By K. Florian Klemp
Published March 2012, Volume 33, Number 1
To the novice, brewing can seem a bit daunting, but, as is the case with any hobby, that initial hesitation is replaced by confidence via experience. That same experience makes the task of brewing simpler, even as the process becomes seemingly more complicated. Brewing also gets the intellectual and creative gears turning, opening up a world of endless possibilities that can be taken to the homebrewery. Read More…
Brewing Baltic Porter
By K. Florian Klemp
Published September 2011, Volume 32, Number 4
Our beloved porter has seen it all. It went from the rough-hewn, smoky seminal macrobrew in early 18th-century England, to the first truly international beer in the 19th century, to near extinction in the 1970s, all in a span of 250 years. It was thankfully resurrected by CAMRA and American microbrewers in the 1970s.
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It's About the Yeast
By K. Florian Klemp
Published July 2011, Volume 32, Number 3
What a great time to be a brewer. From progressive and avant-garde beers to the authentic, Old-World stalwarts, we can savor them all. And in many ways, we can thank the homebrewers, whose ranks nourished, inspired and galvanized the microbrewery movement and continue to do so today.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published May 2011, Volume 32, Number 2
After 24 years of homebrewing, I am still mesmerized by the hypnotic churning and billowing suds of fermenting wort as it is metamorphosed into beer by the humble fungus, yeast. More than a mere catalyst, yeast can exert the most influence of any ingredient.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published March 2011, Volume 32, Number 1
Homebrewers have a particular affection and appreciation for dark beers. Often considered too harsh, bitter and assertive by the timid or uninitiated, they are just as often agreeable, even mellow. The proper use of roasted grain and malt makes them possible, and in some cases they are fairly defined, or even dominated by these emphatic specialty ingredients. Read More…
By K. Florian Klemp
Published July 2010, Volume 31, Number 3
Warm weather presents something of a dilemma for brewers, as yeast is wont to misbehave under high temperatures. Rather than letting the brewhouse lie fallow, use this period to brew saison, the seasonal, quirky farmhouse brew of Wallonia in southern Belgium. Modern saison differs from its historical counterparts in some ways, and with regard to yeast, this works to the brewer’s advantage. Read More…
