November 2018
Recipe
Urgwawa – Rwandan Banana Beer
The ratios maybe a little off here as I had to triangulate a few different recipes from my Rwandan friends, but the overall concept is correct.
Article
Home-Designed Modular RIMS Setup
A homebrewer shares pictures and plans for his modular RIMS brewing system, which uses a stainless steel work table as a base.
Article
Brewing with Spanish Cedar
Different from oak, the most common wood used in brewing, Spanish cedar imparts citrus, spicy white pepper, and sandalwood flavors, with aromas similar to a cigar box. It doesn’t have the oak tannins that conflict with hops, making it a good wood option for hoppy beers.
Recipe
Madera de Cedro
“Madera de Cedro,” which translates from Spanish to “cedar wood” is an American IPA aged on Spanish cedar.
Article
Homebrew Burner Comparison
There are a handful of features that differentiate popular homebrew burners on the market today. We’ve put the most popular burner options side-by-side, so you can compare each and decide which is best to meet your needs.
Article
Bring the Heat
There are many factors to consider when deciding between propane, natural gas, and electricity as a heat source for your homebrew. John Blichmann walks us through those considerations, plus the pros and cons of each.
Article
Insulation for Single Vessel Brewing
What’s the best way to hold a consistent mash temperature for brew-in-a-bag brewing? We put the popular Reflectix insulation to the test.
Article
Isle of Man
With just four breweries producing beer for 80,000 residents, Isle of Man in the North Sea is an offshoot in United Kingdom beer culture. It now finds itself at a point where new-age beers and historic styles live side-by-side. Learn about the brewing culture and techniques, plus 3 Isle of Man clone recipes.
Recipe
Old Laxey Brewing Co.’s Bosun Bitter Clone
Old Laxey Brewing Co.’s Bosun Bitter Clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) OG = 1.036 FG = 1.007 IBU = 30 SRM = 11 ABV = 3.8% While the gravity
Recipe
Hooded Ram Brewing Co.’s Mosaic clone
Hooded Ram Brewing Co.’s Mosaic clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) OG = 1.043 FG = 1.005 IBU = 22 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.9% This is a relatively simple beer, one designed to
Recipe
Okell’s Brewery’s Mild clone
Okell’s Brewery’s Mild clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) OG = 1.029 FG = 1.006 IBU = 12 SRM = 10 ABV = 3% Ingredients 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) Golden
Article
Homebrewing in Rwanda
Located in central Africa, Rwanda is one of the most fertile places on the planet and banana beer is the local’s homemade drink of choice. One reader discovers the art of homebrewing in the land of banana beer.
Article
Fermentations Apart: Selecting different yeast for different jobs
Brewers often add adjuncts right into the main batch of beer before or during fermentation with the hopes that the characteristics of the beer will play nicely with the additive. But Michael Tonsmeire explains that fermenting the two separately may sometimes be your best approach.
Recipe
Tonsmeire’s Acorn Oud Bruin
I brewed a beer with compatible flavors for the acorns: A rye sour somewhere between English old ale and Flemish oud bruin.
Article
Adjusting Body and Gravity
Things don’t always go as planned when brewing beer. Make sure you’re ready for those days when things go awry. Learn the basic remedial steps that brewers have in their arsenal to combat an “off-day.”
Article
Munich Dunkel: The original brown lager of Bavaria
Munich dunkel captures historical Bavarian brewing in a glass: Munich malt, decoction mashing, and clean, smooth lager character.
Recipe
Gordon Strong’s Munich Dunkel
This recipe is somewhat of a compromise in mash techniques. Traditionally, this is a decocted style, but we’re going to use a step mash and a little extra character malt instead. If you want to use a decoction, I’ll describe that as well.
Article
Stainless Steel Care: Tips From the Pros
Stainless steel may cost more than aluminum, but there are many reasons why it is used in both commercial breweries and homebreweries. If you’re investing in stainless, it means you should make sure you are treating it correctly. Learn from two professionals who know what it takes to properly care for stainless steel equipment.
Recipe
SingleSpeed Brewing Co.’s Coconut Migration clone
Coconut DIPA? Yes, please. The Replicator travels to Iowa to try to uncover the secrets behind SingleSpeed Brewing’s Coconut Migration.
Article
SingleSpeed Brewing Company
Dear Replicator, Last month, my family and I went on our yearly get together with two of my old high school classmates and their families — usually somewhere with fun things for
Article
Charging Up Alkalinity, All-in with Allspice, and Enzyme Dynamics
Water chemistry is a complex beast for all-grain brewers. The Wizard takes a spin through one reader’s question about their well water run through a water softener. Also learn about using allspice in beer and the concept of “reverse” step mashing.
Mr. Wizard
Troubleshooting The “Reverse Step-Mash”
The old alpha and beta amylase temperature conundrum! It does indeed seem that the temperature optima for these two enzymes is reversed for the purpose of mashing. Beta amylase produces maltose by
Mr. Wizard
Using Allspice
One of the easiest ways to work a spice into beer recipes is to consider how the spice is used in cooking and then create a beer that mimics the food concept.
Mr. Wizard
Using Softened Water?
Oh boy, this topic is one of the more confusing ones in all of brewing and I will do my best to keep this answer clear. Toward this goal, I am using
Article
Let’s Talk Hop Shop
Learn some of the basic terminology and jargon that surround hops and hopping.
