Articles
2022 Holiday Gift Guide
This holiday season give the gift of beer! Check out all of the great beer gear on the next few pages for some gift ideas for friends and family or make your own homebrew holiday wishlist…
Continual Improvements
After a recipe is first conceptualized and then brewed is when the toughest work begins in perfecting that recipe. It (usually) doesn’t go from good to great on a second brew, but instead requires small tweaks from batch-to-batch. By changing one facet of a recipe each time it is brewed, that change can be analyzed, criticized, and lead to continual improvements.
Flaked versus Rolled Grains, Gelatinization, Identifying an Infection, and Draft Cleaning
Is there a difference between rolled and flaked grain? Also learn about gelatinization, clues to a beer’s odd appearance, and the Wizard’s guide to cleaning a draft system.
The Basics of Sour Beer
Learn the basics of the various ways brewers in this era can produce sour beers, from traditional to modern.
The Art & Science of Recipe Design
By combining the left side of the brain (mechanical and methodical approach) and right side (artistic expression) every homebrewer has the ability to create their own homebrew recipes. Embrace both sides and get to work designing your next beer.
Hard Cider Variations: Tips from the Pros
Fall is coming and apples will soon be aplenty! Three pros share advice for three different types of ciders (fruited, spiced, and hopped).
Thinking Brew-In-A-Bag: Helpful tips for this style of brewing
The popularity of brew-in-a-bag type brewing systems has exploded over the last five years. Denny and Drew look at some factors to make the most of your brew day when using this style of system.
A Modern Method for Calculating IBUs
IBU calculators most often used by brewers were developed prior to the popularity of adding massive hop additions after the boil. As brewing techniques evolve, the way we measure IBUs should too. A new model, dubbed SMPH, accounts for factors that have previously been overlooked, including separating isomerized alpha acids from auxiliary bittering compounds.
One Style, Many Strengths
From session to imperial strength beers, the alcohol content plays a significant role in a beer’s character. But creating balanced beers at different strengths cannot always be accomplished by simply scaling ingredients up or down. Get a better understanding of the intricacies of brewing beers at different strengths.
Brewing With Rye
Rye has a long and storied history in brewing but many brewers shy away from it. Learn some best practices for its use.
Belgian Tripel: A beer deserving respect
Created within the walls of the Westmalle monastery in the 1930s, the Belgian tripel is now one of the most iconic beer styles in a country replete with them. Go in depth with Gordon Strong to learn about it.
The Homebrew Milkman: COVID-19 brewing reflections
When COVID lockdowns went into effect, a homebrewer sprang into action, crafting beers first for his social beer group and later for friends and neighbors. His efforts were rewarded with charity donations and gifts. Learn about this homebrewer’s “milk” route.
