Topic: Brewing Science
Dip Hopping
FREEDip hopping — letting hops soak at about 170 °F (77 °C) for an hour — has been shown to boost pleasant hop aromas while suppressing or removing unpleasant off-flavors, like myrcene, and aromas that are derived from fermentation.
Crystallization: Forming the ice in your eisbock, baby
Digital and Plus Members OnlyTo make a good eisbock (or any other kind of ice beer) it is helpful to have a good understanding of how ice crystals form, and to be able to effectively manage crystal formation within the beer.
How Important is Kettle pH?
Digital and Plus Members OnlyMash pH gets most of the attention when it comes to pH measurement, but there are ideal pH levels at every step of the brewing process and they may get out of line after the mash. The boil pH affects protein coagulation, hot break, and hop isomerization (a higher pH results in a higher hop
From Juicy to Crazy Hazy
Digital and Plus Members OnlyJuicy. Hazy. These style descriptors have become so commonplace in the craft beer world over the past two decades that everyone can picture the beer in their mind upon a single word. It must be remembered, however, it was flavor that started the New England India pale ale (NEIPA) revolution, and haze was a by-product.
Cold-Side Considerations: It’s lurking out there . . . oxidation
Digital and Plus Members OnlyOxidation and the effects of staling on beer is one of the great frustrations of brewers. John Palmer lays out the root causes and things we can do at different stages of production to minimize this problem.
Sour Power: The many ways to Lacto
FREEThe popularity of Lactobacillus in the modern craft beer scene is hard to miss. But not all Lacto species (or sub-species) act similarly. Get the scoop on a few of their differences.
Digging Into Seltzer Nutrients
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe answer to this question requires an upfront disclaimer about any bias or product promotions that may accompany my answer. I work for BSG (Brewers Supply Group) and we carry several products used by producers of seltzers, and some of these products will be mentioned in this answer because they are most familiar to me.
Testing Your Hypothesis: Experiments you should do
Digital and Plus Members OnlyHomebrewing and experimenting are about as old as brewing itself . . . but modern scientific method delineates theories and proven facts. Denny and Drew provide some pointers.
Enzymes Ex Machina: Explore the world of exogenous enzymes
Digital and Plus Members OnlyFor a long time the only enzyme most brewers would ever think about adding was some amylase enzymes . . . boy have times changed. Learn about the rapidly expanding world of exogenous enzymes.
Bitterness & The IBU – What’s It All About?
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIn the earlier days of the American India pale ale, bitterness was king. The more Bitterness Units (BU), the better. We didn’t have the hazy-juicys, we had bitter and hoppy, piney, ashy, resinous, maybe dank. Predominant West Coast IPAs began to evolve the palates of every cool craft beer junky into a bitter-beer-ophile. Bitterness addicts
Tastes Great, Less Filling? Crafting low-carb beers
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe keys to clearly understanding this topic are knowing about the types of starch present in a brewery mash and how malt enzymes act upon these large carbohydrates, appreciating how exogenous enzymes can be used to step beyond the boundaries of malt enzymes alone, and considering alternative ingredients that leave little to no residual carbohydrates
The Phenolic Phamily
FREEThe word “phenol” often comes up in the beer world, but its use can vary widely. In fact hundreds of phenolic compounds have been found to exist in beer. Learn some of the basics about the family of organic compounds.