Date: July-August 2012
Reading a Water Report for Beginners
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrewing water can be pretty confusing, especially to a new homebrewer who is starting to brew all-grain batches. All you need to know in the beginning, however, is if six certain ions in your water are in the proper range, which you can easily find out from reading a water report. If you live in
The Tri-Centennial DIPA
Digital and Plus Members OnlyA big honker of a DIPA with strong orange/grapefruit, character of Centennial hops coming out in this classic West-Coast style DIPA.
Matt Gauzza’s Imperial IPA
Digital and Plus Members OnlySimcoe®/Amarillo® is one of the great hop combos in modern craft brewing. Homebrewer Matt Guazza supplies BYO with an imperial IPA recipe with a nice malt backbone to compliment this hop pairing.
DIY Water Filter
Digital and Plus Members OnlyAs homebrewers we strive for perfection in our brews. There is a lot going on to get that water flowing into your home and more that a homebrewer can do to control the quality of the largest ingredient in the brewing process. Mineral content, particulate matter, pH, hardness, alkalinity levels, salts, chlorine, microbes and temperature
Fermentation Temperature Control
Digital and Plus Members OnlyFermentation temperature is a critical brewing variable. Temperature directly influences the metabolic rate of the yeast and the rate of the biochemical reactions associated with fermentation. Fermentation temperature has a significant impact on the quality of the finished beer, so control of this variable is very important for the brewer. There are numerous ways for
Homebrewing Cask Ales
Digital and Plus Members OnlyOn a recent road trip through eastern Oregon, my wife and I finally got to visit a brewpub that has been on our list for a long time, Deschutes Brewing in Bend. The atmosphere and food were excellent, but obviously the star attraction was the beer. Getting to drink Mirror Pond, Black Butte Porter, and
Brewing Hoppy American-Style Beers
Digital and Plus Members OnlyDuring the past 20 years or so, there has been an obvious upward trend in modern American brewing culture when it comes to the creation and consumption of hoppy beers. Hoppy American-style pale ales have given way to even hoppier American IPAs, and American double IPAs have pushed hop character to its limits. So why
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Digital and Plus Members Onlyby the numbers OG:1.075–1.110 (18.2–25.9 °P) FG:1.010–1.024 (2.6–6.1 °P) SRM:12–22 IBU:20–35 ABV8–11% I used to hate judging the Belgian strong category in competitions. Long ago, so many of the beers were syrupy sweet alcohol bombs that I found it most unpleasant. While Belgian dark strong ale is a beer with a higher level of alcohol,
Final Gravity Woes & Hop Bursting: Mr. Wizard
Digital and Plus Members OnlyQ I am an all-grain brewer who cannot seem to hit my final gravity on any of my brews. I just finished a stout that should have gotten down to about 1.020 specific gravity even with the roasted grains, but it stopped at 1.037 after two weeks. I am aerating my wort with an air
Choosing the Right Yeast: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe great thing about being a homebrewer in this day and age is the wide array of ingredient choices, including yeast. but how do you actually choose the right strain? Three yeast experts share some advice. Pro: Neva Parker, White Labs Inc. in San Diego, CA If you aren’t sure about what strain to use
Glacier BrewHouse’s Imperial Blonde Ale: Replicator
Digital and Plus Members OnlyDear Replicator, I will be retiring as a Boeing 777 captain for a major package delivery company soon, and one fine establishment that was a regular stop for me was Glacier BrewHouse in Anchorage, Alaska. The one beer that really stands out for me is their Imperial Blonde Ale. Since I will no longer be
What is hopbursting?
Digital and Plus Members OnlyI must admit Matt that this is a method I have not heard of, until doing a little research to help me with an answer. The cool thing about homebrewing is that techniques often take on interesting names, and in the case of “hopbursting” made my research a little easier. This is in contrast to