December 2021
Mr. Wizard
Clues To Identifying An Infection
Identifying beer spoilage by visual observation can be a challenge, but the photo of your brew does look suspect. If I were to wager a bet, my money would be on Acetobacter
Article
Snow Ale: Beer brewed from snowmelt water
When the snow gods delivered a big dump of the glistening white stuff to one homebrewer’s home, he found that the beer gods were the ones giving him a sign.
Project
CO2 Cylinder Stand
A good CO2 regulator is expensive and also one of the most vulnerable pieces of equipment if not properly safeguarded. Check out this simple build to protect yours.
Article
Between Pitch and Pint: Advanced fermenter/dispenser automation
Automation is a fun side hobby for many brewers, but it is not just for the brewhouse. Get some high-level ideas and info on the components available for automating your cellar.
Article
Packaging Beer: Practical tips to minimize problems
Packaging your beer at its best means it isn’t negatively impacted in the process. Make sure every homebrew you package is minimally affected no matter what method you use.
Article
Imperial Stout: Back in black
Imperial stouts are now one of the most revered beer styles in the craft beer world. Learn about its history and pointers for crafting this big, age-worthy style.
Recipe
Gordon Strong’s Imperial Stout
I’m presenting an English-inspired version of an imperial stout with some American hopping.
Mr. Wizard
Mr. Wizard’s Guide to Cleaning Your Draft System
Clean draft lines and faucets are key to any properly maintained draft beer system. The good news for the homebrewer is that our draft lines tend to be relatively short and contain
Article
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.
Mr. Wizard
Is There a Difference Between Rolled and Flaked Grains?
Thanks for the great question, Tony! An interesting topic to dive into for sure because there are some real differences among adjunct grains that are invisible to the eye. For starters, the
Article
Bell’s Brewery
It’s winter warmer season and Bell’s Brewery put out a one-off last year called Song of the Open Road. One reader considered it the best winter warmer he’s ever tasted. The Replicator talked to Bell’s about crafting a rendition at home.
Recipe
Bell’s Brewery’s Song Of The Open Road clone
Song of the Open Road will pour a nice shade of brown with garnet notes. The hearty ale is best served in a snifter glass and will pair well with rich desserts, a fine cigar or, of course, the literary works of Walt Whitman.
Article
Easy Lagers
Most brewers would regard lagers as more difficult to brew than ales, but there are some tricks to simplify the process.
Article
Tweaking Recipes: Tips from the Pros
A sign of a great brewer is that they are never content with a recipe. Three pros striving for excellence share their tips for tweaking recipes and brewing one-offs.
Article
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.
Recipe
Mamacita’s Dark Kölsch
Mamacita’s Dark Kölsch (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.050 FG = 1.014IBU = 27 SRM = 21 ABV = 4.7% An homage to St. Arnold Brewing’s Santo, which was in the brewery’s
Article
Ireland Trip Recap
We recap and share photos from a recent trip BYO’s Publisher and a group of BYO readers took to explore Ireland’s breweries, distilleries, and scenic countryside.
Article
Double Up: Two Brews in the Time of One
Whether you want to save time, effort, or energy, this method checks all the boxes. Brew two 5-gallon (19-L) batches of beer from extract in two hours.
Recipe
2-for-1 Belgian Dubble
2-for-1 Belgian Dubble (5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)OG = 1.080 FG = 1.018IBU = 30 SRM = 25 ABV = 8.3% Ingredients7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg) light dried malt extract 5.6 oz. (160
Recipe
2-for-1 Citra® IPA
A quick extract with grains recipe for an everyday IPA that highlights a refreshing Citra® hop burst.
Article
The Road to Victory
Twenty-five years ago lifelong friends Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski founded Victory Brewing Co. in Downington, Pennsylvania. Victory has churned out countless classic beers since its humble beginnings to become a leader in the craft beer movement. Learn more about the road to Victory, plus 5 clone recipes straight from their recipe books.
Recipe
Victory Brewing Co.’s Mad King’s Weiss clone
Originally made decades ago for the former Ludwig’s Garden Restaurant in Philadelphia, this beer continues to amaze with its balance of spice and esters. Hoppier and stronger than a typical Bavarian hefeweizen, yet more estery than a Belgian blond ale, the wheat malt plays well with the Belgian Trappist strain making it a favorite of many Victory Brewing fans.
Recipe
Victory Brewing Co.’s Storm King Imperial Stout clone
A Victory classic that came out of the brewmasters’ love for rich malts and intense hops, the robust malt flavors are complemented and balanced with a huge charge of classic hop types. Storm King is a well-attenuated beer possessing a mouthfeel more reflective of a double IPA rather than a prototypical imperial stout.
Recipe
Victory Brewing Co.’s PrimaPils clone
Victory Brewing Co.’s award-winning, amped up German Pilsner with fresh noble hop aroma, bracing hop dryness, gentle malt character, and ultra clean fermentation.
Recipe
Victory Brewing Co.’s DirtWolf clone
A spectacular double IPA that fuses all the exciting flavors of modern hops in a way that does not focus on any one particular aroma, but rather the symphony of tropical fruits, citrus, pine, and wood.
Recipe
Victory Brewing Co.’s St. Victorious Doppelbock clone
A strong lager featuring many malts to add complexity across the palate, St. Victorious Doppelbock takes it a step further by adding a small addition of Beechwood smoked malt, a nod to the Franconian region in and around Bamberg, Germany.
Article
Myth Busting
Half truths, misunderstood principles, untested theories, and wild guesses often become taken as facts when repeated enough times. You’ll find them on brewing message boards, in literature, and in conversation.
That doesn’t make them true. Let’s bust these myths.
