbonate your beer is in the bottle. Instead of buying CO2, you let your yeast do all the work, and in the end…
Beer ingredients aren’t complicated: if you have four ingredients, you can brew a beer. Of course, diving deeper into each ingredient reveals intricacies and details. You could spend years researching…
Ever come across a beer in your fridge or basement but can’t remember when you bought it? Not all beers have expiration dates on the bottle or can, so is…
First wort hopping was lost for decades, before being rediscovered in 1995. It’s a simple technique to try out and could have major benefits. First wort hopping consists of adding…
Cleanliness is the best way to avoid infections in your homebrews. Without some serious cleaning and sanitizing equipment, all the wrong organisms will grow in your wort and ruin your…
Keeping a close eye on fermentation is one of the most important things you can do to make consistently high-quality beer. The most useful measurements for brewers are temperature and…
Hops give beer its bitterness along with its distinctive floral, herbal, and fruity flavors. As an agricultural product, hops vary crop to crop and have a limited shelf life. Hop…
Are you ready to move past extract brewing, but don’t have the equipment or time to jump into all-grain brewing? Partial mashing is an excellent way to split the difference….
Homebrewing can be a bit of an investment. Making good beer requires time, money, space, and effort. There are many ways to brew great beer, some easier than others. Small…
Crafting a great Saison is one of brewing’s most rewarding experiences. The style doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact, simple is often better. With the right philosophy, technique, and…
All healthy fermentations start with healthy yeast. To give your beer the best chance of fully fermenting with no off-flavors, you need to pay attention to yeast health and pitch…
The year that was 2017 was my lightest homebrewing year in nearly a decade, I brewed a handful of 10-gallon HopWards batches to maintain beer on tap but very little worth…
Remember back in late 2015/early 2016 when the internet was all “Ewww gross, why is that IPA so murky” and some of us were all “Stop being so butthurt, its…
Its Solera season ’round these parts, it’s time to taste some bottles from last year, brew top-off batches, and package some new variations. Every year before I plan out the…
Last week I shared the tasting notes for my two (plus) year old Solera and how things had been progressing to date. The sample I took was prior to bottling…
Since last year’s pull, and straight bottling, my Solera has crossed state lines and found a new home in NJ (and a Better Bottle instead of a Sanke keg) when…
It has been over a year since I posted my recipe for the Tired Hands HopHands “clone”, and since that time I have re-brewed the beer somewhere between 10-12 times…
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 5-gallon sized pitch of Brewing Sciences Institute’s Brettanomyces Bruxellensis var. Drie, aka “Brett Drie”. Up until the recent Brett Trois controversy, a…
As if 100% Brett fermented beers weren’t already misunderstood enough it turns out WLP644 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois is actually Saccharomyces and not a strain of Brettanomyces. This is not breaking…
I recently had the opportunity to design and brew a beer with my friend, and head brewer, John Wible at 2nd Story Brewing Company in Philly. Back in April of…
Bottling the first pull of the Solera prior to brewing the top-off batch gave me the flexibility to make some changes to the wort composition based on the flavors and…
I am repeating myself here but it has been a painstakingly long wait to try the first bottle from my newest Solera. I decided to bottle the first pull straight…
It feels like a lifetime ago since I started this Solera Project in a Sanke keg. I have been really anxious to remove the first portion to bottle but I…
As of January 19th, 2014 my Solera “barrel” officially turned 6 months old. I have been itching to remove the carboy cap and take a whiff since fermentation subsided but…
With my Solera Plan in place I prepped for the brew day, normally I will crush my grains a day in advance but I didn’t have the time leading up…
Ever since reading the Sour Solera Barrel post by Michael Tonsmeire, I have wanted to start my own project just like it. I kicked around the idea of getting a…
For homebrewers, chilling wort down to pitching temperature is one of the final steps of a long brew day. The faster the wort cools, the sooner you’ll be able to…
Refreshing and complex, sour beer is a wide ranging category loved by craft beer enthusiasts and brewers. But brewing traditional sour beer takes months – even years – and risks…
Homebrew pumps make your brew day easier and more efficient in many ways. Transferring hot wort or water when sparging, recirculating, or chilling is also quicker and much safer when…
New England IPA – hazy, juicy, and hop-drenched – has taken over the beer world. Craft beer lovers wait in hour long lines in hope of scoring the latest can…
Tart, lemony, light, refreshing – Berliner weisse is the beer of summer. There’s nothing quite like the complex flavor packed into these sour session wheat beers. For homebrewers, they can…
Getting your hands on a fresh can of milkshake IPA can be a struggle. As such a popular and hyped-up beer style, breweries sell out their latest releases almost instantly….
