Mr. Wizard
OG is lower than target
The recipes published in Brew Your Own and in other magazines and books are indeed formulated with some efficiency in mind. In the case of regular columns, such as “Replicator,” the columnist
When to worry about diacetyl
The real question at issue is not whether diacetyl is only associated with lagers, but rather if it is only unacceptable in lagers. Diacetyl is naturally found in all beers during fermentation
Steep times for different specialty grains
As difficult as it is to admit, brewing is a whole lot like cooking and there are many ways to get the job accomplished. Steeping is one of these tasks. When using
Yeast off-flavors and clarifying beer?
One of the best ways for homebrewers to clarify beer is to simply move the carboy to a refrigerator and hold it cold (38° F is ideal)for at least a week. Chilling
Cleaning beer glasses?
With beer glasses, the don’ts are much more critical than the do’s. The biggest no-no is leaving any type of soap or fat on the glass surface. These compounds will ruin beer
Where do calories in beer come from?
There is really no reason to argue about this because you are both partially correct. An average 12-ounce serving of a “domestic-style” beer contains about 14 grams of ethanol and 11 grams
Fluctuating mash temperatures
Mash temperature in all-grain brewing has a significant and demonstrable affect on beer flavor. In general, multi-temperature mash profiles incorporating temperature rests from 120* to 160* F will produce more fermentable worts
Malt extract vs. corn sugar to prime
This is a question I often ask myself when reading recipes. It seems to me that using DME or saving wort for priming is a pain in the neck. The contribution of
Boil time for small batches
Brewing small experimental batches is a good way to determine the effect of a particular brewing variable. By changing one variable at a time, you can see how yeast strain, hop variety
Fresh hopped beers
Fresh, unkilned hops can certainly be used in beer and there is no right or wrong way to use them. I think fresh or “green” hops are best for late-hopping because of
Can I mash in an oven?
The oven-mash method can be effective. A very slow increase from 100° to 150° F will give all mash enzymes an opportunity to convert the starches in malted barley into fermentable sugars.
Forgot to add hops during my boil
There is not much great news to report on this unfortunate oversight. Hops need to be boiled to convert the insoluble alpha-acids into the soluble iso-alpha-acids. Unless the alpha-acids are “isomerized” during
