Making Beer


So You Want to Brew Beer? 8 Essential Steps to Making Great Beer

New to brewing? Welcome to the world’s most rewarding hobby. It can be as simple or as complicated (and as cheap or as expensive) as you want to make it. This opening section of our Illustrated Guide offers an overview of the basics—with much more to come.

Ask the Experts: Are there Disadvantages to Going All-grain?

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast answers a question from a homebrewer looking to go all-grain.

Ask the Experts: Do I Need a Conical Fermentor to Make Good Beer?

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, examines the importance of conical fermentors.

Ask the Experts: Can a Homebrewer Do a Whirlpool Addition?

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, offers some practical advice for adding whirlpool hops.

Make Your Best Trappist Single

Big beers often garner a lot of attention, but don’t let that keep you from appreciating (or brewing) the smaller beers.

With So Much Craft Beer, Why Brew at Home? 

With so much flavorful, interesting beer on tap, is it worth investing the time and money into homebrewing? 

Make Your Best American Strong Ale

Although still something of a catchall category, there are some useful distinctions and targets to work with when it comes to American strong ale. As the air begins to cool this autumn it's the perfect time to try your hand at making one.

Ask the Experts: Addressing a Stuck Fermentation

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, offers some practical advice for when your fermentation becomes stuck when brewing with a low-attenuating yeast.

Make Your Best Wheatwine

Sometimes tough to find commercially, wheatwine is a beer made for homebrewing. It's a fun style to brew and it makes for an outstanding fall beer that holds up to a lot of aging.

Swiping Left on Cloudy Beer

Let’s talk about how filtering can give your beer a makeover.