Brewing software is necessary to design, brew, and keep track of your homebrew recipes. There are many options available, from online recipe builders to mobile apps and computer based software….
Sour and salty, gose is a unique style of beer. The unconventional flavor profile comes together for an ultra refreshing and satiating experience. Homebrewing gose is a fun and creative…
Most homebrewers rely on commercial yeast strains to ferment their beer. As a healthy fermentation is one of the most important aspects of brewing, it’s always a safe and predictable…
Never before have homebrewers had so much selection when choosing a fermenter. From low budget buckets, to expensive stainless steel unitanks, the market is flooded with a wide variety of…
Traditional Norwegian farmhouse yeast, called kveik, has recently exploded in popularity world-wide. Brewers are embracing this unique type of yeast for its range of uses and high fermentation temperatures. This…
As beer ferments, yeast converts sugar to ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Most brewers allow the CO2 to escape from the fermenting vessel. If you trap the gas inside…
The harvest – finally reaping summer’s bounty. Nothing is more satisfying than picking a crop which has been carefully grown for months and experiencing its freshness. For brewers, this fleeting…
From pale yellow, to jet-black, beer comes in a massive range of colors. The darker the beer, the more toasty and roasted it will taste. Brewers use roasted grains to…
Crushing grain is the first step of the brew day for homebrewers. Properly crushed malt is one of the most important parts to making great tasting all grain beer. Instead…
Have you ever cleaned your grain mill? Many homebrewers often neglect their grain mill, leaving it months, if not years, without cleaning. Like all of your other brewing equipment, however,…
Are you tired of hops clogging your homebrewing system? Or are you looking for a way to get clearer beer? Then you might want to invest in a hop spider….
Looking for a rich malt flavor, beautiful head retention, and sparkling clarity in your homebrew? Decoction mashing – that often misunderstood traditional technique – might be worth trying. Decoction mashing…
Adjusting your water for homebrewing can take your beer from good to great. A little attention to detail and a bit of applied chemistry can really make the difference. Water…
There’s no reason why you can’t brew beer as good as the pros. Often a few simple changes to your process or mindset will take your homebrew to the next…
A mainstay in homebrew recipes for decades, dextrin malt is said to boost mouthfeel, body, and head retention in beer. Considered a simple fix for many homebrewing problems, dextrin malt…
Norway is famous for its striking fjords, beautiful scenery, and more recently – at least in the beer world – farmhouse ale yeast. Brewers all over the world have become…
There is a rich history of brewing throughout Scandinavia, Northern Europe, and the Baltic countries. From Norway, to Lithuania, to Russia, traditional farmhouse beers have been drunk by locals for…
Belgian table beers are low in alcohol, refreshing, and highly drinkable. One of the world’s best, Taras Boulba, is brewed by Brasserie de La Senne. We tried our hand at…
Thick, sumptuous, and sweet, dessert stouts have a reputation for bombarding your taste buds (in a good way) and soothing your sweet tooth. Brewing a dessert stout is all about…
New England IPA relies on pungent, fruity hops to create a juice-like beer with a soft mouthfeel. To maximize this tropical juicy character and smooth body, yeast plays a crucial…
Pale, dry, fizzy, and hoppy, Brut IPA is a niche style of beer. If you’re searching for how to brew a beer with a champagne-like finish coupled with a burst…
Homebrewing lagers can be time intensive and costly. Kolsch, that clean, snappy, German ale, is a great alternative to brew a thirst quenching and crisp, easy drinking beer. Kolsch is…
Looking for a low alcohol and flavorful brew? Would you like to boost the flavor of your beer without adding too many additional fermentables? A method known as Non-Enzymatic Mashing…
Czech Pilsner has become the catchall name for a much broader and more diverse group of beers from Czechia. Let’s dig into what this style really is and how to…
An often neglected and overlooked style, Dunkelweizen delivers a perfect balance of malt and hops and will leave you thinking, “this is beer!” It may be hard to find on…
