Mr. Wizard
Hot-Side Aeration
MEMBERS ONLYIdentifying that one problem, the thing responsible for the majority of brewing issues, is the dream of every brewer who knows that their beer is just one step away from greatness. And, for many brewers, hot-side aeration (HSA) becomes the boogeyman to conquer. Without smelling and tasting your beers, it is impossible for me to
Terminal Gravity Woes
MEMBERS ONLYAlpha amylase can be added to the fermenter to aid in attenuation, but it has limited efficacy in converting dextrins and starch into fermentables. The primary role of the endoenzyme alpha amylase in the mash is as a debranching enzyme that chops up amylose and amylopectin into pieces from the interior of these molecules. Although
Hop Creep Revisited
MEMBERS ONLYI rarely answer similar questions in a single column, but this question pairs well with Greg Hutchinson’s question in this issue about over-carbonation and is a good follow-up to my “Hop Creep Explained” answer from January-February 2019 issue. This is kind of like beer and food pairing, but it is rather a topical pairing! OK,
Bottle-Condition Like A Champ
MEMBERS ONLYI am not sure how Affligem goes about bottling their beers, but your question generally applies to bottle-conditioned beers, especially those that have very little yeast sediment in the bottle. There are a few unrelated topics that address your question, so I will cover this topic in two short vignettes. Producing clear, bottle-conditioned brews This
Over-carbonation issues
MEMBERS ONLYThis general phenomenon is loosely referred to as gushing and has numerous causes in beer. Typically there is a primary culprit in a case of gushing, but it is not unusual for a single case of gushing to be caused by multiple factors. In order to keep this answer from becoming jumbled, I will address
Feeling the Pressure
MEMBERS ONLYAtmospheric pressure does affect beer carbonation and dispense, but the answer to this question is a little confusing depending on where the beer being dispensed was carbonated, and how carbonation is defined. It also depends on what is meant by the term “pressure.” In an attempt to write an answer that is not overly confusing,
Tips for Unitank Users
FREEThe best treatise I have read about the development and use of unitank fermenters is in the textbook Brewing Yeast and Fermentation by Boulton and Quain. Although the subject is covered in
Maximizing Malt Aroma and Character
MEMBERS ONLYI have been on this same journey before and it can be a real challenge chasing elusive flavors that sometimes seem impossible to capture, and perfect malt flavor is one such genie. It’s hard to play this game without starting with malt: They may be lacking in the flavor you are chasing. Although you state
Maximizing Honey Flavor and Aroma
MEMBERS ONLYJoe, thanks for the good two-part question about using brewing sugars like honey for special flavors and the question about how to bottle condition beers that may contain fermentable sugars. These are two independent brewing questions and are best addressed as such. When adding fermentable brewing sugars to a batch, it is important to consider
Hop Creep Explained
FREEHop creep is a term that has been recently popping up in commercial craft brewing circles to describe increased attenuation following dry-hopping. Reports in brewing literature indicate that a small handful of
Planning a Nano’s Cellar
FREEThe method of fermentation described above works with fermenters over a fairly wide range of sizes, mainly depending on the shape of the fermenter. The dissipation of heat from the fermenter into
Keg-Conditioning Beer
MEMBERS ONLYAnthony, the short answer to your question is that it depends on when the beer was filled into your keg. In order to answer this question, a bit of background is required, so hang tight for a bit of review. There are many ways to go about managing the fermentation and aging process, but all