-Mike Weeks- I recently decided to venture into the world of winemaking because, like many of you, I enjoy pairing a nice glass of wine with dinner and had heard from folks that the kits we carry can make some really nice wine. A customer shared with me that she and her husband once made wine from one of our kits and when her wine connoisseur brother visited, they conducted a test and he named the kit wine as the most expensive and best one in the lineup! I have to say, I was surprised at how … [Read more...] about My First Wine From A Kit
Homebrew
Sanitation in Brewing and Why It’s Important
-Ryan Blankenship- When I attended beer school, the first lesson we were taught is sanitation is the key to happiness. The reason for this is microorganisms, bacteria, and fungi can start to grow in any little nook or cranny they can stuff themselves into. These bacteria will cause an infection in your brew and create an off-flavored brew or a completely undrinkable product. The first thing I do before I make any type of beer, is fill my kettle up to the top with water and add the … [Read more...] about Sanitation in Brewing and Why It’s Important
Blonde Stout
-Ryan Blankenship- Over the past few years, I’ve been seeing more and more Blonde Stouts being brewed, and I finally got the chance to brew one myself. If you are not familiar with this style, it is an ale with the color of an IPA that has the characteristics of a Stout. The first time I tried one was at one of our Homebrew for Hunger events about four years ago. My brain and taste buds were on totally different pages that day. Traditionally, stouts have an opaque black color to them with … [Read more...] about Blonde Stout
Making Your Own Kombucha is Just This Easy
-Jordan Trent- Howdy, FSG crew! Question: How much is that fancy store-bought kombucha habit setting you back monthly? Is the sweet vinegary goodness weighing down your budget? Are your children’s extra organs looking more valuable by the minute (Just kidding kids, stay in school!) You’ve come to the right place, because I’m about to change your life. Not only is kombucha almost comically easy to make, it is also cheeaap. Dirt cheap. Ramen cheap. Prepare for the most delicious Pineapple … [Read more...] about Making Your Own Kombucha is Just This Easy
Calculating Your Potential ABV
-Ryan Blankenship- As a home brewer at Fifth Season Gardening, I get fairly frequent requests about how to properly calculate the ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of beer/ wine. In this blog, I’ll walk through the measurements and calculations necessary to determine ABV of your brew. First let’s take a look at what these numbers mean on a standard hydrometer (an instrument used to measure the density of liquids). One side of the hydrometer shows Specific Gravity, which is the ratio of the density … [Read more...] about Calculating Your Potential ABV
Grain Crush
-Peter McMindes- It’s not the size of the crush; it’s how you use it. The crush of the grist results in different size particles that give the brewer the range between the speed of sugar extraction and the ability to extract overall. A small or fine crush will allow sugars to be converted faster by enzymes but can create a stuck mash or unwanted husk tannin extraction. A coarse crush will allow for a better flow of wort and lauter but will not be converted as quickly. While the degree of … [Read more...] about Grain Crush
Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
-Gabrial House- With fall in full effect, this week on the blog I wanted to share one of my favorite kombucha recipes. This time of year I am a sucker for crisp cool days, cozy sweaters, and everything pumpkin spice. It only makes sense for us to enjoy all the wonderful benefits of kombucha with the delicious taste of pumpkin spice. To make this recipe, we’ll start off by fermenting a batch of kombucha from green tea. Then we will be adding the Pumpkin Spice flavor during our second … [Read more...] about Pumpkin Spice Kombucha
Propper Starter Review
-Ryan Blankenship- Have you ever had that perfect bottle-conditioned beer and thought to yourself, “I sure would love to be able to harvest this yeast for my next brew”? Well now there is a much easier way to do that without having to brew a batch of beer for the wort, or make a yeast starter using DME (dried malt extract). Omega Yeast went ahead and brewed a condensed wort for you and put it in a convenient 16oz can. Introducing Omega’s Propper Starter Canned Wort! We went ahead and put this … [Read more...] about Propper Starter Review
Cryo Hops® – A Practical Hop for Homebrewing
- Peter McMindes - Brewers today are pushing the past standards on IBUs and hop additions in their beers. With this new wave of hoppy IPAs and other hopped up traditional styles brings increased trub loss via higher vegetative matter, more astringency, and of course higher costs per batch of beer. The sheer amount of hops alone going into a New England IPA can double the cost of the beer! A newer style of hops, called Cryo Hops®, lends a solution to these setbacks. Originally Cryo Hops® … [Read more...] about Cryo Hops® – A Practical Hop for Homebrewing
DIY Hard Seltzer: A Trend Worth Trying
-Kristin Weeks- Summer is the busiest season of the year nationwide for beer sales, and over the past several months, the adult beverage industry has witnessed a major rise in popularity of a new kind of boozy beverage, hard seltzer. This light, low-cal, low-carb alternative to beer is attractive to consumers preferring more health-conscious drinking habits and an active lifestyle. Hard seltzer offers that with its sessionability (low ABV, 5% typically) and convenient packaging. Both national … [Read more...] about DIY Hard Seltzer: A Trend Worth Trying