Discover a world of flavors to add to your beer brewing repotaire. Discover the world of brewing with tea. When adding tea during the brewing process, timing and type are…
When brewing Belgian-style beer, it’s always fun and challenging to respect tradition while adding your own personal touch. Belgian Tripel – that strong, pale, and luxurious ale – is an…
If you like brewing a wide variety of beer styles, you’ll need to use a wide variety of yeasts. At $3 to $10 per pack, yeast can be expensive! What…
Homebrewing is an amazing hobby that blends creativity and science to produce one of the world’s greatest beverages: beer. Admittedly, getting started can be difficult. Not only can the process…
No matter where you live and what season it is there are things to be foraged. Let’s take a look at what’s waiting in the wild and how to add…
Has your latest fermentation come to a screeching halt? Or did it never really get started? Put down the champagne yeast… we’re about to cover the causes and solutions for…
Is it a Porter or a Stout? Or is it a Stout Porter? If you’re confused about what distinguishes Stout from Porter, you’re not alone. Let’s take a look and…
Yeast needs oxygen to convert sugars in wort into alcohol and CO2 – turning sugary, malty water into delicious and complex beer. During the wort boiling process, most oxygen is…
The world’s finest beers are brewed using noble hops. From pristine German lagers to assertive Belgian ales, these European hops bring elegant nuance. Noble hops are a cornerstone of traditional…
Maybe you just drank a pumpkin spice latte or spied an exotic spice at the grocery store. Maybe you’re bored. Whatever brought you here, we’re discussing herbs and spices and…
Achieving brilliantly clear beer can be a challenging task. Today we’re taking a close look at everything you need to know to brew a batch of truly clear beer! How…
Dry hopping is essential for bright hop flavor and aroma in beer styles like IPA and American Pale Ale. Even in Pilsner and Saisons, dry hopping can add a delicious…
Diacetyl is a common off-flavor in beer. If you’ve ever tasted a buttery or butterscotch-like flavor in a beer, this is diacetyl. Luckily for brewers, it can easily be controlled…
One of my favorite things to do in recent months has been hosting beer tastings with a few friends. It’s cheaper than the bar, the selection is as good as…
You’ve brewed and fermented your batch; now it’s time to package it. Bottling is the most economical option and is almost a rite of passage for every brewer. We’ll cover…
There is something innate in all us that wants to design and create. You’ve probably brewed a batch or two of beer following someone else’s recipes. This is a great…
Near the end of the brew day, one of the last big pieces of equipment to clean is the brew kettle. Stuck on hops, slimy proteins, and sticky wort can…
There’s no feeling quite like pulling a fresh pint of beer directly from a tap. Bartenders would be the first to tell you that a high quality tap makes pouring…
Even the most perfectionist, veteran homebrewers make mistakes. If you’ve ever been to a homebrew club meeting, or perused the posts of a homebrewing message board, you’ll see all types…
Naked and elegant, a bottle stripped of its label is a thing of beauty to any homebrewer. We’re going to cover the best methods, step-by-step, for removing labels from your…
Dry yeast or liquid yeast – what should you use for your next batch of homebrew? Liquid yeast has long been thought to be a superior product. But dry yeast…
There are a lot of off-flavors that can rear their ugly heads in your precious homebrew. In this article, we’re delving into what off-flavors are, how you can identify them,…
Many brewers used to avoid using some of the best Saison strains available because they were notorious for “stalling” midway through a fermentation. Now we have science to lead us…
Grisette has seen a massive resurgence in the last few years. The enigmatic style, once almost erased from existence, is often misunderstood. We’ll clear up some misconceptions about Grisette and…
Refreshing. Complex. Crowd pleasing. Altbier is one of the most underrated styles that threads the needle between crisp lager and malty amber ale. What’s even better is that the style…
Many homebrewers endeavor to brew with the utmost precision. If that describes you, it’s time to embrace your inner engineer and take a further look at two similar brewing systems…
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