Recipe Recap & Review | Ep. 05: My First Pale Ale

Welcome back to another episode of the Recipe Recap & Review show!

This show features discussions on the recipes that we’re brewing, how our brew day experiences went, and what we think about the finished beer after it’s done fermenting and is properly carbonated. On today’s show, we go over “My First Pale Ale” that Todd brewed from Homebrew Supply. He brewed BOTH the all-grain (link: https://homebrewsupply.com/spa-simple-pale-ale-all-grain-recipe-kit/ ) and the extract (link: https://homebrewsupply.com/spa-simple-pale-ale-extract-recipe-kit/ ) versions for us to enjoy and compare! Click on the links above to buy either kit for yourself or you can even download the recipe instructions (grain bill + ingredients included) at those same links for FREE. All of the recipes we feature on Recipe Recap & Review are provided by HomebrewSupply.com — Fresh ingredients, the best prices, and same-day flat rate shipping make Homebrew Supply your shop for brewing beer. HomebrewSupply.com – make your brew day better!
https://youtu.be/-N_kOw4I6wQ

Comparing RIMS vs HERMS and a question on brewhouse and mash efficiency — Ep. 175

Thanks for tuning in, home brewer!

and welcome back to our Homebrew Happy Hour podcast… the podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer!

REMINDER:

If you appreciate the things we’re doing as Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Patreon community! Not only will you be supporting our efforts, you’ll also receive exclusive perks such as HUGE discounts on HomebrewSupply.com and Kegconnection.com, welcome packs with our merch, discounts to BrewersFriend.com, and lots more! Click the link and join today  —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635

On Today’s Show:

Todd was out but James was able to join me and help take a couple of intermediate-type questions for this week’s episode! It’s always nice when we can dig in to more complex topics and Mr. Carlson is the man when it comes to helping me understand. Specifically, we discussed the differences between RIMS and HERMS systems and why one may work better than the other in certain situations, and we also talked about brew house and mash effeciencies. It was a great show!

We want to hear from you!

If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. This is a friendly reminder that, if we choose your question for a future episode, we give you a $25 gift card to that episode’s sponsor!

Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

cheers,

joshua


Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Spike Brewing Equipment, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about their incredible equipment at SpikeBrewing.com/HomebrewHappyHour and make the most of your brew day

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Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our newly launched Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour

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Are you a member of the American Homebrewers Association yet? Join today and receive a FREE copy of “Session Beers” by Jennifer Talley on top of all the other cool perks that an AHA membership offers — CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Recipe Recap & Review | Ep. 04: Founders Breakfast Stout

We’re back with another episode of Recipe Recap & Review!

This show features discussions on the recipes that we’re brewing, how our brew day experiences went, and what we think about the finished beer after it’s done fermenting and is properly carbonated.

On today’s show, we go over the all-grain Founders Breakfast Stout clone kit that Joshua brewed from Homebrew Supply (link: https://homebrewsupply.com/founders-breakfast-stout-clone-all-grain-recipe-kit/ ) Click on the link above to buy the kit for yourself or you can even download the recipe instructions (grain bill + ingredients included) at that same link for FREE.

All of the recipes we feature on Recipe Recap & Review are provided by HomebrewSupply.com — Fresh ingredients, the best prices, and same-day flat rate shipping make Homebrew Supply your shop for brewing beer. HomebrewSupply.com – make your brew day better!

Brewing in quarantine, choosing a grain mill, and milling specialty grains — Ep. 174

We hope you’re doing well, friend!

Welcome back to our Homebrew Happy Hour podcast… the podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer!

If you appreciate the things we’re doing as Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Patreon community! Not only will you be supporting our efforts, you’ll also receive exclusive perks such as HUGE discounts on HomebrewSupply.com and Kegconnection.com, welcome packs with our merch, discounts to BrewersFriend.com, and lots more! Click the link and join today  —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635

On Today’s Show:

First and foremost – we hope you are hanging in there and keeping healthy during these weird times. “Weird” is about as appropriate word as we can think of. I said this in a newsletter and I’ll say it again — if you need anything, ANYTHING, that we can provide or help you with then please don’t hesitate to ask. We love you guys and will get through all of this together.

On the show — James and Todd join me, remotely, to take your questions on adjusting your brew days when life throws you lemons (i.e – when you’re in quarantine at home!), choosing a grain mill to buy, and mill settings when crushing grains for partial mash brewing.

We want to hear from you!

