Topic: Mr Wizard
Hop Creep Explained, Backsweetening, and Maximizing Malt Freshness
The term “hop creep” is not to be confused with lupulin shift. The Wiz provides the current understanding of hop creep as well as how to maximize certain flavor components of beer.
Hop Shelf Life, Keg-Conditioning Beer and Planning a Nano’s Cellar
A reader is interested to know about the ageability of well stored hops and whether buying last year’s, discounted hops may be a sound investment. Also learn about what makes recently brewed beer, green beer and a nano’s cellar plans.
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.
Counting Calories: Pastry Stouts
This is a fun question considering the source region; Empire Brewing in Syracuse and Cazanovia, NY has been brewing their Skinny Atlas Light since 1994 using water from Lake Skaneateles. Not sure
Oh, You Brut!, Counting Calories, and a Look Inside Crystal Malts
Q I have been reading about “Brut IPAs” and am curious what these beers are, and how they are being brewed. Any information would be great! Ben BauerGilroy, California A Brut IPAs
Brewing a Brut IPA
Brut IPAs are the current IPA rage blazing across the nation. Kim Sturvandt at Social Kitchen & Brewery in San Francisco is credited with being the first brewer to create this type
Brewing a Hop Bomb
As simple as it sounds, many brewers who are brewing super hoppy beers are using lots and lots of hops! And I do mean lots of hops. Back in the 1980s, few
Carbonating in a Unitank
There a few ways to go about carbonating beer using a stone, and I think your approach is sound, but needs a few changes. I will review the method that has worked
Brewing a Hop Bomb, Yeast Dosing Specifics and Carbonating in a Unitank
The Wiz answers a reader question about brewing the most aromatic kind of IPA possible. Also find tips on adding yeast for bottling and force carbing in a unitank.
Digging into the Haze, Cacao Nibs Advice and Harvesting Yeast
Proteins from grains react with polyphenols from grain and hops, and when this happens the protein-polyphenol complex causes light to scatter and the beer to appear hazy.
Cacao Nibs Advice
With any brewing ingredient it is helpful to consider what the ingredient contributes to beer, how the contribution is best transferred from the raw material to the wort and/or beer, if there
Digging into the Hazy IPA
It is easy for us “old-school brewers” to joke about the cloudy-IPA style, and dismissively suggest to just do the opposite of what is required to make clear beer. Although there is
