Date: March-April 2013
Calibration and Conclusion
Digital and Plus Members OnlyHomebrewers have a variety of tools at their disposal — including hydrometers, thermometers and pH meters — to measure important variables during the brew day. It is important that these be calibrated, so that you can have some confidence in your measurements. Fortunately, calibration is not very difficult. Here’s how: One theme running through this collection
Post Fermentation and Packaging
Digital and Plus Members OnlyAfter fermentation, the beer needs to be packaged into bottles or kegs. The beer must also be carbonated to the correct level. For the best results, the beer should be exposed to as little oxygen as possible during the transfer and subsequent storage. Minimizing oxygen uptake by the finished beer will prolong its shelf life.
Fermenting and Conditioning
Digital and Plus Members OnlyRunning a healthy fermentation depends on pitching an appropriate amount of healthy yeast. Beyond that, creating proper wort conditions (with respect to aeration and nutrition) and controlling your fermentation temperatures are the keys to success. How you treat your yeast is a huge factor in determining beer quality. In this stage of brewing, the brewer
Wort Production (with malted grains)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyMaking wort from malted grains gives the brewer the freedom to control the attributes of his or her wort, most notably, its fermentability. You have many options on an all-grain brew day. Some of the options depend on how your brewery is configured, while others allow you to make decisions that impact beer quality. In
Wort Production (with malt extract)
Digital and Plus Members OnlyWort made from reconstituted malt extract is dissimilar from wort made from mashing malted grains. Knowing the differences can guide you to making sound decisions regarding how to use it on brew day. The convenience of malt extract does not have to come at the price of beer quality if you know how to handle
Rusty Truck Brewing Co.’s Fender Bender Amber Ale clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe Fender Bender is a classic example of the American amber ale style. It is clear and bright with colors displaying dark copper and light ruby highlights. A creamy white head shows great retention. The aroma features malt up front with a pronounced citrus background. Caramel malts dominate the flavor with just enough hop bitterness to offset the residual sweetness. Melanoidin malt provides a slight nuttiness with dextrin adding to the body.
Rusty Truck Brewing Company: Replicator
Digital and Plus Members OnlyDear Replicator, During a trip my wife and I took up the Oregon Coast. We stopped for dinner in Lincoln City, Oregon at Road House 101. There I had a Fender Bender Amber Ale brewed by Rusty Truck Brewing. This was the best Amber Ale I have ever had. It had great body, a nice
Brewing with Oatmeal
Digital and Plus Members OnlyOnce you get the basics of brewing with barley malt down, it is fun to start experimenting with other grains and adjuncts. In this story, Jamil Zainasheff discusses brewing oatmeal stout. If you want to try homebrewing with oatmeal, take a moment to learn a little bit about how to use it in your homebrews. What
Fermentation Cabinet
FREEHow can I make my homebrew better? That was and still is the #1 question for most homebrewers. Temperature control during the fermentation is very important but it was difficult for me
Over the Topper DIPA
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThis is my attempt to clone one of my favorite double IPAs coming out my home state of Vermont, Heady Topper from The Alchemist Brewery.
Longmont Pale Ale
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThis was my attempt to pay homage to the beer that put cans on the craft beer scene, to which I will always be a faithful and loyal admirer to Oskar Blues Brewery and their Dale’s Pale Ale. Now if only I could get my homebrew in a can to take with me skiing, canoeing and bike riding, I would be all set.
Dort the Export
FREEThe midwestern part of the United States has become chock-a-block with incredible breweries, but Great Lakes Brewing Company is easily near the top of that list in my opinion. Here was my attempt to re-create their Dortmunder Gold, a true standard in the field.