By K. Florian Klemp
Published May 2010, Volume 31, Number 2
Said to be at least 9,000 years old, mead is considered our most ancient intentionally fermented beverage. The uninitiated assume that today’s mead is heavy and cloyingly sweet, a surprisingly prevalent misconception. To be sure, mead can be made sweet, but honey as a medium allows for a vast number of interpretations, the majority of which would destroy any preconceived notion of its character. Home meadmakers know this well, and the variety that this writer has run across is mind-numbing, in more ways than one. Varietal honey alone offers dozens of choices and even brings with it a distinctly regional flair. With that in mind, and since this is a column dedicated to beer brewing, a natural path worthy of exploration is the melding of mead and beer: braggot. Read More…
By K. Florian Klemp
Published March 2010, Volume 31, Number 1
Thoughts of a crackling fire, a smoky slab of salmon, and glass of smoked porter are sure to stir primal reflection as the permeation of smoke melds food and ambiance. Smoked brews are not particularly common, but are easily crafted. Some styles fairly beg for a dose of smoke as a complement to toasty or dark malts. Others, especially porters, simply look like they should be smoky. Have a bent for historical brewing? Smoked malt reconnects brewers to days when essentially all beer had a smoky tinge. Using today’s versions as a starting point, it is easy to cobble together one of the many styles that would benefit from this addition. It is as easy as incorporating commercially available smoked malt into a recipe or, for the true hobbyist, fashioning your own. Read More…
By K. Florian Klemp
Published November 2009, Volume 30, Number 5
The allure of leaping into all-grain brewing is all too often discouraged by unnecessary trepidation. There is the notion that is it cluttered with calculations and technical expertise, coupled with an air of alchemy and magic. It takes a little of both, but isn’t nearly as unforgiving and complicated as it seems, and in fact, can become rather routine and simple after just a few batches.
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By Randy Mosher
Published May 2009, Volume 30, Number 2
For most brewers, our notions of beer are strongly shaped by classic beer styles. Beers like pale ales, stouts and bocks are convenient landmarks, beacons of stability in a sea of possibilities. We tend to jump from style to style, and in doing so they give us support as we learn to brew.
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By Randy Mosher
Published July 2008, Volume 29, Number 3
It’s ninety-eight in the shade and the sun is beating down with the heat of a freshly made TIG weld. The blue smoke of small engines chokes the air. Thirst rules. The barley wine can wait until the first snowfall. Forget sipping. I need something to quaff!
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By Randy Mosher
Published November 2007, Volume 28, Number 5
Picture yourself living in a pre-industrial Northern Europe. You and the rest of the village have toiled through a long, hot summer in the fields drinking screechy small beers and the last precious remnants of the March beer. Eventually, the new barley is ready to harvest, but you still have to wait for its long journey through malting, brewing and fermenting before it finally flows into your mug. Ahh, ambrosia! This is a reason to celebrate.
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