Articles
Live Chat with Lance Shaner
Water the replay of our August 2024 Live Video Chat with Omega Yeast Co-Founder Lance Shaner.
Using Barrel Alternatives
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.
Oak It Up
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.
Fauxlera Barrel Blends
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.
The Secrets to Freezing Yeast
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.
Balancing a Draft System
Balancing your home draft system requires getting just three things correct: Temperature, pressure, and resistance.
Frost Beer Works
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.
Old Ale
Old ale is a style that is difficult to define given how many variations there are. Gordon Strong does his best to offer some guidelines around what it is and how to brew an old ale worthy of aging.
Infrastructure Needs for Nanos
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.
Yeast Slants, Candi Sugar, & Cold Crashing
The Wizard answers questions about creating yeast slants and building up a population of yeast from them. He also defines and offers advice around candi sugar and cold crashing.
Understanding Water Reports
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.
Trip of a Lifetime
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.
