All Grain Brewing is Easy!
If you're like us, then you waited to try the all grain method of brewing because it seemed difficult or maybe you didn't want to buy the extra equipment that most people use. We would like to introduce you to a simple way to brew all grain (originating in Austrailia) which involves a kettle, a bag, and a few clever techniques to make it as easy as possible. [Read More]
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Calculate Stuff
While it's nice to know how to calculate things manually, a software program like Beersmith is easily worth twice it's cost and will save you a lot of time and frustration. For that reason, we are not listing every known calculation here, just the ones that come in handy from time to time. [Read More]
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Clean and Sanitize
Proper cleaning and sanitizing becomes a way of life for most brewers. Without it, you get bad flavors in your beer or worse, an infection forcing the entire batch to be dumped. Family and friends who drink it can get sick as well.
What is the difference between cleaning and sanitizing you ask? [Read More] |
Get More Aroma With Dry Hopping
Hops are added in the last 10 minutes of the boil to contribute less to bitterness and more to aroma, but many of these oils are boiled off in the process. How can you add even more aroma?
Dry hopping is a perfect way to add fresh hoppy aroma to your beer. [Read More] |
Track Your Beer
Google Docs, what a great find this was. If you have a Google account, then you have access to Documents for free. All of your beer information is stored in the cloud and can be accessed from anywhere. It's also pretty easy to set up formulas so things like ABV are calculated. Once information is entered on the main sheet, other pages can be created to pull data automatically. [Read More]
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Take A Hydrometer Gravity Reading
A hydrometer is an instrument used to measure the specific gravity of liquids. In the brewing process, we use it to determine how much fermentable sugar the wort contains. This is important for a few reasons. The one most people think of first is using the OG (original gravity taken before fermentation begins), and comparing it with the FG (final gravity taken after fermentation) to determine how well the yeast attenuated. This tells us the beer's alcohol content. [Read More]
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Quick and Easy Starter
We've demonstrated how to make pre-made starters, but what if you need a starter now! You're probably going to grab a flask or a pot and hover over the stove for 30 minutes, right? Then you're gonna chill it down over ice for 10 minutes? Why not use the microwave? I'll show you an easy way to make a starter that will free you up to do other things in 10 very easy steps!
[Read More] |
Make Multiple Starters
The right amount of yeast should always be pitched for beer to ferment properly. The best way we have found to do this is by making a yeast "starter" which allows the yeast to multiply before pitching. A great option is to make many starters in advance to keep it nice and simple.
[Read More] |
Rack Beer to a Keg
In my ongoing quest for clear beer, I've found a process that I think helps quite a bit. I've always tilted the carboy to get every last drop and eventually realized this puts more yeast into the keg. I've used gelatin and other finings in the past but ended up settling on whirlfloc (or irish moss) in the boil and this process. [Read More]
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Clean Corny Kegs
While I'm not much of a betting man these days, I'd bet a large sum of money that cleaning kegs is not on anyone's list of fun things to do. Hopefully, this guide will make it less painful.
Our process breaks down to the following steps: Cleaning, rinsing, and sanitizing. Cleaning and rinsing can be done manually or by using keg washer and I'll review both in this guide. [Read More] |
Carbonating Beer With CO2
There are a few different ways to carbonate beer in a keg and a number of factors to consider. How quickly does it need to be carbonated? Is the beer warm or cold? Let's first decide how carbonated we want our beer, then we can choose the best way to set up the equipment. [Read More]
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Harvesting, Rinsing, and Re-pitching Yeast
One of the best ways for a brewer to save money is to reuse yeast.
Liquid yeast in particular, while offering a large variety of strains, can cost anywhere from $6.50 to $8 per vial. This can amount to 15-25% of the total cost of one 5 gallon batch! [Read More] |
Add Oak And Bourbon To Keg
So you made an amazing barleywine or vanilla porter and want to take it to the next level? Easy, go buy a large barrel and follow these instructions.
If that's too much trouble, perhaps this method of oaking will work for you instead. The basic idea is to soak the chips in bourbon and suspend them in a way that can be removed later according to taste. [Read More] |
Toasted Oak Cubes - by gregscsu
Toasting oak cubes can give a beer interesting flavors that cannot be obtained any other way. Using this chart, determine what kind of flavors you want and at what temperature they come out. The y-axis shows the amount of each flavor produced at a specific temperature.
[Read More] |
Homemade Candi Syrup - by gregscsu
Candi sugar is a Belgian sugar commonly used in brewing, especially in stronger, Belgian beers such as the dubbel and tripel. It's a great source of fermentables and flavor and you can make it at home by following the instructions in this article. [Read More]
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Taste Ingredients Before Brewday
There are several ways to try ingredients before your brew day. Common techniques are tasting wort, chewing on grain SMASH beers or making a test batch. In this tutorial, I will show you how to isolate different ingredients, in small batches, all at once. There's no limit to the number of batches you can brew on a given day. You can also use this technique to test hops, different yeasts strains or to design a beer recipes! [Read More]
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