March-April 2023
Article
Bad Art, Great Times
What’s not to like about Dorchester Brewing Co.? Oh . . . maybe the art. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, DB Co. is now home to the Museum of Bad Art; with art so bad, that it’s good.
Project
Closed-Transfer System
Closed-system transfers are the gold standard when it comes to post-fermentation oxygen reduction. A homebrewer developed a system to keep oxidation at bay with their PET carboy and was willing to share the plans.
Article
Novel Yeasts
Yeast has evolved with the rise of human civilizations and helped shape them. There are a lot more species than just the two we most commonly use in brewing. Learn how and where you too can join the hunt for novel yeast strains.
Article
A Simple Guide to Hop Charges
When hops get added to your brew will dictate what their main purpose is for that beer. Drew and Denny dig into how the timing will determine when and how much of our favorite aromatic flowers to add.
Mr. Wizard
All-In-One Brewing System Advice
The Anvil Foundry is one of several mash-boil combination systems on the market using a removable cylinder with perforated bottom section to contain the mash. In contrast to the old school mash
Mr. Wizard
Crafting Flavorful Hard Seltzers
Thanks for the fun question, Skip! Now that seltzers have been around for a couple of years, brewers have figured out that the best way to make clean bases is to pitch
Mr. Wizard
Utilizing A Brewing Water Calculator
Me and my big fingers! Did I type some words about my water tool? While it’s tempting to geek out with water math, I’ll try to keep this answer informative without jumping
Article
Water Ways, Fermenting Seltzers, And All-In-One Brew Systems
A good water calculator makes pH adjustments and salt additions much easier and predictable. Mr. Wizard explains his calculator and shares tips for both making flavorful hard seltzers and a first-time brewer on an all-in-one brew system
Recipe
Gordon Strong’s American Porter
My example is in the style of Anchor Porter, in that it is a balanced but bitter version that isn’t high in alcohol. It retains the drinkability of the style.
Article
American Porter: A robust dark brown ale
Often overlooked by its bigger, bolder, stout cousin; porter still has a loyal following. Find out the history and keys to brew one of its sub-styles, the American porter.
Article
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
A staple of the American craft beer scene, Firestone Walker Brewing Co. has won enough awards to make any brewer jealous. Here they share secrets to their rather unique take on a traditional Märzen.
Recipe
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Oaktoberfest clone
Oaktoberfest has been part of the Firestone Walker lineup for about 20 years, but was originally a small volume beer brewed for Oktoberfest celebrations in and around the Paso brewery.
Recipe
Hop Water Recipe
As low- and non-alcoholic beverages continue to make waves, hop water is one that can be crisp and refreshing. Here’s a recipe for those hop-water curious.
Article
Attenuation & Finishing Gravity
Beer attenuation and finishing gravity is closely related to yeast and different strains but there are many ways for brewers to control it.
Article
Winemaking for the Modern Homebrewer
Homebrewers are often looking to push the boundaries of beer, so why not step outside of those boundaries and try your hand at making wine? We’ll run you through the basics to making wine, but throw in a twist that craft brewers have been popularizing, which is bringing over techniques from the brewing process like dry hopping, spirit-barrel aging, and more.
Article
Catharina Sour
Catharina sour — the fruited sour beer style that originated in Brazil — has continued to evolve and catch the attention of brewers across the world since hitting the international national stage just a few years ago. Learn to brew your own Catharina sour in time for summer with standard kettle-souring techniques and a whole lot of fresh fruit.
Recipe
Catharina Sour with Cupuaçu and Pitaya
Catharina Sour with Cupuaçu and Pitaya Recipe courtesy of Chico Milani, ACervA Catarinense (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.050 FG = 1.008IBU = 7 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.5% Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandilorum)
Recipe
Cervejaria UNIKA’s Wild Guava clone
Araçá is a Brazilian fruit with a flavor like guava and apple; guava is an acceptable substitute. Maracujá is passion fruit. The recipe uses the pulp of the fruit, with seeds, skins, and stems removed
Article
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.
Recipe
Sapwood Cellars’ Salzig clone
The coriander in this Gose provides a beautiful lemon-lime citrusy flavor that only adds to the refreshing qualities of this session beer.
Recipe
Sapwood Cellars’ Little By Slowly clone
This Berliner weisse combines acidity, bread dough wheaty notes, lemony-hay funk, and high carbonation.
Article
Clearing Things Up
Crystal clear beer should be the goal with most beer styles. To get there, homebrewers must understand the causes of haze, ways to minimize them in the first place, and how to clear them up when they do exist.
