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

Pressure Fermentation for Every Ale Style: How to Use Pressure Intelligently in a Unitank Fermenter Fermentation11 min read Pressure Fermentation for Every Ale Style: How to Use Pressure Intelligently in a Unitank FermenterEvery ale style wants a different pressure curve. When to keep the valve open, when to add pressure and how much, with psi schedules for IPAs, English and Belgian ales,... Counterflow Chiller Showdown: Bräu Supply vs. Spike Wort Chiller Chilling5 min read Counterflow Chiller Showdown: Bräu Supply vs. Spike Wort ChillerWe compare Bräu Supply’s 30-foot all-stainless counterflow chiller to Spike’s 16-foot hybrid copper/stainless model. See how coil length, all-stainless sanitation, included QD fittings, and real-world performance in warm-water climates make... How to Size a Glycol Chiller for Your Fermenters Fermentation6 min read How to Size a Glycol Chiller for Your FermentersThree heat loads decide the chiller you need: pulling the beer down, holding it against fermentation heat, and cold-crashing. Work through them with a worked 1 BBL example and a... Illustration: Why Neoprene Jackets Are Unnecessary for a temperature-controlled jacketed conical fermenter Fermentation3 min read Why Neoprene Jackets Are Unnecessary for a temperature-controlled jacketed conical fermenterA jacketed fermenter controls its own temperature, so a neoprene jacket is usually unnecessary. Here is when insulation helps, and when it just gets in the way. Illustration: Kegging vs Bottling Homebrew: Pros, Cons and Which to Choose Packaging6 min read Kegging vs Bottling Homebrew: Pros, Cons and Which to ChooseKegging vs bottling homebrew, side by side: what each costs to start, how long a batch takes, how fast the beer is ready, freshness and sharing, plus exactly what you... Illustration: Scaling Recipes: From Small Batches to Larger Brews Brew day5 min read Scaling Recipes: From Small Batches to Larger BrewsScale a recipe by keeping its proportions, not its weights. Here is how to scale grain, hops, water and yeast, with a worked example. Illustration: Yeast Fermentation: The Biology Behind Beer Fermentation4 min read Yeast Fermentation: The Biology Behind BeerYeast turn the sugars in wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide, plus flavour compounds. Here are the phases of fermentation, what yeast need, and how temperature shapes the beer. Illustration: Understanding the BJCP Style Guidelines: A Comprehensive Overview Styles & recipes3 min read Understanding the BJCP Style Guidelines: A Comprehensive OverviewThe BJCP guidelines describe beer styles for homebrew competitions. Here is how they’re organized, how judges score, and how to use them for recipes. Illustration: The Art of Brewing Non-Alcoholic Beers Styles & recipes4 min read The Art of Brewing Non-Alcoholic BeersNon-alcoholic beer is under 0.5% ABV. Here are the four ways brewers get there, the pros and cons of each, and how to keep low-alcohol beer safe. Illustration: The Benefits of Stainless Steel in Brewing Equipment Equipment3 min read The Benefits of Stainless Steel in Brewing EquipmentStainless steel doesn’t corrode, flavour the beer or mind strong cleaners. How it compares with copper, aluminium and plastic, 304 vs 316, and how to look after it. Illustration: Crafting Fruit Beers: Fermentation Techniques Fermentation4 min read Crafting Fruit Beers: Fermentation TechniquesAdd fruit after the most vigorous fermentation for the brightest flavour. Here is when to add it, how much to use, which form works best and how to avoid gushers. Illustration: What Does ABV Mean? ABV vs ABW, Explained With a Conversion Chart Ingredients4 min read What Does ABV Mean? ABV vs ABW, Explained With a Conversion ChartABV means alcohol by volume: the share of a drink that is pure alcohol. Here is what the number means, how it differs from ABW, how to convert between them,... Illustration: What Does IBU Mean in Beer? IBU Explained, With a Chart by Style Ingredients4 min read What Does IBU Mean in Beer? IBU Explained, With a Chart by StyleIBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a measure of the bitter compounds hops add to beer. Here is what the number means, typical IBU by style, how brewers calculate it,... Illustration: The Malting Process: How Barley Becomes Malt, Step by Step Ingredients6 min read The Malting Process: How Barley Becomes Malt, Step by StepMalting turns barley into malt in three steps: steeping, germination and kilning. Here is what happens inside the grain at each step, the enzymes it builds, how kilning sets colour... Illustration: The Physics of Boiling and Cooling in Brewing Brew day4 min read The Physics of Boiling and Cooling in BrewingBoiling isomerizes hops, drives off DMS and concentrates wort; chilling stops it. Here are the numbers: boil-off, boiling point at altitude, and heating power. Illustration: What Is the pH of Beer? Values by Style and Why It Matters Ingredients5 min read What Is the pH of Beer? Values by Style and Why It MattersMost beer has a pH of 4.0 to 4.6, and sour beers 3.0 to 3.6. Here is the pH of beer by style, how it compares with other drinks, how... Illustration: Unleashing the Potential of Brettanomyces: Unique Yeast for Unique Flavors Fermentation3 min read Unleashing the Potential of Brettanomyces: Unique Yeast for Unique FlavorsBrettanomyces adds funk, fruit and dryness. Here is how to use it, what it tastes like, how long it takes, and how to keep it away from your other beers. Illustration: Exploring the Latest Trends in Hop Usage Ingredients4 min read Exploring the Latest Trends in Hop UsageWhat’s changed in how brewers use hops: lupulin powders, extracts, thiol-boosting yeast, new varieties and hop water.
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