If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. This is a friendly reminder that, if we choose your question for a future episode, we give you a $25 gift card to that episode’s sponsor!

Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

cheers,

joshua


Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Spike Brewing Equipment, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about their incredible equipment at SpikeBrewing.com/HomebrewHappyHour and make the most of your brew day

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Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our newly launched Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour

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Are you a member of the American Homebrewers Association yet? Join today and receive a FREE copy of “Session Beers” by Jennifer Talley on top of all the other cool perks that an AHA membership offers — CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Recipe Recap & Review | Ep. 03: True to Style Dusseldorf Altbier

We’re back with another episode of Recipe Recap & Review!

This show features discussions on the recipes that we’re brewing, how our brew day experiences went, and what we think about the finished beer after it’s done fermenting and is properly carbonated.

On today’s show, we go over the all-grain True to Style Dusseldorf Altbier kit that Joshua brewed from Homebrew Supply (link: https://homebrewsupply.com/dusseldorf-altbier-true-to-style-all-grain-recipe-kit/ ) Click on the link above to buy the kit for yourself or you can even download the recipe instructions (grain bill + ingredients included) at that same link for FREE.

All of the recipes we feature on Recipe Recap & Review are provided by HomebrewSupply.com — Fresh ingredients, the best prices, and same-day flat rate shipping make Homebrew Supply your shop for brewing beer. HomebrewSupply.com – make your brew day better!

Brewing with the Brewer of Seville — Ep. 173

Howdy, homebrewer!

Thanks for tuning in to another fun-filled epiosde of the Homebrew Happy Hour podcast… a podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer!

If you appreciate the things we’re doing as Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Patreon community! Not only will you be supporting our efforts, you’ll also receive exclusive perks such as HUGE discounts on HomebrewSupply.com and Kegconnection.com, welcome packs with our merch, discounts to BrewersFriend.com, and lots more! Click the link and join today  —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635

On Today’s Show:

We always love it when visitors come to town and we were especially excited to welcome Kenny Highman, aka The Brewer of Seville, back on the show AND live in studio. Well, not “in studio”, more like “in the barn” but you get what I’m saying.

Kenny made the trek from Ohio all the way down to the heart of Texas to hang with us. We brewed some beer, drank LOTS of beer, and caught up with him and what he’s up to these days.

We want to hear from you!

If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. This is a friendly reminder that, if we choose your question for a future episode, we give you a $25 gift card to that episode’s sponsor!

Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

cheers,

joshua


Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Spike Brewing Equipment, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about their incredible equipment at SpikeBrewing.com/HomebrewHappyHour and make the most of your brew day

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Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our newly launched Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour

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Are you a member of the American Homebrewers Association yet? Join today and receive a FREE copy of “Session Beers” by Jennifer Talley on top of all the other cool perks that an AHA membership offers — CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Recipe Recap & Review | Ep. 02: Dos Equis Ambar Clone Kit

We’re back with another episode of Recipe Recap & Review!

This show features discussions on the recipes that we’re brewing, how our brew day experiences went, and what we think about the finished beer after it’s done fermenting and is properly carbonated.

On today’s show,

we go over the all-grain Dos Equis Ambar Lager clone kit that Todd brewed from Homebrew Supply. Click on the link here to buy the kit for yourself or you can even download the recipe instructions (grain bill + ingredients included) at that same link for FREE.

All of the recipes we feature on Recipe Recap & Review are provided by HomebrewSupply.com — Fresh ingredients, the best prices, and same-day flat rate shipping make Homebrew Supply your shop for brewing beer. HomebrewSupply.com – make your brew day better!

https://youtu.be/Lxcd27Do1xY

Temp ranges for fermentation, pH levels in your mash, & cleaning the Grainfather — Ep. 172

Well hello there, home brewer!

Welcome back to our Homebrew Happy Hour podcast… the podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer!

If you appreciate the things we’re doing as Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Patreon community! Not only will you be supporting our efforts, you’ll also receive exclusive perks such as HUGE discounts on HomebrewSupply.com and Kegconnection.com, welcome packs with our merch, discounts to BrewersFriend.com, and lots more! Click the link and join today  —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635

On Today’s Show:

You might not believe this but Todd couldn’t join us today because… get this… he’s on a freakin’ helicopter RIGHT NOW shooting hogs from it. Yes, you read that correctly. James and I are both incredibly jealous of the amazing time that Todd is, undoubtedly, having. In case you’re wondering – hogs are a TERROR here in Texas and are vastly overpopulated on Todd’s ranch where they’ve been literally destroying the land which is affecting all the other wildlife that rely on Todd’s property. So… don’t feel bad for the little piggies 😉  !

