Articles
Hop Basics
Historically speaking, hops are a fairly recent innovation in the brewing world. Although evidence exists of their cultivation as early as 200 AD in Babylon, and 700 AD in Germany, they
Fermentation
What’s the simplest way to improve your homebrew? Well, for most homebrewers, it’s running a good fermentation. One of the biggest factors in this is pitching an adequate amount of yeast. Pitching
Boiling & Cooling
Homebrewers employ a variety of equipment to boil their worts, ranging from pots on a kitchen stovetop to modified commercial kegs heated by propane burners. Most homebrew setups involve a “simple” kettle
Bottling & Kegging
There are two popular options when it comes to packaging homebrew — bottling and kegging. For many, choosing between the two is a classic case of time vs. money. Bottling is fairly
Maibock
by the numbers OG: 1.064–1.072 (15.7–17.5 °P) FG: 1.011–1.018 (2.8–4.6 °P) SRM: 6–11 IBU: 23–35 ABV: 6.3–7.4% I have always been a fan of German-style lagers. In fact, my love of the
Kölsch
by the numbers OG: 1.044–1.050 (11–12.4 °P) FG: 1.007–1.011 (1.8–2.8 °P) SRM: 3.5–5 IBU: 20–30 ABV: 4.4–5.2% My first time wandering the streets of Cologne was a magical moment. In between dramatic
Irish Red
by the numbers OG: 1.044–1.060 FG: 1.010–1.014 SRM: 9–18 IBU: 17–28 ABV: 4.0–6.0% Fritz Maytag, of Anchor Brewing fame, during a speech many years ago, explained how the “story” around something is
Imperial/Double IPA
by the numbers OG: 1.070–1.090 (17–21.6 °P) FG: 1.010–1.020 (2.6–5.1 °P) SRM: 8–15 IBU: 60–120 ABV: 7.5–10% Like many people, when I was new to craft beer I favored beers with a
German Pils
by the numbers OG: 1.044–1.050 (11–12.4 °P) FG: 1.008–1.013 (2.1–3.3 °P) SRM: 2–5 IBU: 25–45 ABV: 4.4–5.2% German Pilsner recipes seem so simple, but brewing a perfect example is a challenge that
German Hefeweizen
by the numbers OG: 1.044–1.052 (11–12.9 °P) FG: 1.010–1.014 (2.6–3.6 °P) SRM: 2–8 IBU: 8–15 ABV: 4.3–5.6% Most people seem to either love or hate German wheat beers based on early taste
Flanders Red
by the numbers OG:1.048–1.057 (11.9 – 14.0 °P) FG:1.002–1.012 (0.5 – 3.1 °P) SRM:10–16 IBU:10–25 ABV:4.6–6.5% Don’t tell me you hate sour beers. If you are a regular reader of this column,
Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
by the numbers OG: 1.048–1.060 (11.9–14.7 °P) FG: 1.010–1.016 (2.6–4.1 °P) SRM: 6–18 IBU: 30–50 ABV: 4.6–6.2% Extra special bitter, often referred to as English pale ale or strong bitter (ESB is
