Writer: Dawson Raspuzzi
Using Barrel Alternatives
Oak barrels aren’t the only way to add oak character to your homebrews. Two experts share their advice for getting the most from barrel alternatives such as spirals, staves, chips, and cubes.
Oak It Up
Barrel aging contributes to the complexity of many of the world’s most sought-after beers. We query four pros in charge of barrel programs of various sizes about creating barrel-aged beers. Each also offers us a clone recipe for one of their barrel-aged offerings.
3 Sons Brewing Co.’s Summation clone
This is the base recipe for Summation, which 3 Sons often brews variations of with added flavors like coffee, vanilla, and more. If you wish to create a variation with adjuncts, add after barrel aging.
Cerebral Brewing Co.’s Standard Practice clone
Stouts and barleywines aren’t the only styles you should consider aging in barrels. This helles lands on the other end of the flavor intensity threshold and is perfect for any occasion. This beer received a gold medal in 2022 at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Parabola clone
Parabola is arguably Firestone Walker’s most notorious barrel-aged beer and is released as a vintage beer each year. This imperial stout is thick with bold yet balanced flavors of chocolate, charred oak, vanilla, black cherry, and coffee.
Mortalis Brewing Co.’s Ophion clone
This is the base recipe for Ophion, which Mortalis has released numerous variants of over the years with differing aging times and occasional adjunct additions like vanilla beans, coconut, and more.
Reusing Yeast
Three pros share advice on harvesting, storing, and repitching yeast generation after generation.
Boiling Wort: Tips from the Pros
When it comes to the boil, addition timing of hops and other ingredients is often what gets the most thought. But the boil length itself can have a big impact on the resulting beer as well, as these two experts explain.
Dry Hopping: Tips from the Pros
While research is still being done to learn how to get the most from dry hopping, we asked three brewers known for their dry-hopped beers to share their approach.
Maximizing Tropical Flavors & Aromas: Tips from the Pros
There are many ways to get the most tropical aromas and flavors in your hazy IPAs and other styles. Three pros share their approach to boost tropical characteristics.
SMaSH Brewing: Tips from the Pros
While SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) beers are relatively simple by nature, that doesn’t mean they can’t taste great. Two brewers with SMaSH beers in their regular rotation share pointers for crafting a great SMaSH brew and the benefits of doing so.
Brewing Wheat Beers: Tips from the Pros
Two pros with gold medals to their names for wheat beers share advice on how to get the most from wheat and avoid the common pitfalls associated with the huskless grain.
