Articles
Live Video Chat with Gordon Strong (2024)
Watch the replay of our Live Video Chat for digital members here.
Rethinking Beer Faults
Gordon Strong has judged at literally hundreds of homebrew competitions. In that time, he’s sampled every beer fault known to man. He takes us through the rising trend of faults tied to newer brewing methods, how to detect them, their causes, and, most importantly, how to avoid them in future batches.
Simple Temperature Control
In a hobby where so many pieces of equipment serve a single purpose, it’s satisfying to find items that can serve many functions. With a heat mat and temperature controller, the opportunities are aplenty.
The Special Altbiers of Düsseldorf
Each fall, four of the five remaining classic altbier breweries in Düsseldorf, Germany, have annual special beer releases. They are bigger versions of the delicious altbier that they brew and serve every day. Jamil Zainasheff made a trip so he could attend the release
of three of them in 2023 and returned home with information on how homebrewers can recreate these beers themselves.
BYO’s Vermont Brewery, Bike & Hike Tour
Brew Your Own Publisher Brad Ring led a group of readers on a tour of some of our favorite spots to play and drink in our home state of Vermont last fall. We share a recap of the trip with images from some of the best stops.
Subversive Malting & Brewing Co.
While it may be more common in Bamberg, Germany, here in the United States there are very few breweries that are malting their own grains. Travel to Catskill, New York, to learn about one brewery that is successfully making it happen along with a recipe for their Dark Harvest stout.
Scavenging Oxygen, a Propane Heating System, and Water Chemistry
It’s long been proven that bottle-conditioned beer lasts longer than those bottled already carbonated. The Wiz dives into the reasoning behind this and it may surprise some people. He also shares ideas for a propane heater and takes a dive into the daunting world of mash pH chemistry calculations.
Sweet Stout
With origins in the United Kingdom, the sweet (or milk) stout has found a following in the U.S. craft beer scene. Gordon Strong digs into its history and provides pointers to brew a classic example of the original lactose-infused beer.
Wort Chilling Advice
Actively chilling wort after the boil is complete is an optional task that often requires a lot of water. Learn why we generally try to rapidly chill our wort, the methods and equipment utilized, and some best techniques when using the various systems homebrewers have devised.
Quick Connects
Quick connects allow various configurations to be employed quickly and efficiently in different parts of a brewhouse, in the cellar, and in draft systems. Take a spin through the many quick connects that brewers are utilizing in today’s homebrewing world.
Ancestral Brew
When a half-joking comment led to a journey 4,500 miles (7,200 km) away, we knew we needed to learn more. Find out how a father-son duo from Vancouver, British Columbia, found themselves at an international beer festival in Norway drinking ancient beer styles that spoke to their
own ancestral roots.
Yeast Flocculation
Yeast suppliers list flocculation attributes of each yeast strain, but what exactly does it mean, and why should we take it into consideration when choosing a strain? Find out.
