One of the big rookie mistakes I made the first time I brewed beer was when I forgot to properly mix the bottling sugar in the bottling bucket after I had filled it with beer from the fermenter. Luckily, none of the swing top bottles I used exploded from being over carbonated. What I ended
Unfortunately, it is never a friend, however, it isn’t always a foe either. After a few brew sessions kettles and fermenters may start to carry a whitish or brownish coat. This is calcium oxalate, commonly called Beerstone. The main impact of beerstone on kettles is mainly cosmetic in that it makes the metal surface look
Hop Preservation / Storage When you grow hops you will need a way to store them to save those precious aromas and flavors until brew day. Another possibility is that you just purchased hops in bulk and want to split them into more manageable sizes. If the hops are fresh, they will need to be
Beer clarity doesn’t impact taste, however some prefer their beers, or at least specific styles of beer, to be as clear as possible. This is where finings and clarifying agents come into play. Kettle Agents These are agents added during the boil, typically toward the end of the boil. Two possible options are Irish Moss
Yeast, when purchased from a homebrew supply store, comes in two forms: Liquid and Dry. What are the pros and cons of each and how are they used when making beer? Liquid Yeast Liquid yeasts typically come in either pouches or in tubes. Some of the manufactures of liquid strains are Omega Yeast, Wyeast Laboratories,