Barrel aging contributes to the complexity of many of the world’s most sought-after beers. We query four pros in charge of barrel programs of various sizes about creating barrel-aged beers. Each also offers us a clone recipe for one of their barrel-aged offerings.

Oak barrels aren’t the only way to add oak character to your homebrews. Two experts share their advice for getting the most from barrel alternatives such as spirals, staves, chips, and cubes.

The cost savings of reusing yeast is significant, but a downside is that you have to brew your next batch before the viability of the yeast greatly declines. However, you can freeze the yeast, which will keep it usable for years. Special precautions need to be taken as just tossing a pouch of yeast in the freezer will rupture cell walls and kill it. This is why you need a cryopreservative. Learn how to freeze yeast correctly. With a bit of preparation and minimal equipment, you too can have a large yeast bank in your freezer to choose from whenever you want to brew your next batch.

Solera aging requires multiple barrels, with the ones on the bottom being drawn off occasionally and then topped up with beer from the barrels above and new beer being added to the mix at the top. It creates a multi-vintage blend from various batches. Since most hobbyists don’t have multiple barrels to dedicate for such a purpose, one homebrewer offers his is own approach — a fauxlera, if you will.

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Adjusting your water to accentuate the beer style you are brewing begins with understanding what is already in the water you use. One of the easiest places to start is with your local water report that should have all of the information you are in search of, with some important caveats.

Frost Beer Works in Hinesburg, Vermont, is best known for its hazy IPAs, but it was a fall seasonal that won the hearts of a couple who toured breweries across the Northeast on their “beermoon” a few years ago.

There are a lot of infrastructure-related things to consider when choosing a location for your nanobrewery. Understanding these before signing a contract can save you loads of time and money in the future.

Balancing your home draft system requires getting just three things correct: Temperature, pressure, and resistance.

This old ale recipe can be drank young, but may be best if cellared for 6+ months.

A recent retiree’s bucket list includes visiting breweries in all 50 U.S. States and diving deeper into his homebrewing hobby. Combining the two turns into the trip of a lifetime.

Featuring some of the latest drool worthy features found in our Homebrew Nation section of BYO. Homebrew Drool Setup — JR Renna • Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania Many of us have fun names