March-April 2018
Article
Methods of the Low Oxygen Brewhouse
Two advocates for low oxygen brewing explain the theory and reasoning behind it, plus share best practices to limit oxygen exposure in the brewing process.
Article
Big Batch BIAB
Think brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) is just for small stovetop brewdays? Think again. Here is the equipment and other considerations to brew mega BIAB batches.
Article
Crafting Your Own Belgian Abbey-Style Ales
Trappist ales are as complex as they are sought-after. Get tips to brew your own Trappist-style ales from the homebrewers who won gold in the Trappist ale category of the 2017 National Homebrew Competition.
Recipe
Tafelbier
Similar to Trappist single, Tafelbier is a low-gravity session style beer with a nice Belgian character in the background that is a great beer to drink on brew days when you need to keep your wits about you but would also like to have a few beers. It also has a quick turnaround, so it’s perfect for brewing when you need a beer for a fast-approaching event.
Recipe
Belgian Dubbel
We decided on a simple grain bill for our dubbel to allow the yeast to express that Belgian character of fruity esters and some spicy phenols in the aroma that so many of us enjoy when we first take a sip of a well-made dubbel.
Recipe
Belgian Tripel
This tripel has a standard grain bill and a process like our Belgian dubbel with one twist —the addition of Weyermann Abbey malt. The Abbey malt gives the finished Tripel more malt character that the best commercial examples in Belgium all have.
Recipe
Belgian Quad
We keep the IBUs on the low side for this beer in relation to the style because we like the hops to take a backseat to the rich malt and yeast characters in this beer. The more this beer attenuates and dries out the more the hop flavor will come through in the final flavor.
Recipe
Belgian-Style Saison
This saison is very dry, with a balanced lemony tartness from the yeast. Flaked wheat adds complexity, body, and smoothness. Rye adds complexity, mainly in the form of spiciness. No aroma hops are used in this version, which focuses on the yeast and grains. For more hop character, I would recommend dry hopping with a noble hop variety or a moderate amount of Motueka and/or Nelson Sauvin.
Article
Saving Saison
While saison is a Belgian beer style, it is rarely brewed there. Explore the history of saison and get tips to brew your own classic saison from a Belgian brewer who is trying to restore its popularity in Belgium.
Article
Brewing with Alternative Rice Forms
Seeking a crispness to a beer style with the addition of rice? Save time by skipping the cereal mash and use an alternative like flaked, malted, or extract rice.
Recipe
Ricey Saison
A saison made with rice malt or dry rice extract.
Recipe
Paint it Black IPA
A black IPA made with rice malt.
Article
Save Your Hops for Post-Boil
Outside of bittering additions, adding hops during the boil is inefficient as many of the essential oils and positive attributes being sought are lost to heat. Instead, save those hops for whirlpooling or dry hopping.
Article
Brew Con London: Facing A Shining Future – Last Call
. . . on a crisp, London-gray, November day, more than 500 amateur brewers headed to a warehouse venue in Bethnal Green for the inaugural Brew Con London.
Project
Multi-Purpose Fermentation Chamber
While there are tons of designs for fermentation chambers to be found, this build incorporates smart design, a clean look, and repurposed equipment to create a unique system.
Article
IBUs: Modern Beers with Old Formulas – Advanced Brewing
While these approximations are reliable enough for classic hopping techniques and amounts, hopping has evolved to be more varied and aggressive.
Article
Yeast Pitching and Propagation: Techniques
If there’s one piece I can recommend for yeast propagation, it’d be an Erlenmeyer flask. An Erlenmeyer flask is easy to close from contamination and take accurate measures in.
Article
Burton Ale: Style Profile
Burton ale was the beer that originally put Burton on the map, beer-wise. It pre-dates IPA, and was a big export beer to the Baltic countries from about 1740 to 1822.
Recipe
Gordon Strong’s Burton Ale (Pre-WWI era)
A Burton ale is a rich, malty, bitter, warming beer that has a comforting feel about it, which does make it a good winter beer. However, it traditionally was served year-round when tastes differed.This recipe was based on Burton Ales being brewed during the pre-WWI era.
Mr. Wizard
Quick Carb Method To Avoid Overcarbing Keg
In my brewing opinion, the only redeeming quality of the old crank and shake method of beer carbonation is that it may properly “carbonate” beer to a desired level when correctly executed.
Mr. Wizard
Yeast Slurry Comes Into Focus
The term “yeast slurry” is used by brewers to describe the pasty mixture of yeast and a liquid, usually beer. I will return to yeast slurries in a moment, but want to
Article
Defining Yeast Slurries and Dealing With An Overcarbonated Keg: Mr Wizard
Q I just finished reading your reply to a question on re-using yeast. I’m about ready to get started doing so, most of the process is clear to me. One exception; what
Article
Brewing Session Beers: Tips From the Pros
Brewing and enjoying a quality session beer seems to be overshadowed these days by the big hop bombs and high ABV beers. So let’s go back to the fundamentals of what makes session beers so enjoyable and how to approach brewing this category of beer.
Article
Epic Brewing Company: Replicator
Dear Replicator, It’s been fun to watch the growth and maturing of a local brewery: Epic Brewing Co. One beer that they put out which really stands out to me is Utah
Recipe
Epic Brewing Co.’s Utah Sage Saison clone
The initial aromas are all herb, with a low floral and fruity hops aroma underneath. I didn’t perceive much in the way of grist aromatics until I took my first sip, and then it all really came together. The rich malts lingered on the tongue and the savory herbs filled the nose, with peppery phenols accenting everything beautifully.
Article
Wort Chilling
Homebrewers need to chill there wort after the boil, but there is no correct way. Learn the pros and cons of various methods of wort chilling along with the different techniques to chill the wort down to yeast-pitching temperatures.
Article
Burton Ale – Draft BJCP Style Description
17A. British Strong Ale: Burton Ale Overall Impression: A rich, malty, sweet, and bitter dark ale of moderately strong alcohol. Fuller bodied and chewy with a balanced hoppy finish and complex malty
