Writer: Chris Colby
Bierce’s Bitter IPA (2 Step Recipe)
India Pale Ale, n. A style of beer inaccessible to stovetop homebrewers — unless you use the Texas Two-Step method.
Shaun of the Red (Irish Red Ale)
A robust version of an Irish red ale — you might call it a red ale with a little more guts.
Big Belly Belgian Blonde
Austin Powers claimed that "Danger" was his middle name. After seeing our procedures, you may think we should have named this beer after him. However, once you get your first taste of it, you’ll be yelling one of Fat Bastard’s most memorable lines — "Get in my belly!
Parascalops Porter (Mole Porter)
Parascalops? Mole? What the hell!? Mole (pronounced MOH-lay) poblano is a sauce made with cocoa, nuts, chili peppers and other spices.
Teddy Porter (Coffee Porter)
No, not Taddy Porter, Teddy Porter — as in Teddy Roosevelt. In 1907, Teddy Roosevelt reputedly first uttered the words “good to the last drop,” which became Maxwell House’s slogan. Modern historians dispute this, however, claiming that the line was really written by an ad executive. One thing beyond dispute is that you’ll be sad to see the last drop of this beer go.
Cacao Puffs Porter (Chocolate Porter)
What goes great with chocolate? How about more chocolate? This beer combines chocolate malt, cocoa powder and cacao nibs for a massive chocolate flavor and aroma. A high mash temperature and relatively large dose of crystal malt yield a sweet, full-bodied beer.
Smoke on the Lager (Rauchbier)
A Märzen-style rauchbier
From Grain to Glass: Your First All-Grain Beer
All-grain brewing can be a complex subject, but the basic idea is straightforward. And, you can dive in and learn the practical aspects of all-grain brewing at home before tackling the more technical stuff. We’ll show you how.
Conditioned Milling
Would you like to crush your malt more finely, but leave larger pieces of husk behind? This seemingly contradictory outcome can be achieved in your homebrewery through some variations on wet milling. Find out how.
Number 9 (Orange Blossom Honey Mead)
This mead is not as sweet (or alcoholic) as a sweet mead, but retains enough sweetness to round out the orange blossom honey’s characteristics. The Lalvin D-47 yeast is used by winemakers for fermenting dry or off-dry white wines. I used the “no heat” method described in Ken Schramm’s book, “The Compleat Meadmaker” (2003, Brewers Publications) and held my breath, but everything turned out fine. In the no heat method, you don’t heat the must, add sulfite or do anything to sanitize the must — you just mix up the honey and water and let ‘er rip. You can add more or less acid to suit your own taste.
– Chris Colby
Yeast Biology
How did Saccharomyces cerevisiae become a good brewing yeast?
Brewing on a Budget
Is the economic news getting you down these days? Are you looking for ways to save money? Find out why putting more beer in your fermenters can mean more cash in your pockets. Plus: Money-saving tips from homebrew shops and a homebrew recipe combo for the frugal homebrewer.
