Mr. Wizard
Low-Alpha Acid Double IPA
You are not alone in your belief that certain hop varieties, especially many high alpha varieties, impart a harsh and unpleasant bitterness to beer. Some very large breweries also share this belief
Mash Temperatures
Unfortunately, enzymes do not “renature” once they have been heated to the point of thermal inactivation and later cooled. Enzyme denaturation can be likened to cooking an egg, since egg whites and
Warm Fermenting Yeast
What’s that old adage? When the Pacific Northwest presents you with warm, summer weather get outside and enjoy it before the rain returns. Or is that just the hype intended to ward
Adjusting Water pH
This is a question that I have never been asked and did a little digging. The reason for the digging is the very low pH of your well water. Most well water
Mash Hopping
The direct answer to this question is no. Hops do not need to be figured into the water-to-malt calculus. This ratio is used to determine strike water temperature and has a real
Stopping Fermentation
Halting a fermentation is certainly possible and some brewers do indeed use this technique to produce beer with residual sweetness. I don’t think you are looking for residual sweetness, but the topic
Higher Alcohols
The “hot” and solvent-like aromas you describe are associated with higher alcohols. The term “higher alcohol” is used to describe alcohols that have a higher molecular weight than ethanol, and grammatically, the
Hot Liquor Tank Temperatures
Paul, the direct answer to your question is “no”; using 200 °F (93 °F) water to heat wort with a copper coil heat exchanger is not going to hurt your efficiency. The important
Freezing Fresh Hops
This is a really interesting question about hop storage. Brewers can, at times, be skeptical about observations reported by newer brewers, especially when the observations have to do with changes in flavor.
Decoction Mashing
I really like this approach! This is the first time I have heard of your method and cannot think of any huge problems. It is certainly similar to decoction mashing, except that
Kräusen Rings
Do dangers lurk in the kräusen ring at the top of your fermenter? Plus: Increasing shelf life and free amino nitrogen levels in dextrin malts.
Mash Starches
Mr. Wizard analyzes what happens to starches in the mash tun & more.
