Tag: home brewers

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Brew Club Podcast

There is a lot of good podcast content out there. I should know, I highlight one each month. Relatively sparse are the beer podcasts that are not dominated by dudes. But I saw mention of one that should be of special interest to us in SoCal…

I listened to the first two podcasts and they sound new to podcasting but they have a genuine rapport and when they start to talk about what they are passionate about, you can see where this could head. Plus, it is just good to hear different voices talking about beer. There are times when I feel stuck in my own bubble. Partially due to keeping my bubble restricted. So it is good to use a podcast to think about beer from a way different point of view.

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Home Brew World


I don’t cover home brewing all that much. Mostly because I don’t do it myself so I have little to offer when it comes to hopping rates, equipment and the latest trends. But I know who does know that stuff and who has access to many home brewers. And now, Joshua Bernstein has compiled that knowledge in his new book HomeBrew World.

Here is the blurb: “Meet the award winners, visionaries, and scofflaws leading the homebrew revolution. How did they get started? What equipment do they use? Where do they find storage space? What are their hopping techniques, yeast strategies, and aging methods? How do they keep temperatures constant without sophisticated climate controls? What’s their best recipe? Get to know the Stylists who hammer home perfect takes on time-honored beers; the Hop Pack who boldly push IPAs and other hop-forward brews into fragrant new territory; the Wild Ones who are harvesting ambient yeast, unleashing rowdy microbes, and experimenting with souring bacteria to extend the boundaries of good taste; and the Creative Front, who follow one simple rule—no rules at all.”

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HBC-438 the Homebrewing Hop

New hop varieties take years to go from thoughts and plans to being in common usage by brewers.

One that has been bubbling around and got the attention of Stan Hieronymus is HBC-438. It was seen and taste by home brewers back at their 2015 gathering under but might now be poised to take the next step to sainthood.

Here are the pertinent facts around the hop from the Hieronymus piece:

“Profits from sales to homebrewers will go to Ales for ALS.

Its mother is native American (neomexicanus). It is a bastard (father unknown).

In a raw state, it smells of both tropical and stone fruits. It is pleasantly herbal, a bit spicy, and I’m pretty sure that when used badly it will produce beers that can be described as catty (as in “smells like a litter box”).

There are a few homebrewers walking around with it now, because they attended the “Brewing With Experimental Hops – A New Hop Variety Just For Homebrewers” presentation last month at the National Homebrewers Conference in San Diego.”

Years from now, this might be the hip new hop.

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Fermented Tees

I am going to make a blanket statement. Most beer shirts (barring brewery logo offerings) are a bit juvenile. Representing the we are here to get drunk segment. Frankly, I do not need to see any shirt with any innuendo about beer goggles, ever again.

Thankfully, I was recently contacted by the folks behind Fermented Tees and they make quality designed shirts that would make great gifts for the home brewer in your life.
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The site is in it’s infancy with hopes of adding more designs, so check it out now and bookmark it for quick reference the next time you need a shirt that says, “Add more hops!”
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