Homebrewing

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. Your recipes will be more flexible with the variety of malts you can use. Partial mashing also introduces you to fundamental brewing techniques for all-grain … Read more

Knowing the pH of your mash is vital to ensure consistent and good quality homebrew. With so many pH meters on the market, choosing the correct device can be overwhelming. Follow our guide to find the best meter for you. We’ve rounded up the most popular homebrewing pH meters to figure out who’s on top! … Read more

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 want it to be, and it’s a lot easier to talk to everyone (about the beer you’re drinking.) Of course, being the intrepid blogger … Read more

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 brewing, hydrometers measure the density of beer and wort. Alcohol content can be calculated based on these densities. Using a hydrometer is easy if you follow a … Read more

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 what seems like forever to carbonate. Kegging is quick – and you can drink your beer even quicker by force carbonating. From the stress-free “set … Read more

Homebrewing mixed fermentation beer was once reserved only for die-hard funky and sour brewers. In recent years, the homebrewing community has taken a giant leap forward in making sour beer more accessible to brew at home. Resources like Milk the Funk and American Sour Beers have given thousands of homebrewers the inspiration to begin their … Read more

The secrets behind brewing amazing hoppy beers like New England IPA are becoming more widely known. Sure, the pros still keep a few of their techniques close to their chest. But homebrewers around the globe can brew just as tasty hoppy beer as nearly any professional brewery. The key to great IPA is the use … Read more

Whether you’re a homebrewer, homebrew club, or small craft brewery, you may be in the market for a barrel or two. Barrel aging provides complexity and depth of flavor to beers like imperial stouts, sours, and wild ales. We’ll highlight 10 of the best places to buy barrels for aging beer. These vendors have been … Read more

In recent years, the USA has seen a huge increase in the number of breweries. The demand for craft beer has created a need for brewing programs that equip you to take on the challenge of brewing a high quality product. Here we have a brief overview of 9 different schools / programs that are … Read more

Second to hazys, barrel-aged beers are all the rage. Be it trend or taste driven, at some point most homebrewers will get the urge to age beer in a barrel. Here’s what you need to know in order to make great barrel-aged beer. Barrel aging beer is an artform. After you’ve obtained a barrel, you’ll … Read more

Yeast health is one of the most foundational factors when brewing exceptional beer. Today we’re looking at yeast nutrient, what it is, isn’t, and when/how to use it.. What is Yeast Nutrient? Yeast nutrient is typically a specific combination of ammonium phosphate, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It’s like a multivitamin for yeast. It makes … Read more

Hard seltzer is here to stay. More and more, consumers are reaching for the refreshing, clean, and crisp alcoholic water as a low-cal alternative to beer or wine. We’re die-hard beer geeks… but even the most hardcore fans can appreciate the extra thirst-quenching ability of a nice, cold hard seltzer. But instead of White Claw … Read more

In modern brewing, hops are king! Therefore, knowing where to get the highest quality hops is of the utmost importance. Take a look at the top online stores for ordering hops. Get the freshest, most quality and cheapest hops! Yakima Chief Hops Yakima Chief Hops describes itself as “a 100% grower-owned network of family hops … Read more

In the wonderful world of brewing, there are a lot of amazing written resources in print to date. In this post, we’re highlighting ten of our favorites. How to Brew This is the first book on brewing I ever read. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t change that fact. It has proved … Read more

Credited as an Aussie brewing practice, no-chill brewing has caused quite a stir in the homebrewing world these past few years. Today we’re looking at everything you need to know about no-chill brewing and whether or not it’s something you might want to give a try. How to Brew Using the No-Chill Method Brewing beer … Read more

Looking for an efficient, clean, and compact homebrewing system? Induction brewing is a great method for indoor brewing, especially in apartments and small-spaces. We’ll go through the pros, cons, and what you need to get started with induction brewing. How to brew with induction Induction brewing can be all-grain, partial mash, or extract. You can … Read more

Sometimes the simplest methods are the best. Both because they are effective and easy to do. Cold crashing meets the “simple” criteria and is a great way to help you brew bright beer. How to Cold Crash Beer Cold crashing beer is a simple process used to clarify beer. Once your beer has reached its … Read more

There’s a podcast for everything these days. Homebrewing is certainly no exception. Wondering which one to try first or looking for a great discovery? We’ve narrowed it down to the top 11. Experimental Homebrewing Hosted by Drew Beecham and Denny Conn, Experimental Homebrewing will keep you entertained and informed. The hosts each have over 20 … Read more

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 that will enhance your mashing. Both RIMS and HERMS are brewing equipment systems. They allow a brewer to hit a target mash temp exactly, maintain … Read more

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 to best practices on how to avoid the dreaded Saison stall. Turns out the answer is simple. What is Saison Stall? Saison stall is characterized … Read more

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 craft beer bottles. How to Remove Bottle Labels There are a few tricks to getting labels off beer bottles. Soaking is the easiest but is … Read more

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 of blunders. From insignificant to nearly disastrous, mistakes when homebrewing are inevitable. We’re here to share some of our past mistakes so you don’t have … Read more

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 create a messy situation. We’ll tell you what you need to know to make your life easy after a successful brew so you can sit … Read more

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 all the essentials and answer some of those pesky questions. How to Bottle Beer When bottling beer, there are a few things you must keep … Read more

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 and eliminated using a diacetyl rest. What is a diacetyl rest? A diacetyl rest is a fermentation step used by brewers to eliminate the common … Read more

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 it to your next brew. There are a few rules when foraging for ingredients to add to your brew: Be safe (no mystery ingredients) Be … Read more

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 stuck and failed fermentations. What is a Stuck Fermentation? A stuck fermentation is when a fermentation starts and stalls or never gets started in the … Read more

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 (maybe) clear up some misconceptions. What’s the Difference Between Stout and Porter? Historically, “Stout” was an adjective and a classification of the style Porter. The … Read more

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 could be the solution. What is Non-Enzymatic Mashing? Non-enzymatic mashing (NEM) is a process used to extract flavor and color from malted grain without converting … Read more

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 fascinated with the unique characteristics of a Norwegian yeast called kveik. What is kveik? Kveik is a domesticated brewing yeast originating from traditional Norwegian farmhouse … Read more

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, your grain mill should be cleaned and maintained to prolong its life. Cleaning your grain mill should be done after every use. Clearing away grain … Read more

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 fermenter, this is called fermenting under pressure. Pressure fermentation refers to beer that is fermented under a pressure that is higher than atmospheric pressure … Read more

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 gravity of your fermenting beer. Opening your fermenter to take readings can be time-consuming and have a detrimental effect on your beer. There are now … Read more

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 each ingredient. The base ingredients for beer are water, grain, hops, and yeast. Brewers often add adjuncts for flavor, or compounds to clear the beer … Read more