All rise. Today’s reading will be from Brewing, 12.4.1 … Decoction mashing.

“Decoctions these days, are therefore unnecessary … and likely have no real role to play in beer character or quality.”

Modern malts are well-modified; there is now no need for you to spend all that time away from American Idol. Modern brewing science tells us there will be no difference in the finished beer; so pack it up early, O my Homebrewers. This show ends after one sacch rest; get off the streets. Continue reading

What I’m about to detail is sacrilege to many homebrewers, so let me preface this with some disclaimers.

1. This will definitely oxidize your beer and make it go stale in a hurry.
2. I probably didn’t think this one up myself.
3. Bike pump air may not be “sanitary.”
4. I am an incredibly cheap person. That refers to how much I like to spend, not how much I personally cost. If I wasn’t, I’d just go ahead and buy a damn co2 tank. Continue reading

Anyone can make a yeast starter. Don’t believe me? Ok, raise your hand if you’ve ever made a beer. Is your hand in the air? Congratulations, you’ve made a yeast starter before.

A massive, hopped, 5 gallon yeast starter Continue reading

What THAT is, my fellow homebrewers, is the National Homebrewers Conference.

The NHC is pretty much what it sounds like: a conference dedicated to homebrewers like us. The NHC is put on by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) and local organizers (read: homebrew clubs). The NHC changes location every year, and for those of you living in the Midwest, you are in luck! The 2010 NHC will be held in the Twin Cities in Minnesota from June 17th -19th.

You should go and here’s why: Continue reading

On-line brewing calculators can help you figure out questions as simple as what you should expect as a final gravity, or as complicated as what color beer you will get with which grains. Here are a few that I use on a weekly – if not daily – basis: Continue reading