Homebrewing

An airlock is probably one of the first things a homebrewer should get. Beginner or not. If yours goes missing, or you simply haven’t got yours yet, there are a few inventive solutions. Airlock alternatives proposed by the craft brewing community. I’ve browsed the most passionate home brewing forums, Reddit threads and blogs to determine […]

Today there are more hops than ever. From classic Old World hops that have been around for ages to new hops being released every other month. The noble Humulus lupulus plant and its fragrant flower cones are perhaps beer’s most important ingredients. Choosing the right hop for your brewing undertaking is no easy feat. Either

Fermentation is the essential facet within the transformation of sugar to beer. It’s perhaps the most mysterious process for beginning brewers. The fermentation vessels and environment must be clean – correction – ultra-clean, meaning sanitary.  No contaminants nor microorganisms must be present or introduced to the fermenter. The lid of a fermenter may be open

Sparging sets the stage for the boil and is 1/3 of the critical steps needed for wort production: mashing, sparging, and the boil.  It releases all of the sweet wort from the mash and with added hot water extracts every last ounce of sugary goodness. Do it well, do it right. Fly Sparging – Sparging-

Strike temp refers to the heated hot water to begin a mash.  This is largely the domain of advanced to intermediate brewers, however, this foundational information will make extract and partial mash experiments run smoother. Heat strike water accurately, with a 1 – 2° F (1° C) differential at most. A mash temperature is set

There were two reasons I got into brewing. I wanted premium beer and wanted to save money. First came the passion.  I loved beer and could not discover new ones nor absorb knowledge fast enough. Secondly came the economics.  I was a 3rd-year college student, living off-campus and working part-time. Saving money in homebrewing is

Few things are worse than having a good brew day, successful in every way, except when taking the final pre-fermentation original gravity…and it is too low. The beer may still be good.  It reached the low end of the profile, 1.060 of a possible 1.060 – 1.068. Hitting Original Gravity defines a brew, the style,

The first major benchmark for a serious homebrewer is Journeyman status. Brewing is a multitude of things, art, science, process, a reason to kick it with friends.  One thing is certain, the beer must be good for anyone to enjoy it.  Not least of which is the brewer themself. Mastering homebrewing takes many years, many

Brewing is a temperature-sensitive process.  Ales require 58-68˚ F (14-20° C).  Lagers need 53 down to 40˚ F (4-11° C) to properly ferment and condition. Living in the middle latitudes, between the tropics, yet temperate with four distinct seasons, summer temperature becomes a concern.  You have many options.  You need not give up your homebrewing