By K. Florian Klemp
Published September 2013, Volume 34, Number 4
There should always be a spot reserved in the cellar for abbey and Trappist beers. Though the brewers of these beers may be considered idiosyncratic, it would be fair to say that they have largely settled on a few loose styles. North American microbrewers have long been disciples of the abbey/Trappist doctrine, but homebrewers also have access to all of the same ingredients as the European artisans. By following these few simplified guidelines, authentic abbey and Trappist brews of high quality can become a transcendent addition to your domain.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published July 2013, Volume 34, Number 3
A relative latecomer to brewing, hops have come to define beer to many. To some, they are an obsession; to others, the perfect counterpunch or complement. Seldom, though, are they an afterthought. For homebrewers, hops are one of the more perplexing and vexing facets to master, with carefully selected and implemented hop schedules as critical to exquisite pilsner as to an über-hopped double IPA.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published May 2013, Volume 34, Number 2
The distinction between top- and bottom-fermented beers is familiar to all homebrewers, but the term “hybrid” is often met with curiosity. And while many of our styles were forged by the clash of ingredients, technology, and local and outside influences, there are a few that are defined by their own duality. California common and cream ale are two that Americans can claim as true hybrids.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published March 2013, Volume 34, Number 1
Friends often ask me to review their brewing recipes and strategies. With all-grain brewers, this usually amounts to minor tweaking of ingredients and proportions. For extract-steep and partial-mash brewers, though, I encounter common issues with regard to grain utilization, tricky concerns that are often glossed over in brewing instructions.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published January 2013, Volume 33, Number 6
I have always had a particular fondness for the emphatic malt character, smoothness and underlying elegance of noble hops in ordinary German biers. I was especially enamored with bocks and that pure expression of malt. Bocks are beers of extraordinary finesse in spite of their fortitude. Brewing them at home can be something of a challenge, and it is critical to follow the bullet points for successful lager brewing outlined in another recent column of mine; short lag time, steady fermentation, diacetyl rest and proper lagering. German beer styles are generally considered fairly rigid in their composition, but bocks offer some room within the styles if you are interested in classic recreations, and are excellent for experimentation.
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By K. Florian Klemp
Published January 2012, Volume 32, Number 6
Those first few months of craft beer epiphany are heady indeed, filled with moment after moment of wide-eyed revelation. These palate-popping new brews had little in common with the mainstream stuff that you seemingly couldn’t live without. Craft beer had flavor, dark beer was actually delicious, hops in excess were heavenly, and most importantly, it was proudly all-malt. Then you discovered that some of the most respected breweries in the world used sugar and adjuncts to actually enhance their beer. Read More…
