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...]
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...]