homebrewing

So far in my homebrewing journey, I have explored the three simplest levels of homebrewing. All have used malt extracts rather than mashed grains (mashing is the process of converting the starch in the grains to sugars). "Malt extract" is wort (unfermented beer) from grain that has already been...

So, what made you decide to start home brewing? I think it all began swigging Lowenbrau with a high school friend under an overpass in Ocean City. Well, maybe that wasn't it but in the early 80's, a pair of dirty work jeans and a ball cap is all you needed in the way of ID. I was taught to...

Many homebrewers enjoy the thrill of developing recipes and the feeling of creating something brand new. But there's actually a huge benefit to doing exactly the opposite. Creating an exact copy of a commercial beer is a fun and extremely rewarding way to test your skills as a brewer. Why I...

We can thank one person for almost single-handedly lifting the obscure and primitive activity of homebrewing to the artform it is today: Charlie Papazian. Charlie organized a small, nascent corps of intrepid DIY brewers into a cohesive group, formed the AHA in Boulder, Colorado, and encouraged...

This is the first article in a series entitled 'Brewing with Brett.' The series will detail Brett's approach and execution of brewing a batch of all-grain beer. Almost every aspect of crafting a brew can be dissected and discussed. In this series Brett will delve into some of that minutiae...

After using a couple of different liquid yeasts for the first time, I decided that since they cost $6.50 a pop, that it'd be the most economical to wash the yeasts for re-use. And being retired, I can't afford to spend a whole lot on the needed equipment to do so. Enter Giant Eagle and BP. They...

For those of us living and brewing in Japan, you know that space is limited and supplies can be hard to find or very expensive. Japan typically has their own way of doing things, and beer servers/dispensers are no exception. Instead of chilling the whole keg, these draft systems consist of a...

At the moment I decided to build HERMS I got two kegs and plastic bucket. I decided to use bucket for HLT only temporary, but with time it turned out as cheap and functional solution, it is made from HDPE(High-density polyethylene) which can withstand higher temperatures (120 C/ 248 F for short...

I've seen several articles on this site about the proper way to slant yeast but haven't found one that shows the process of streaking yeast onto a plate and selecting individual colonies. This is the method I use. It's not flawless and it certainly has room for improvement but it's cheap and...

Hello all! I'm new to this whole homebrewing thing, and I'm also a starving college student in the midst of his undergrad program. As such, and as someone that highly enjoys the sport of drinking, one night my friend and I decided we should be able to make our own cider for less than $30.00...

I have been a craft beer fanatic for most of my adult life. I remember when I paid a whole seven dollars for a six-pack of Sam Adams Boston Lager, and my mind was blown. If I had all of the money I spent on craft beer in my bank account, I could be driving a fairly nice new car. My new life...

The following steps are how I made a immersion chiller for cooling my brew fast for pitching yeast. No need to to pay $100 bucks. Things you will need: Standard head screw driver 25' 3/8" copper tubing (some use 50' and you would follow the same steps) 4 hose clamps 3/8" ID clear plastic hose...

Early this morning I brewed a Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. This is the first 12-gallon batch on "my" system. I possess a 14.5 gallon conical fermenter, so why not fill it? Since it was my first big batch, it was not without problems and a lot of learning. I learned a valuable lesson about combing...

I started homebrewing last year, and as the amount of equipment I used grew, I found the amount of time that I spent hauling stuff up and down from my basement was rivaling the amount of time I spent brewing (not to mention the number it was doing on my back). Additionally, due to my particular...

This morning I walked in to my "brew (fermentation) room", the fourth bedroom filled with accumulated junk, elated with the very lovely aroma of beer brewing only to find that the ceiling and walls were covered in yeast froth. The air-lock was clear across the room; my first blow out in twenty...

Brewing safety is not just for the protection of the brewers but goes hand-in-hand with the quality of your finished liquid beverage. Brewing safety discussed here includes proper clothing and proper working environment, and how they help to guard an employee or brewer against potential chemical...

I began washing and harvesting my own yeast about a year ago. I got excited and harvested 4 jars from 4 batches in the first month, leaving me with 16 jars of 4 different yeasts. Since I usually brew twice per month, I had a ton of yeast just sitting in my fridge. After using some of this stored...

In the simplest of terms, beer fermentation consists of yeast converting simple sugars into alcohol. There are versions of this process happening all over the world, to all sorts of sugars, by innumerable strains of yeast. What this means for you, is that your local homebrew shop isn't the only...

This is a system that I have been working on for a few months. For those that prefer it, here is a link to the video: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/sids-one-vessel-all-grain-brewing-system-360364/ This system is a modified BIAB system that allows me to brew all grain 10 gallon batches solo in...

Yeast rinsing has been covered countless times inpodcasts, YouTube videos, and a number of websites. I have been rinsing yeast with very good success for several years. I seem to follow the same practices as shown in all of the above outlets. Over the last year, I have started to switch out my...