Brewing Techniques and Advice


Make Your Best Belgian Dubbel

Instead of the usual winter go-tos of stouts and brown ales, try brewing a Belgian Dubbel. It’s a somewhat dark beer with a surfeit of flavors, and longtime homebrewer Josh Weikert walks you through the ins and outs.

Don't Harsh My...Beer

Mash capping is a great way to reduce the harshness that some darker grains can bring or to set up a parti-gyle brew. Longtime homebrewer Jester Goldman walks you through the steps to get started.

Butter Beer

While the buttery flavors from diacetyl are usually something brewers want to avoid, there are beer styles that can be enhanced by diacetyl. Longtime homebrewer Josh Weikert explains how to make it work.

Water, Yeast, Malt, and Hot: Chile Beer 101

Learn how to select, prepare, and add chiles to your beer, and make a Scottish Wee Heavy with the provided recipe!

Beechwood Aging

Beechwood aging a lager is one method to complete the lagering process quickly, but is it worth the hype? Longtime homebrewer Jester Goldman explains the ins and outs so you can decide.

Brew with the Seasons

These excerpted sections from The Homebrewer’s Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to Making Your Own Beer from Scratch on brewing with basil, carrots, and tomatoes are perfect for those interested in creative ways to use culinary ingredients in their brewing.

Try First Wort Hopping

First wort hops are added to the kettle during runoff and can lend complexity to the finished beer’s flavor and aroma.

Make Your Best Standard American Lager

Standard American Lagers aren’t just for cowboys and college parties—their subtle flavors tease out some pretty incredible nuances when the beer is brewed well. Josh Weikert has the low-down on how to brew this style just right.

Brew Year’s Resolutions

While many of us have New Year’s resolutions to become healthier or fitter, we should also take the time to look at how we can be better brewers, too. Long-time homebrewer Jester Goldman has some ideas!

Brewing Darker Beers

Here are some tips for brewing darker beers without adding a roast or off-flavor to it.