Annie Johnson is an experienced R&D brewer, IT specialist, and national beer judge. Her awards include 2013 American Homebrewer of the Year honors.
Pale ale makes an ideal base for trying out the split-batch method and experimenting with the different flavors you can get from one kettle of wort and a single brew day. Following this recipe, you’ll get an American-style pale ale, a Belgian-style pale ale, and a British-style strong bitter—but it’s easy to imagine more variations.
There is not one pale ale—they are infinite. For example: There are a few classic types that can be assembled from essentially the same wort based on some key choices. Let’s explore the versatility.
Extract brewers can embrace this indulgent wheat show smacking of fresh bread and jammy fruit, while letting the all-grain brewers enjoy their gummy stuck mashes.
While their all-grain friends cope with gummy stuck mashes, here’s a recipe that extract brewers can employ for a strong, elegant, aromatically fruit-forward wheatwine.
This recipe for a dark, spiced holiday ale is ideal for serving either cool or warmed and mulled, with many more variations possible on fruits and spices.
What the Noël? Hot fruit beers for the holidays? It’s not as weird as it sounds. As the days get cold, Annie Johnson explains how to keep warm by getting punchy.
Inspired by Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout, the base here is English-style yet robust, with a taste of the Pacific Northwest. Use fresh oyster shells, when in season, with an eye toward adjusting the type and quantity of shells in future batches.
While not for vegetarians, oyster stout has the power to raise eyebrows with its sheer oddity and unlikely compatibility of flavors. The stout base is ideal for brewers with any level of experience—but are you ready to play the shell game?
Old-school malt layers, New World hop flavors, and that beautiful red-amber color... Love live the red IPA.
In this throwback IPA style that recalls the beauty of malt—both visually and in the flavor—you can go with a complex, layered all-grain grist. Or, you can get there quicker (and just as beautifully red) with an intentional approach to extract brewing.