Writer: BYO Staff
Brewing with Fresh (Wet) Hops: Tips from the Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe window to use fresh hops (that have not been dried) is small, but the reward can be great. Here are some tips to help take advantage of what nature gives us. Brewer: Kevin Smith, Bale Breaker Brewing Co. in Yakima, WA At Bale Breaker Brewing Co., we brew a 100% wet hop beer called
Homebrew Hacks: Easy Projects
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIt is not just the quest for beer — or even the quest for really, really good beer — that has made the hobby of homebrewing so popular. It is also the ability homebrewers have to determine the outcome of what they make, a desire to do something well and then tinker and improve upon
Brewing with Peppers: Tips from the Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyWhen it comes to chili beer, the options are endless. What base beer style do you want as the backbone? What chili varieties will you use? When should you add them, and how many should you add? Roast them first, or add them fresh? Subtle spiciness, or a heat wave in your mouth? We’ve rounded
Brewing High-Gravity Lagers: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBrewing a high gravity lager (with an original gravity above 1.070) takes a lot of patience and a lot of yeast. These pros have brewed award-winning examples, and with their advice you can too. Brewer: Brian Destree, Capital Brewery in Middleton, WI All of our high-gravity lagers undergo a long, slow fermentation for about 10-12
Brewing with Spruce Tips: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlySpruce tips were common in Nordic and Scandinavian beers, and were used by colonists when hops could not be sourced (they also helped prevent scurvy). Over the past decade, Craft Brewers have brought back the use of spruce as an ingredient in many styles of beer. Brewer: Tim Roberts, Yards Brewing Company, in Philadelphia, PA
Beer . . . At School?
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIt started as a joke. In June 2013, at the end of school party at Istituto Maria Immacolata (an Italian Catholic school in Gorgonzola, near Milan, Italy) I said to a teacher, “I see that here beer is sold to kids over 18 (the legal drinking age), why don’t you make some as a science
Homebrewer’s Library: BYO Writers Pick Favorite Books
Digital and Plus Members OnlyNew beer books show up in the Brew Your Own mailbox every week, but not every book is an instant classic. We asked some of BYO’s longtime columnists — Ashton Lewis (“Mr. Wizard”), Marc Martin (“The Replicator”), Jamil Zainasheff (“Style Profile”), Terry Foster (“Techniques”), Chris Bible (“Advanced Brewing”) — what titles they reach for in
Brewing Beers to Age: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyAs wine connoisseurs have known for ages, sometimes your favorite drink is better when aged. not all beers are ideal for cellaring. It takes the right style, ingredients and techniques to brew a beer that is good fresh but develops greater complexity over the years. Brewer: Mike Smith, Eel River Brewing Company in St. Scotia,
Seasonal Pumpkin Alternatives: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyBreweries across the country turn to pumpkins for their fall seasonals. However, a few brewers are treading their own paths and finding seasonal alternatives such as sweet potatoes, yams, and squash. Here are some tips so you can break the mold too. Brewer: Leslie Henderson, Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company, Mississippi Jefferson Stout was inspired by
Homebrewing in Nicaragua
Digital and Plus Members OnlyHow can a person justify spending a dollar for a can of beer they don’t even like? I can’t. And here starts my search for brewing on a budget in a developing country. I am living in Nicaragua, regretting every penny spent on the national beers. I do the math. Here, a six-pack runs
2014 Homebrew Label Contest Winners
Digital and Plus Members OnlyHomebrew labels came from every region of the United States. They came from all over Canada. And they even came from far away lands including Argentina, Norway, and Poland. Some were made to commemorate weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and births; others to remember fallen soldiers, lost family members, and pets; and, of course, others were just
Pushing Style Limits: Tips from Pros
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe craft beer industry is constantly evolving. brewers are always on the lookout for new, unique ingredients, ways to pump up IBUs and ABVs, and peering beyond tradition for other stylistic boundaries that can be pushed. Brewer: John Maier, Rogue Ales in Newport, OR Any style is open to interpretation — if you vary a