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Brewing, explained by people who build the gear.

Brew-day technique, fermentation, chilling and equipment guides, written from the workshop in Vancouver. Pick a topic or search.

Illustration: Using Dry vs. Liquid Yeast in Brewing Fermentation3 min read Using Dry vs. Liquid Yeast in BrewingDry yeast is cheap and stable; liquid yeast offers far more strains. Here is how they compare on cells, shelf life, handling and when you need a starter. Illustration: The Art of Yeast Washing for Homebrewers Fermentation3 min read The Art of Yeast Washing for HomebrewersYeast washing separates healthy yeast from trub so you can reuse it. Here is how to harvest, rinse and store yeast, how long it keeps, and the conical shortcut. Illustration: Lactic Acid Bacteria in Sour Beer Production Fermentation3 min read Lactic Acid Bacteria in Sour Beer ProductionLactic acid bacteria make beer sour. Here is how Lactobacillus and Pediococcus differ, and how to kettle sour step by step with target pH, temperature and time. Illustration: High Gravity wort Fermentation: Challenges and Techniques Fermentation4 min read High Gravity wort Fermentation: Challenges and TechniquesHigh gravity wort stresses yeast with sugar and then alcohol. Here is how to pitch, oxygenate, feed and control temperature so big beers finish clean. Illustration: Ale vs. Lager Fermentation: A Comprehensive Comparison Fermentation3 min read Ale vs. Lager Fermentation: A Comprehensive ComparisonAle yeast ferment warm and fast; lager yeast ferment cold and slow, then need weeks of lagering. Here are the differences in yeast, temperature, time, flavour and equipment. Illustration: Yeast Autolysis in Beer: What It Tastes Like and How to Prevent It Fermentation3 min read Yeast Autolysis in Beer: What It Tastes Like and How to Prevent ItAutolysis is yeast breaking itself down after fermentation. Here is what it tastes like, how long beer can safely sit on the yeast, what makes it worse, and how to... Illustration: Exploring the Evolution of Stout: Classic to Innovative Styles Styles & recipes3 min read Exploring the Evolution of Stout: Classic to Innovative StylesStout began as a stronger porter in 18th-century London. Here are the main stout styles today, from dry Irish to imperial, with strength and flavour for each. Illustration: Mastering Lautering Techniques for Optimal Efficiency Brew day3 min read Mastering Lautering Techniques for Optimal EfficiencyLautering separates sweet wort from the spent grain. Here is mash-out, vorlauf and the sparging methods compared, plus how to avoid a stuck sparge. Cold Crashing Beer: Temperature, How Long, and How to Do It Without Oxygen Fermentation5 min read Cold Crashing Beer: Temperature, How Long, and How to Do It Without OxygenCold crashing drops finished beer to near freezing so yeast and haze settle in days instead of weeks. The right temperature, how long, the airlock suck-back problem and how to... Illustration: Beer Foam: Why Beer Has a Head and How to Get a Good One Ingredients4 min read Beer Foam: Why Beer Has a Head and How to Get a Good OneBeer foam, the head, is carbon dioxide trapped in a film of malt protein and hop compounds. Here is why beer foams, whether a big head is good or bad,... Illustration: The Wonder of Wild Fermentation: A Journey into Natural Yeasts Fermentation3 min read The Wonder of Wild Fermentation: A Journey into Natural YeastsA wild beer is fermented partly or entirely by microbes other than clean brewer’s yeast. Here are the microbes involved, where to get them, what each tastes like, and how... Illustration: What Makes Hazy IPA Hazy? The Science, and How to Brew One Styles & recipes5 min read What Makes Hazy IPA Hazy? The Science, and How to Brew OneHazy IPA gets its haze from proteins in oats and wheat binding with hop compounds from heavy late and dry hopping, not from yeast. Here is the science, how to... Illustration: How to Clean and Sanitize a Fermenter: Stainless, Conical and Plastic Cleaning4 min read How to Clean and Sanitize a Fermenter: Stainless, Conical and PlasticClean first, then sanitize. A step-by-step routine for stainless conicals and plastic fermenters, which cleaner and sanitizer to use, contact times, clean-in-place tips and the mistakes that cause infections. Illustration: Water Chemistry for Brewing: A Simple Adjustment Guide Ingredients5 min read Water Chemistry for Brewing: A Simple Adjustment GuideBrewing water comes down to three jobs: remove chlorine, hit your mash pH, and set the sulfate-to-chloride balance for the style. Here is what each mineral does, how much each... Illustration: What is Kölsch Beer? Styles & recipes4 min read What is Kölsch Beer?Kölsch is a pale, crisp hybrid beer from Cologne: fermented cool with ale yeast, then cold-conditioned like a lager. Here are the style stats and how to brew one. Illustration: Unlock the Flavor: The Art and Science of Barrel Aging Beers Fermentation3 min read Unlock the Flavor: The Art and Science of Barrel Aging BeersBarrels add oak, the character of what they held before, a little oxygen and sometimes wild microbes. Here is what each barrel brings and which beers suit it. Illustration: Is Fermentation Aerobic or Anaerobic? What It Means for Your Beer Fermentation4 min read Is Fermentation Aerobic or Anaerobic? What It Means for Your BeerFermentation is anaerobic: yeast turn sugar into alcohol and CO₂ without oxygen. So why do brewers add oxygen to wort? Here is the short answer, the biology, and exactly when... Diacetyl Rest: What It Is, When to Do It, Temperature and How Long Fermentation5 min read Diacetyl Rest: What It Is, When to Do It, Temperature and How LongDiacetyl is the butterscotch flavour yeast make early and clean up late, if you let them. When to start the rest, how warm, how long, how to test for it,...
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