Stuck fermentation is a pretty common problem among homebrewers. This happens when the yeast stop doing their job or die for some reason. This happens with employees as well, I have found. Soak them in beer and they want to…
Homebrewing Tips
Siphoning and a Review of the Auto Siphon
by Carl • • 0 Comments
I recently had someone cajole me into getting an auto siphon racking cane to make the process of siphoning my beer and wine easier. I have to admit that in general, I keep things old skool. I do not use…
Beer Color: Lovibond, SRM, and EBC
by Carl • • 0 Comments
Homebrewers, especially new ones, are overrun with various acronyms and confusing ideas. One of the more mysterious is the Lovibond scale, as well as SRM and EBC equivalents. When we buy grain, it is quantified as being a certain number…
Top Three Tricks to Improve Your Homebrew Beer
by Carl • • 0 Comments
I recently had a couple beers with some friends and someone asked what variables, other than ingredients and cooking methods, went into making a good homebrew beer. There were two other homebrewers at the table, and we agreed that there…
Homebrew Bottles: Pry-Off or Screw-Top?
by Carl • • 0 Comments
I sometimes get people offering to save their used beer bottles for me to put my homebrew beer in. I appreciate people trying to give me things I can use, but always politely refuse. For one thing, I don’t bottle…
Cooling Your Wort: Four Methods
by Carl • • 2 Comments
I used to not worry about cooling my wort. When I started making beer 20+ years ago, the general practice for most homebrewers was to boil the wort, pour it in a fermetner, and let it cool overnight. The next…
Homebrew Stores: What Makes a Good One?
by Carl • • 0 Comments
I get asked a lot which homebrew stores I like to get my supplies from. In fact, there was recently a good discussion on LinkedIn that got me started thinking more about this topic. Usually, as consumers, we can tell…
Ten Homebrewing Products to Keep on Hand
by Carl • • 0 Comments
We have all done it – embarked on a large project, only to cuss yourself a blue streak because you forgot a relatively small item that means the difference between finishing the job and stopping progress altogether. Not much is more maddening than…
Dry vs. Liquid Yeast: Which is Better?
by Carl • • 0 Comments
A good friend recently got into homebrewing with his father and was telling me that he graduated from dry yeast to a smack pack, referring to Wyeast's packages that contain a yeast nutrient capsule. For those who have not used…
How to Label Your Homebrew Kegs
by Carl • • 0 Comments
Every homebrewer needs a system for labeling his or her homebrew kegs. If you only have one keg, maybe this is not an issue for you. However, if you have multiple kegs and a kegerator and sometimes take your beer…