Articles
Contradictory Advice, Nanobrewing Business Model, and Recipe Rantings
Process-oriented controversies and seemingly contradictory instructions are nothing new to the brewing world. Explore a few such controversies, as well as the nanobrewing business model, and the Wiz wants to discuss homebrew recipes.
Weizenbock
While our understanding and categorization of the German wheat beer family has evolved over the years, the acknowledgement of a strong wheat beer called weizenbock has been relatively static. Maybe that is because the prototypical weizenbock, Schneider Aventinus, is truly a world-class beer that is widely available and is well-known.
Taproom Design
The design of your taproom can be a crucial element of how your business will operate in the long run. Architect Dustin Hauck provides insight for breweries-in-planning on some of the key components.
Traditional German Sours
Go into a brewery or craft beer bar with a decent tap list and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find a fruited Berliner weisse or Gose. The styles have been revived over the past decade or so, however they are almost always brewed using the quick kettle-souring technique. To make a more complex version you need to revert to traditional techniques including mixed-fermentation, extended aging, no-boil, and bottle conditioning. Michael Tonsmeire shares how to bring these techniques to your homebrewed versions.
Cooking with Spent Grains
Using spent grains as an ingredient to bake with is a great way to reduce waste by reusing a brewing byproduct while also enhancing the flavor of food recipes. Learn the process of how to make spent grain flour, tips for substituting it into your favorite cooking recipes, and also find five new recipes to make after your next brew day.
Yeast Pitch Blends
With the advent of monoculture brewing in the late 1800s, most breweries around the world have slowly moved away from their traditional yeast blends in favor of single-strain brewing. Drew and Denny advocate for going back to blended pitches.
A Kettle/Fermenter Conversion and The Time Traveling Brewer Has Some Advice
A homebrewer obtains a beast of a stainless steel tank and is looking to modify it into a brewing kettle and fermenter. Mr. Wizard walks him through the steps he recommends. Also, take a trip back to brewing in medieval times and the advice a modern brewer could take away from it.
Low-Alcohol Beer Production, Gravity Drops and the Effects of a Cold-Water Extraction
Low- and no-alcohol commercial beer production has seen a noticeable uptick in recent years, especially in the craft beer world. Mr. Wizard explains how to produce one in your homebrewery. Also, an unexplained drop in gravity and re-using cold-mashed grains.
Eat Your (Fermented) Veggies
We all love fermented beverages, but fermented foods are another hobby that can bring a lot of enjoyment (and rewarding deliciousness when done). As homebrewers, we likely have the equipment and most of the knowledge to jump right in.
Recovering from Brew Day Mishaps
Even experienced homebrewers occasionally forget a step, take their eye off of things, or miscalculate additions. Let’s explore what can be done to get your brew day back on track when this happens.
Peak Performance: Brewing on top of Mt. Whitney
To celebrate their 25th anniversary, two partners from MoreBeer! climbed and brewed beer at the highest point in the continental U.S. — Mt. Whitney, California. Go behind the scenes of their planning and adventure
Fermentation Temperatures, Balancing a Draft System, and Honey Malt
A lot of attention is paid to fermentation temperature, and for good reason. But are we focusing on the right details? Get the meaning of this statement, along with the Wizard’s explanation on calculated draft tubing length disparities and honey malt.
