-Jonathan Campbell- The origin of the farmhouse saison leads us to the southern Belgian countryside circa 1700. Saisons were traditionally brewed in the fall and stored in the cold winters to be used as a safe form of drinking water in the spring and summer for seasonal farmworkers or ‘les saisonners.’ This style takes on as many forms as there are farmers. Variation is at the core of this beer, and that gives us a lot of wiggle room as homebrewers. In the past, these brews tended to … [Read more...] about Summer is Saison Season
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How to Balance a Beer
-Ryan Blankenship- After going to beer school at Siebel Institute you learn a few things about brewing that perfect beer. One of the keys to designing that great beer is balance. Without the correct bitterness your beer could be either too sweet or too bitter. Today we will focus on the correct IBUs for the style of beer you want to create. IBU stands for International Bittering Units. Let’s start with stouts and porters. These styles typically have lower IBUs than your IPAs and pale … [Read more...] about How to Balance a Beer
Give Extract a Chance
-Kristin Weeks- In an earlier post, we talked talked about what it takes to go from extract to all-grain brewing. At some point, whether it be after a few batches or perhaps a few years, most homebrewers will eventually take the leap and never look back. Over time, the seasoned homebrewer begins to speak a different language and develops a deeper understanding of how fermentation works. This creates an opportunity to experiment with different recipes and techniques, but does it … [Read more...] about Give Extract a Chance
Brew What You Grow
Many of us at Fifth Season enjoy multidisciplinary hobbies, and few hobbies integrate better than brewing and gardening! While growing, harvesting, and malting your own grains may not be for everyone, there are numerous plants, berries, and herbs that the homebrewer can add to their garden and, later, to their beer. Hops are the obvious first choice, and much has been written about the cultivation of hops, including on this very blog. Properly cultivated, hops can have extremely high yields, … [Read more...] about Brew What You Grow
More Sustainable Homebrewing
Here at Fifth Season we do our best to contribute to sustainability and energy resource management, yet as an avid homebrewer I’ve always felt a touch responsible for not exactly having the most environmentally friendly hobby. At times I think about how much water, alone, I’ve used before I began streamlining my process, and yet I could definitely cut my water use even more so. Multiply that by all the less environmentally conscious homebrewers, and that’s a lot of needless environmental impact. … [Read more...] about More Sustainable Homebrewing
Father’s Day at Fifth Season
June 19th, Father’s Day, is fast approaching, and what better way to let the big guy in your life know that you appreciate him than hooking him up with some brewing equipment or ingredients? Whether you’re helping a seasoned brewer expand his arsenal, or introducing your father figure to a rewarding and fulfilling new hobby, Fifth Season has the stuff and know-how to help you choose an awesome Father’s Day gift. Equipment Kits There’s no better way to [re]introduce your father to beer … [Read more...] about Father’s Day at Fifth Season
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
How to deal with a “stuck” fermentation
Do you have a stuck fermentation? A beer that stopped fermenting and you don't know why? Maybe it was active for a day or two and stopped all together for a week or more? In that case, you need to take a sample with your wine thief, and measure the gravity of the beer in a test jar with a hydrometer. If you do so and the hydrometer reads something that is very high in gravity, or brixx/balling, you may have a "stuck" fermentation. Something happened to halt fermentation in your beer, and … [Read more...] about How to deal with a “stuck” fermentation
