There are a handful of purchases that I’ve made in my 10 years of brewing experience that stand out for their impact on the quality of my homebrew and on decreasing the effort it takes to make it. If I had to name a number one, then it would most definitely be a brewing pump. I can’t think of anything I’ve purchased over the years that has improved my all-grain brewing process to the degree my pump has. There was the expected benefit of not having to physically transfer hot liquids from one … [Read more...] about Brew Review: Blichmann RipTide Brewing Pump
Mosaic Single Hop Bursted Pale Ale
For our blog post this week, we’re doing something a little bit different. In celebration of National Homebrew Day last month, Ethan in our Carrboro store created a hop-bursted pale ale featuring Mosiac hops. This beer has a bright aroma, with hints of white grape, mild citrus, and subtle floral notes. It was so tasty, we thought we’d share the recipe with you – enjoy! Mosaic Single Hop Bursted Pale Ale Batch Size: 6 gal Assumed Efficiency: 78% Target OG: 1.049 Apprx. Alcohol: … [Read more...] about Mosaic Single Hop Bursted Pale Ale
Dry-Hopped Cider…From a Kit?
Cider has been gaining popularity in recent years and is experiencing a boom in artisan and craft production. This spike in attention has resulted in a concomitant rise in interest among home beverage makers. Home cider making is easy, fun, and produces delicious rewards. This refreshing beverage is great for those times when you want something light and crisp, with a touch of acidity balanced by sweetness. Cider is also great to have around when you know someone who has a gluten sensitivity or … [Read more...] about Dry-Hopped Cider…From a Kit?
Pure Pitch: White Labs’ New Look
Those of you who have recently visited your local homebrew shop in search of liquid yeast have no doubt noticed that one of your favorite brands has a different look. White Labs is slowly transitioning from the thick plastic vials that you’ve always used to a new, sleek, fancy pants white pouch that they call PurePitch®. This new packaging will completely replace the vials for all strains, eventually. So, I bet all of this has you wondering ‘What’s different about the PurePitch®?’ and ‘How does … [Read more...] about Pure Pitch: White Labs’ New Look
What to get the brewer on your holiday list
The holidays are here, and for many folks that means it’s gift giving time. Shopping for loved ones can be difficult enough,but shopping for a homebrewer can be especially tough. Every homebrewer is different, and most of them have a set-up that is unique to their brewing space, and brewing preferences that are unique to them. This can make it tough for those who aren’t well versed in the hobby, and the growing number of gadgets and new ingredients only adds to the problem. How do you know what … [Read more...] about What to get the brewer on your holiday list
Beautiful Bubbles: Adding Nitro to your repertoire
Once you’ve reached a certain point in your homebrewing journey there are only so many horizons left to conquer. All-grain is the only thing you’ve known for years, your draft setup is totally dialed in, you’re involved in a number of homebrew forums, and maybe you’ve even played around with souring microbes. So, what’s the next big project going to be? How about setting that sweet kegerator up to serve homebrew on nitro?! That’s right, you can serve your very own concoctions using the same … [Read more...] about Beautiful Bubbles: Adding Nitro to your repertoire
Gose Pt. 2: Sour is the Prize
The second installment in our sour series is going to focus much more on the bacteria that is used to produce the wonderfully tart Gose. Today’s homebrewer has an embarrassment of options available to them in regards to types of lactobacillus, sources of lacto, and methods they can use to employ it. This was not always the case. Historically, Gose was produced using sources for lacto that were much less reliable than ours and methods that would take much longer than today. However, the … [Read more...] about Gose Pt. 2: Sour is the Prize
Gose Pt. 1: Sour on the Rise
The American craft beer scene has experienced a recent surge in interest for sour beers, and the ensuing explosion of innovation has left few beer enthusiasts unaffected. A number of breweries are participating in this ever-growing trend, and many are experimenting with various bacteria, fruit additions, brewing processes, and more. One particularly intriguing and exciting side effect of this movement has been the resurgence of a number of styles that were previously in danger of slipping into … [Read more...] about Gose Pt. 1: Sour on the Rise
Wort Pre-Chillers: How effective?
Brewing during the summer presents a unique set of issues for home brewing enthusiasts, especially those in the southeastern United States. The ambient temperatures are conducive to only a select few yeast strains, high humidity plays with your boil off rate, and ground water temperatures make chilling your batch a huge pain. So, with summer upon us, get ready to crank the AC, play the guesstimation game, and pull out the ol’ wort chiller. Whether you’re working with a classic immersion chiller, … [Read more...] about Wort Pre-Chillers: How effective?
Liquid Yeast: How old is too old?
Liquid yeast is simultaneously one of the more rewarding and frustrating products that homebrew retailers work with. On the one hand, carrying liquid yeasts allows brew shops to offer their customers an extremely diverse selection of fermentation options, cater to very specific needs, and greatly expand the potential for batch-to-batch experimentation. On the other hand, liquid yeast is a low margin product, has a relatively short ideal shelf life, and it's difficult to stock what everyone would … [Read more...] about Liquid Yeast: How old is too old?
