Topic: Mr Wizard
Fine-Tuning Bitterness, Reusing Yeast, Dry Hops in a Carboy, and a Racking Question
A reader wants to know his options for adjusting a beer’s bitterness post-fermentation. Also, multi-generational yeast, dry hopping in a narrow neck carboy, and early racking dynamics.
The Raw Deal With Raw Ales, Seltzer Nutrients and Grain Milling Considerations
Not boiling your wort then pitching with a traditional strain of yeast has been dubbed brewing a raw ale. The Wiz delves into questions surrounding this technique of brewing as well as hard seltzer nutrients and milling already crushed grains.
Decocting While Recirculating? Also: Iodine Starch Testing and Defining Mash Conversion
Is there a best-practice technique for decoction mashing while utilizing a recirculating mash system? The Wizard investigates this as well as a deep dive into what brewers mean when they say “enzymatic conversion is complete.”
Yeast Propagation, Dialing in Your Brewing Water Profiles
Feed yeast and they will grow . . . so why bother with these multi-step growth methods advocated by pundits? Mr. Wizard has some reasons. Also, find out about dialing in your water profile, whether using tap or reverse osmosis (RO) water.
Oxidation Rates, Creating the Haze, and Pressure Fermenting in a Conical
Learn how quickly beer can oxidize after packaging. Also a homebrewer has a question about getting hazy and another about making the most of their new conical.
Tastes Great, Less Filling? Also measuring IBUs: Part science, practice, and opinion
Creating a well-balanced, low-carbohydrate beer can be a challenge. The Wiz jumps down a rabbit hole to explore how some craft breweries and homebrewers may do just that. Also the topic of the value of the IBU rears its head again.
Always Question Your Instruments, Brewing Water Tweaks and Fermentation Questions
Brewers put a lot of faith in their instruments . . . but are they testing them? The Wiz answers several questions on this. He also covers adjusting alkalinity in reverse osmosis water.
Curing Sparging Woes, Talking Oxidation, and the Subtleties of Beer Gas
Pumpkin beers have always posed a challenge, but one seasoned pumpkin beer brewer faces an unusually cantankerous mash. The Wiz has some mash suggestions and also describes the nuances of beer gas and re-addresses hop fade in beer.
Combating Chloramine and A Deep Dive Into The Dynamics of Glycol Chillers
The Wiz responds to a question about how to remove chloramine from water. Also, for the growing legion of hobby and small-scale brewers using glycol fermentation control systems, learn some of the in’s and out’s to their proper use.
Post-Souring Gravity, Multi-Batch Brew, Priming a Keg, and Fermenting Lemon Juice
Do you know how much sugars are consumed during the souring process for kettle-soured beer? The Wiz explains Lactobacillus souring and has tips for multiple-batch brewing, priming in a keg, and making . . . lemon beer?
The Not-So-Great Hop Fade, Step Mashing, and Frozen Fruit
The Wizard delves into the mysteries of hop fade as well as the logic of adding frozen fruit to beer and the nuances of step-mash timing.
Tuning In to Water Profiles, Dry Hop Timing and Sparge Water
QMost water calculators I have used are based on water profiles of the cities where different beer styles are brewed. Wouldn’t it be a better way to show the water profiles of
