Loral variety is a hop coming out of Hops Brewing Company (HBC), a joint venture between John I. Hass and Select Botanicals Group. Considering the popularity of HBC’s Mosaic and Citra hops, this hop is in some pretty stellar company. With thirteen years spent experimenting with this hop, Loral finally made its way into consumer’s hand May of 2016. From Experimental Hop to the Big Times Initially known as HBC 291, this hop has become known in the beer world as Loral Hops. The aroma profile of this hop has some great floral, peppery, and even herbal notes to it, reminiscent of German noble … [Read more...]
Hop-head vs. Malt-head
Let’s talk Style. No, not beer styles - fashion. We’ll get to the beer later. Have you ever seen someone who still wore those clown-width neckties from the 70s? Or that guy who still rocked the MC Hammer harem pants? Or skinny jeans? Have you ever been that guy? Don’t answer that last question. The point is, fashions come and go. This is as true for beer as it is for clothing. IPAs have been a trend in the American Craft Beer scene for a few years now. It seems every microbrewery and brewpub has a beer they playfully label as “Toxic” or “Mega-Bitter.” And, of course, we’ve … [Read more...]
The Metamorphosis – A Four-Hour Boil
In recent months there has been a lot of talk in the homebrewing community about how homebrewers can reduce their brew times all the while still creating a delicious beer. Simple Homebrew Denny Conn and Drew Beechum over at Experimental Brewers have an entire book dedicated to this subject matter. Simple Homebrew, coming out this Spring, is a book about “cutting through the clutter” as Drew mentions. Denny adds, “our basic message is to cut out anything that doesn’t make for a better beer or more fun.” One point Denny and Drew want to make here is “that simple doesn’t mean it’s just for … [Read more...]
The Spruce Tip Experience
It is said that Spruce Tips impart various flavors associated with the needle buds that are found on spruce trees. Spruce tips impart a great combination of citrus, pine, resinous, floral, and even cola-like flavor. The history of using spruce tips takes us back to indigenous North American people. Jacques Cartier and his explorers used spruce tips while exploring what is now Quebec in 1535 as Derek Ebberts writes in his book, To Brew or Not to Brew: A Brief History of Beer in Canada. The use for these spruce tips was to ward off scurvy. Spruce tips typically are harvested in the spring. … [Read more...]
Small Batches = Big Results
Here’s a riddle: When does smaller mean bigger? Answer: When it’s your homebrew pipeline. A lot of novice homebrewers start with small batches and that makes a lot of sense. You don’t want to invest money, time, and space on a hobby that might not work out (and let’s face it, for someone new to brewing, it seems like a cross between rocket science and black magic). And there are companies that specialize in kits and equipment for new small-batch brewers. That’s how I got my start, along with thousands of others. But if the fever really gets hold of you, the tendency is to go big - … [Read more...]
Reiterated Mashing: Brewing High Gravity Beers
After I brewed my Oktoberfest, my mind started wondering to big beers. You know, those beers that look forward to after shoveling the snow in December or January. Those beers that warm your bones as you sip it next to the fire. After brewing a Belgian Stout a few days prior, I felt the need to brew up a nice Imperial Porter. Somehow with all the crazy attention Barrel Aged Stouts and Pastry Stouts receive these days, Imperial Porters have pretty much gone to the waste side. This was my effort, however minimal and innocuous, to bring more attention to this wonderful beer style. One of the … [Read more...]
A “CORNY” IDEA THAT MAKES SENSE — KEGS
“For a quart of ale is a dish for a king,” an appreciative William Shakespeare wrote in A Winter’s Tale. And yet – while Bard’s father was an official ale taster, and he enjoyed an occasional pint at The Windmill when not inserting drinking references into his plays – neither Shakespeare nor his characters home brewed. Had Prince Hamlet taken up the hobby when not plotting revenge against his uncle, he would have stared at the carboy of his first completed batch of ale and rhetorically asked: “To keg or not to keg – that is the question.” Why a beginner should consider corny kegs for beer … [Read more...]
Grain Mills – A Must Have for Homebrewing
Most homebrewers don't begin their brewing obsession by rushing out and buying a grain mill. They start by brewing extract batches. These beers are well-received, consistent, and usually pretty darn tasty. After a while, these young brewers want to venture off to the land of all-grain brewing. Let’s face it, one of the biggest reasons why homebrewers venture into homebrewing is to have the freedom to brew when and what they want to brew. One piece of equipment that can allow brewers the freedom to brew is their very own grain mill. Grain mills also allow Brew in the Bag (BIAB) brewers … [Read more...]
How Spirits and Liquors Are Made
Spirits and liquors are all created using a millennium-old process called distillation. While many of the ingredients and processes vary dramatically, they all rely on this ancient process. Good distillation is part art, part science. It takes an artisan's keen and developed senses to properly "cut" the product during this process. However, it is equally important that there be some serious attention to detail. Ingredient ratios, temperatures, and time are all variables that must be exact in order for the product to turn out right. In this post we'll go through the basic steps a distiller must … [Read more...]