Brewing Techniques and Advice


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.

Swiping Left on Cloudy Beer

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

Ask the Experts: Why Did This Beer Come Out Bitter?

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, looks at what can cause unintentional bitterness in beer.

Beer Storage

We’ve heard it many times: Store your beer in a dark, cool place. Brad Smith explains what damage light and heat can do to finished beer.

Make Your Best Flanders Red Ale

A classic Flanders Red Ale is a riot of flavors, from rich fruity notes of black currant and plum and berries, to bright acidity and dark funk, and even a raw-grain-and-biscuit malt background. Read on and get brewing!

Brewing Outside the Lines

If you have a set of recipes you always use or if you usually stay within the bounds of the BJCP styles, challenge yourself once in a while to ignore the style guide and go where your muse leads.

Ask the Experts: On “Saving” a Batch of Bad Beer

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith homebrewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, tackles a question about saving a batch of beer gone wrong.

Make Your Best Belgian IPA

Explore the approach that showcases the flavor of hops while preserving the distinctly “Belgian” character of Belgian beers, embodied in the Belgian IPA.

Hipster Homebrewing

The challenge with all-grain brewing is hitting and holding your mash temperature. The sous vide cooker solves both of those problems with a minimum of fuss.

Ask The Experts: Oxygenating Wort, Fruit Beers, Dark Malts

Homebrew expert Brad Smith, author of the Beersmith brewing software and the voice behind the Beersmith podcast, tackles your homebrewing questions about oxygenating wort, brewing with fruit, and using dark crystal and other darker malts.