Writer: Jon Stika
Extract Brewing Essentials
As both a homebrewer and professional brewer at Phat Fish Brewing in Dickinson, North Dakota, I frequently get asked about the process of brewing beer, including how difficult it might be to
Home Malting
Malting barley at home may sound like a lot of work, but it’s actually pretty easy and doesn’t require much equipment you don’t already own. Once you have the malting process down, you may want to even grow your own barley. Jon Stika walks readers through the steps.
Brewing Beers to Cellar
Wine isn’t the only beverage that can get better with age. Here’s why (and how) certain beer styles evolve with time, plus tips and keys to make a beer worth cellaring.
Cereal Mashing
Mention the word “cereal,” and most folks think of ready-to-eat breakfast food. To a brewer, cereal is the grain produced by any number of grass crops from Avena sativa (oat) to Zea
Water Treatments
Water is the main ingredient of beer. The many different styles of beer we have today evolved for many different reasons, not the least of which is the chemistry of the local
Choosing and Using Different Forms of Hops
Hops have been the herb of choice to preserve and flavor beer for centuries, but only during the last several decades has there been such a wide variety of hop products available
Cold Steeping Specialty Grains
Steeping specialty grains is a common practice for many homebrewers, particularly those who brew extract or partial-mash recipes. As with many things in the beer brewing process, there are trade-offs to be
Brewing with Citrus Fruit
As the craft beer and homebrewing movement continues to grow around the world so does the variety of fermented beverages and the ingredients that go into them. Some of the unusual ingredients
Adding Herbs and Spices to your Beers
A spice is typically defined as a dried part of a plant used to flavor, color, or provide preservative properties to food (or drink). In that regard, every beer you drink is
Brewing with Corn
Macro lagers aren’t the only beers that benefit from the addition of corn (maize). Learn how it can benefit homebrewers too!
Sweet Grass Ale
Malt, hops, water, yeast….and lawn clippings? Well, not exactly. Sweetgrass is a fragrant plant used by Native Americans for spiritual ceremonies. We’ll show you how to brew a vanilla-scented beer with this uplifting ingredient.
Calibrating Equipment
Is this thing reading right? The importance of calibrating your equipment.
