Writer: Drew Beechum & Denny Conn
Flavoring Beer: Get the most from additions
MEMBERS ONLYAdding fruit, spices, or other flavorings to beer is commonplace for homebrewers and craft brewers alike, but there are many ways to go about extracting the flavor.
Points Off? Defining gravity and why it matters
MEMBERS ONLYHomebrewers have been known to fret over their brewhouse efficiency numbers. Make sure you know the differences, the variables involved, and how to troubleshoot.
How Do You Brew: It speaks volumes about our advice
MEMBERS ONLYHomebrewers can often be classified by their approach to the hobby, whether they focus more on the gear, the recipes, the results, or simply the means to the ends. Learn where you fall and why this may be important when you guide new brewers who are looking to get into the hobby.
Testing Your Hypothesis: Experiments you should do
MEMBERS ONLYHomebrewing and experimenting are about as old as brewing itself . . . but modern scientific method delineates theories and proven facts. Denny and Drew provide some pointers.
Session Beers: The drive to go little
MEMBERS ONLYBigger is always better, right? Not according to fans of session beers. Denny and Drew lay out some keys to crafting a fine example of a low-alcohol beer built with enough character to feel “big.”
Malted “Others”: Adjuncts that are no longer raw
MEMBERS ONLYThere is a big world of malted grains outside of barley. Explore some of those options and some best practices when stepping outside of craft brewing’s “comfort zone.”
Record Keeping: Become a homebrewing bookie
MEMBERS ONLYHow do you keep track of your brews? Denny and Drew have two different approaches to their record keeping. Learn some of the factors to consider when you record your recipes, brew day processes, fermentation, and beyond.
Unmalted Adjuncts: It’s okay to flake out sometimes
MEMBERS ONLYThere is a lot of negativity surrounding certain unmalted cereal grains. Many folks think they will cheapen a beer. Denny and Drew are here to set the record straight on this matter.
Brewing Sugars: Finding your sugary zen
MEMBERS ONLYAdding sugar to beer has been a bit of a pariah in the brewing world thanks to homebrew lore of old. It’s time to set the record straight on this brewing adjunct and put it back in its rightful place in our brewing kettles and fermenters.
Sparge Ho!: The many ways of rinsing grains (or not)
MEMBERS ONLYSparging is a fairly mundane topic in the professional brewing world but can be a polarizing topic among homebrewers. Learn some of the pros and cons to the most popular options.
Triangle Testing: Trying to find the significance
MEMBERS ONLYSo you’ve made a tweak to your recipe . . . but how do you know if it accomplished what you were looking for? Well, you need to perform a sensory analysis and triangle testing is the perfect tool. Learn how to run them properly.
Tweaking Out: The many ways to adjust a recipe
MEMBERS ONLYHow do you go about re-working a recipe on a beer that didn’t quite live up to your expectations? Find out some of the basic rules to tweaking a recipe.