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For those who make and drink great beer—this issue explores the expanding maltiverse!
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We tasted, we argued, and we tasted some more. You voted, we tallied. From the most exceptional beers we had all year to your favorite breweries, cities, bars, and more, here’s our annual map to the Best in Beer.
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* The Best 20 Beers in 2024
* Readers' Choice: Your Favorite Breweries, Beers, and More
* Critic's Lists: Jamie Bogner, Stan Hieronymus, Kate Bernot, Alex Kidd, and More
* Flavor Fever: Sweet Versatility
* The Incredible Lightness of Table Beer
* The Truth of Brewing with Cacao Fruit
* Pick Six: Fat Head's Matt Cole
* Special Ingredient: Turmeric
* Style School: Westphalian Ale + Fresh-Hopped
* 84 Blind Reviews: Abbey, Farmhouse, Fruit, Wild, Wit & More
* Plus, 17 Brewing Recipes from the Pros
Hop-flavored sparkling waters are a growing trend, and it’s one on which many small breweries can capitalize. The Cinderlands team tasted as many hop waters as they could to get a clear idea of what they wanted to make, and they tested every advanced hop product they could get. HyperBoost now has a place in that recipe, which also includes Sabro T-90 pellets, citric acidification for a relatively low pH, HyperBoost Simcoe, other hop products (of Chinook, Citra, and Mosaic varieties), and high carbonation.
Using the example of Super Squish, Cinderlands’ hazy imperial IPA, Paul explains how they developed the beer—and how and why they added HyperBoost into the mix. In the hopping regime: Idaho 7 Cryo at whirlpool as the only hot-side hop, DynaBoost at “dip hop” in the fermentor, HyperBoost at mid-fermentation, and a dry-hop addition of Citra T-90, Nelson T-90, and Columbus Cryo. Finally, after centrifuging, the team adds some Nelson hop oil to add to the top notes. He explains the contribution of each addition along the way.
Small-scale bench trials are an invaluable way for brewers to test new ingredients, including hop varieties and advanced hop products. In the case of a product like HyperBoost, bench trials can help you dial in usage rate and the point in the production process where you would most like to add it—for example, in the whirlpool, at dry hop, or to the finished product. However, keep in mind that full-scale batches won't smell or taste exactly the same as a bench-trial sample, so you may need to adjust. Carbonation can really boost aroma in the finished product, so it’s important to lock in that process—gently, under pressure, with no venting.
The UHD series—Ultra Hop Defintion—gives the Cinderlands team a chance to experiment with different hops and hop products. Paul explains how they used HyperBoost—among other formats, including Cryo and T-90s—in UHD Test Piece: Mosaic, and what they learned from the beer.
Paul lays out the typical HyperBoost dosage compared to T-90 pellets, illustrating how it can boost brewery efficiency—promoting aroma without losing wort to plant matter. He also explains how it can work in conjunction with other hop formats and products, such as T-90 and Cryo, to layer on your desired flavors and add depth; why you should first try adding HyperBoost to an existing recipe—rather than subbing it in for T-90 pellets, for example—to get a clearer idea of what it can do; and how you can use it in a wide range of “beyond beer” products, from hop water to hard tea.
Paul explains how Cinderlands came to test HyperBoost as part of its openness to new products and techniques, and in the pursuit of greater hop saturation and efficiency. He also explains what HyperBoost is, what it does, and the basics of how to use it, putting it in the context of layering in other hop formats and products.
From leafing through the archives of old-fashioned brewing traditions, on a quest to recapture lost flavor, to pushing the envelope of modern techniques, seeking new expressions and undiscovered permutations, today’s independent brewers are thirsty for more, ready to expand the lager canon.
If you'd like to watch the video, head to this link: https://beerandbrewing.com/fidens-hazy-ipa/
In this 43-minute course, Parker details the Fidens approach to hazy IPA—an approach that he began developing as a homebrewer and has continued to develop since the brewery opened in 2019. Among the highlights:
If you'd like to watch the video, head to this link: https://beerandbrewing.com/pfriem-course-brewing-course/
In this 64-minute audio course, cofounder and brewmaster Josh Pfriem lays out their intentional approach to crafting adjunct-based lagers that are more flavorful than industrial brands yet are every bit as drinkable. Along the way, he discusses:
Before there was hazy or even a defined West Coast style, there was an IPA that emerged as a brashly hopped counterpoint to British ale. It never went away—but it evolved. And today’s brewers are making it better than ever.
Before there was hazy or even a defined West Coast style, there was an IPA that emerged as a brashly hopped counterpoint to British ale. It never went away—but it evolved. And today’s brewers are making it better than ever.
If you'd like to watch the video, head to this link: https://beerandbrewing.com/great-notion-pastry-stouts-course/
In this 39-minute audio course, lead brewer Lara Hargrave walks us through each step of Great Notion’s production of dessert-driven stouts—beers such as Double Stack, their imperial breakfast stout with coffee and maple syrup. Along the way, she discusses:
If you'd like to watch the video, head to this link: https://beerandbrewing.com/big-barrel-aged-barleywines/
In this 66-minute course, Capps focuses on New Image’s approach to barrel-aged barleywines, from intentions and ingredients and on through brewing, fermentation, aging, and blending, all while harnessing the key components of oxidation, wood, and time. Along the way, he covers:
Read this brewing-focused publication, featuring:
* Foam! The Science Behind Beautiful Bubbles
* For the Love of Smoke
* Brewing Barleywine Bigness With Millet, Smoked, Crystal, and More
* Why Wind-Dried Malts May Be the Missing Link
* Wild for Mild
* Make Your Own Invert Sugar
* Old Gold: Heritage Grains
* Make Your Best: Pre-Prohibition Lager & Bière de Mars
* Style School: Umqombothi + Polotmavý
* 115 Expert Reviews: Stout, Porter, Barleywine, and More
* Plus, 16 Recipes From the Pros