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...]
Competition Brewing: Part I
Step up to the plate Okay, so you’re making progress with your homebrews. You’ve made some beers that you and your friends really like. Everyone who tasted your last IPA said you really hit it out of the park. You feel as if you’re ready to take the next big step. Okay, maybe not the major leagues just yet. You’re not ready for brewing on a larger scale or on a professional basis, but wouldn’t it be nice to know what people outside your circle of friends or your homebrew club think about your beer? There are homebrew competitions taking place all over the world all the … [Read more...]
FastWasher Bottle Washing System Review
Everyone likes a party, but no one wants to clean. Easily the best part about homewbrewing is drinking the fruits (and grains) of your labor. But cleaning and sanitizing your home brewery equipment... THAT'S another story. Bottle cleaning is tedious and a time commitment, but necessary if you're brewing enough to save and share. But there's a new product you need to hear about called the FastWasher Bottle Washing System from the team at FastBrewing have just released the this new product and we're a big fan. We'll get to that in a second, first, here's a great way to clean your … [Read more...]
What To Do When You’re New To Homebrew
If you were one of the fortunate ones to get a beer-making kit during the holiday season, you’re probably experiencing a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and abject terror. I know those were my feelings when my wife got me my first kit eight years ago. I’d been curious about brewing beer for a while, but didn’t know how to go about it. Everything I’d read about homebrewing (which wasn’t much) made it seem as though you needed an advanced chemistry degree and the unlimited finances and laboratory facilities of a Bond Villain. In my case, ignorance wasn’t bliss, it was a roadblock. … [Read more...]
All-Grain Brewing Made Easy
Have you been wanting to take your extract brewing to the next level? Do you feel intimidated about the possible cost or complexity behind the All-Grain brewing method? Are you looking to brew high-gravity beers and improve the control over your homebrew taste profile? Every brewer hits a point where extract brewing just isn't hitting the perfect tune of their homebrew craft perfection. To help inspire and make it easy for our adventurous extract homebrew friends who want to up their game, we've highlighted these 9 easy steps to producing all-grain beer. All-grain brewing will help you … [Read more...]
A Brew to Woo – Brewing to impress!
Homebrewing is a great topic of discussion to bring up when you are out on that first date or getting to know someone that you fancy. It sheds light into your inner complexities as a man who values quality libations and has more depth than the average person ordering "whatever's on tap". Once you've brought up the topic of homebrew, you're bound to get their taste-buds wondering what a home brewed beer could even taste like and if you're any good at the craft. This leads to a good chance of a second date and an opportunity to bring your homebrews along to woo her with your brew! A … [Read more...]
Mashing Pumpkins – How To Turn Post-Halloween Pumpkins Into Amazing Homebrew Beer Recipes
Autumn is upon us. With the coming harvest, crisp mornings, colder nights, and fireside, family get-togethers, comes the time of year to brew one of my favorite seasonal beers: Pumpkin beer! Pumpkins have been used in American beer recipes as an alternative fermentable source since the colonial days. When you are deciding what ingredients you'd like to incorporate into your next Pumpkin Brew, it's important to stick to a few simple basics in getting the style on point. An Ace of a Base It's important to start with choosing your base style of beer. Many beer styles are adaptable as a base … [Read more...]
How To Renew Your Homebrew Enthusiasm
We have all been there before. We plan on brewing that perfect Hefeweizen, and then friends come to visit, or work gets priority. The brewday gets pushed back to the next weekend, then another week, and before we know it we haven't brewed for 2 months. Maybe you don't get busy, just discouraged and bored with the beers you're making, perhaps even intimidated by new recipes? Let's get focused and back on the saddle; it just takes a few tweaks in approach to feel enthusiastic about homebrewing again. Brewing better beer is essential to getting back into brewing. I once spoke with a newbie … [Read more...]
Wet Hops Vs. Dry Hops: Is It Worth The Effort?
Every homebrewer has used dry hops, those little pellets of aroma and flavor that have such a huge impact on your final product. You may even have a favorite hop variety, one that offers just the right flavor profile to tickle your particular taste buds. Most of us, however, have never used hops in their ‘raw,’ fresh form, also known as "wet hops." That’s because hops must be used or dried fairly quickly after being harvested. For the dedicated homebrewer, using wet hops is totally worth the extra effort. They provide a fresher, cleaner flavor and aroma that can’t be duplicated with dry … [Read more...]