Making Beer


Gear Test 2017: Brew Kettles

In our 2017 Gear Guide issue (April/May), our editors tested and reviewed a variety of brew kettles. Here are the results.

6 Forms of Hops

Nature gives us hops in only one form—the female cones of the climbing hops plant—but hops growers and processors deliver those hops to brewers in a range of products.

Make Your Best Oatmeal Stout

Bring out the Oatmeal Stout when you want a beer that’s not bone dry, not intensely roasty, not saccharine-sweet, and not overly alcoholic—but still clearly a stout. Here’s how to make your best.

Powder Days: An Exciting New Turn in the World of Hops

LupuLN2™ hops powder, a new hops product from Yakima Chief−Hopunion, is transforming several methods in the brewing process.

Brewers’ Perspectives: Coffee Stouts

Two of the country’s most reputable coffee-beer brewers explain just how they make the magic happen.

The Pros and Cons of Going Electric

An electric brewery gives you the option of brewing inside year-round. If this is a road you want to go down, here are some of the things to consider when planning your electric system.

RIMS? HERMS?

Here’s what you need to know about these two advanced systems for maintaining mash temperature, automating the brewing process, and improving consistency from one batch to another.

Make Your Best Weizenbock

When brewers ask Josh Weikert what their first “big” beer should be, it isn’t barleywine or Old Ale or double IPA: it’s Weizenbock. Here’s why . . . and how.

Whirlpooling: The Tea Leaf Paradox

At home, there are a few ways to execute a whirlpool, but first it helps to know a little bit about tea leaves.

Session Stouts: Big Flavor in Small Packages

With just a bit of tweaking, you can produce a range of session stouts that preserve the complexity and interest of their full-strength cousins. Josh Weikert shows you how to maintain body and flavor in a session stout.