May-June 2024 Archives - Brew Your Own

Recipe

Gordon Strong’s German Pilsner

This German Pilsner recipe can be used as a template for any hoppy Pilsner. Replace bittering hops with a first wort hop addition of a flavor hop, move flavor and aroma hops to the whirlpool or dry hopping, and alter the variety of hops to match the target profile for the style.

Recipe

Piney River Brewing Co.’s Black Walnut clone

A dark wheat ale brewed with black walnuts that contribute a nutty, fruity flavor

Recipe

Gordon Strong’s British Brown Ale

The base malt is a mix of Maris Otter and Golden Promise. Torrified wheat provides some of the character flavor and a little body. Mid-range crystal malts provide some caramel flavors, and the light dose of chocolate malt gives enough of the nutty flavor without tasting overtly chocolate-like.

Mr. Wizard

Explaining Hop Utilization

The term “boil efficiency” typically refers to “hop utilization” and relates hop alpha acids added to wort to iso-alpha acids in beer. I will use the standard term “hop utilization” in this

Mr. Wizard

Why do some batches exhibit hop creep?

Let me start this answer off with a brief review of hop creep. This term refers to dry hopped fermentations that slowly ferment to a lower final gravity than they would without

Mr. Wizard

An alternative way to judge beers in competition

Takeaways from the Japan Brewers Cup — Yokohama, Japan, February 9, 2024 Earlier this year, I had the great opportunity to travel to Japan to visit some breweries, give a presentation to a

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Easy-Drinking Fermented Beverages

Want to try a new type of fermentation? Here are three easy-drinking, low-ABV beverages that are perfect for the warming weather: Tepache, ginger beer, and kefir soda. They each rely on Lactobacillus and can be made with little effort and equipment.

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Fermenting Under Pressure

Fermenting under pressure allows for natural carbonation during fermentation and the ability to utilize CO2 to pressure transfer to kegs. However, arguably the most enticing benefit is the ester suppression and ability to make lager-style beers fermented at warmer temperatures in a fraction of the time. Learn more about pressure fermentation and how the resulting beers compare to traditional lager fermentations.

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Pilsners of the World

The Pilsner beer style began in the Czech city of Pilsen, but has been adopted and adjusted to consumer tastes worldwide since its origin. Get to know the modern Pilsners of the world, what makes them different, and how you can make each at home.

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Understanding Mash Chemistry

Changing the chemistry of the mash can play an important role in the outcome of the final beer. Learn how to make adjustments based on your water and grist.

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Piney River Brewing Co.

The Replicator visits the Ozarks to crack the code on using black walnuts in a beer. Learn about Piney River Brewing Co., built on the founders’ farm over a decade ago, and their Black Walnut wheat ale.

Article

Hop Creep, Hop Utilization, and a Different Approach to Beer Judging

Hop creep isn’t new, so why are we hearing so much more about it in recent years? Brewing scientists now believe it has to do with a push from brewers for hops to be kilned at lower temperatures to preserve aromatics. The Wizard also gets geeky about hop utilization and shares a different approach to beer competitions.

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British Brown Ale

British brown ale is open to a wide range of interpretations, however one constant is that the style is all about drinkability and balance. Learn more about its history, which at a time nearly went extinct, and how to brew your own version.

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Yeast on Repeat

There are many reasons homebrewers may want to reuse yeast, starting with cost savings. And there are also many ways to do it, from easy methods such as immediate reuse, to careful collection and storage. Learn more about how to get the most from your yeast, batch after batch.

Article

How Nanos can Benefit from Test Results

A quality control program is only as good as the accuracy of the equipment used. The process begins with calibrations and proper use, and then it’s up to you to catch problems as they begin to form and the batch can still be saved.

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Tap Handle Mania

Many homebrewers create unique bottle labels for each beer they brew. But if you keg your beers then a unique tap handle for each beer would be a lot better. That’s exactly what one homebrewer decided to do with just wood, a knife, paint, and some old Boy Scout training.

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