German beers often get lost in the shuffle among the craft crowd. They are neither flashy nor overdone, just solid brews made from simple recipes with distinctive German ingredients. But there are three that break that mold: gose, Münster altbier and dampfbier. They are obscure outliers, stylistic survivors of the dozens of regional styles that... View Article
Making pilsners involves the finesse of pale-beer brewing and diligence of bottom fermentation, two of the thorniest tests of homebrewing. However, pilsner (pilsener, pils) is, by no means, off limits to any brewer. The three most common styles of pilsners are Bohemian, German and the Classic American pilsners (CAP). All are quite different and can... View Article
Long before hops were first cultivated for brewing a millennium ago, beers were either unflavored or infused with a mélange of herbs, roots, blossoms and spices. Popular through the Middle Ages in Europe, these botanicals often served the same antiseptic purpose as hops later would, but were also used for their medicinal or healing properties.... View Article
Along with the rewards of brewing, there are many potential pitfalls. Mostly, they result from poor technique or preparation, perils easily avoided. For all of the minutiae learned over the years, my sessions come down to following a few practical and uncompromising ground rules. Here are my 10 commandments of homebrewing. Attend Brewing Preschool Before... View Article
I remember when stout was synonymous with Guinness. When we talk stout now, it’s described by brand, ingredients or sub-style. Few taprooms are without at least one on offer. Irish dry, foreign extra, English, American, sweet and imperial are the familiar basic styles, but the variety based on those is as wide as in any... View Article
For a certain group of beer drinkers, as soon as alternatives to the dominant industrial lagers were offered, we ran toward them. We embraced the boozy, strong-flavored ales. In typical American fashion, these became the status quo among the enthusiasts, falling for it, hook, line and tankard. It seemed that, for the longest time, the... View Article
Count me among those birds who like bottling homebrew. I enjoy the process, but especially the rewards. Having bottled beer around means that you always have something to take on the go, give away, archive and of course, drink. Few things can top a well-presented, perfectly carbonated, heady bottle of beer. To achieve this, priming—adding... View Article
T.S. Eliot once said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” Homebrewers are doing just that in their exploration of open fermentation. Case in point is Johnnie Leroy Compton III, a homebrewer who goes the distance for his wild beers. After moving into a spacious... View Article
I was in college in the late 1970s, and believe me, things were bleak and desolate in beerdom. Where we stand today is a truly remarkable situation. I have been keenly interested in beer for the entire journey and homebrewing for the majority of it. This makes me no more of an expert than many... View Article