ANYWAY – that means it’s just James and I today but thank God he joined me because I could not have done today’s show without him. We discuss whether you should follow the temperature ranges listed in your recipe kit versus what’s on your yeast pack (ideally — they’d both be the same ranges), we talk about how important pH levels are in regards to the mashing process, and a listener writes in with a question on best practices for cleaning his Grainfather unit.

We want to hear from you!

If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. This is a friendly reminder that, if we choose your question for a future episode, we give you a $25 gift card to that episode’s sponsor!

Let us know what you think and enjoy the show!

cheers,

joshua


Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Spike Brewing Equipment, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about their incredible equipment at SpikeBrewing.com/HomebrewHappyHour and make the most of your brew day

————————–

Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our newly launched Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour

————————–
Are you a member of the American Homebrewers Association yet? Join today and receive a FREE copy of “Session Beers” by Jennifer Talley on top of all the other cool perks that an AHA membership offers — CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Recipe Recap & Review | Ep. 01: Fat Tire Amber Ale Clone Kit

Welcome to the first episode of our new weekly show, Recipe Recap & Review!

This show will feature discussions on the recipes we’re brewing, how our brew day experiences went, and what we think about the finished beer after it’s done fermenting and is properly carbonated.

On Today’s Show

For our first episode, we go over the all-grain Fat Tire Amber Ale clone kit that James brewed from Homebrew Supply (link: https://homebrewsupply.com/new-belgium-fat-tire-clone-all-grain-recipe-kit/ ) Click on the link above to buy the kit for yourself or you can even download the recipe instructions (grain bill + ingredients included) at that same link for FREE.

The recipes featured on Recipe Recap & Review are provided by HomebrewSupply.com — Fresh ingredients, the best prices, and same-day flat rate shipping make Homebrew Supply your shop for brewing beer. HomebrewSupply.com – make your brew day better!

Drink what you like and ignore perception – The Would-be Brewmaster

This week there have been several articles that have made waves in the craft beer world. Boston Magazine had an article about how craft beer has left Samuel Adams behind. Local homebrewer Vinny Mannering wrote a rebuttal to the article taking issue with those who called Sam products “mediocre” which went viral on social media. In another article, the founders of West Coast craft beer pioneers Widmer Brothers and Deschutes lamented the fact that as they have grown in size, the perception some have of their beers have changed.

If a beer is well made, it is well made. I don’t care if it is a homebrew, a local nano-brewery brewing out of a garage, a “too big to be cool craft” brewer, or even a macro from AB InBev. People who won’t drink or say a Boston Lager or Guinness Draught suck because of their own preconceptions just shouldn’t be taken seriously. If you have valid and informed reasons why you don’t like a beer I have no issue with it. There is a reason why stores, bars, and restaurants have more than one beer in stock. Too many beer drinkers can’t or won’t; sadly asking people to be honest and open-minded is often too much to ask for.

Many beer drinkers, especially self-identified connoisseurs don’t understand is how beer is supposed to taste. If you think Boston Lager sucks because it isn’t hoppy enough, then you clearly do not understand that a Vienna Lager isn’t supposed to be hoppy. The issue really isn’t the beer, the issue is that you just don’t like the style. It’s not the beer, it’s you!

On Christmas Eve I went to my uncle’s house. I brought a six-pack of Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout. After gorging on food, a full-bodied stout was not all that appealing. To the shock of everyone, I went for an Amstel Light. I hadn’t had one in years, and it was actually better than I remembered. I don’t usually drink light lagers, but at that moment I enjoyed it. It was light, refreshing, and tasted exactly how it was supposed to taste.

BJCP Grand Master Gordon Strong has posted several sample scoresheets on the BJCP website. On a scale of 0-50, where 38-44 is “excellent” and 44-50 is outstanding he gave the following scores:

All of these beers are fine examples of their particular style. If you say any of these beers suck, you’re wrong. If you don’t like them, see the distinction, then have a reason why other than the name on the label.

Two years ago when asked about “guilty pleasures” in music Dave Grohl said, “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, I believe you should be able to like what you like. If you like a f***** Ke$ha song, listen to f****** Ke$ha.”

I was out with a group of people at The Yard House last fall. Being at a beer bar the topic of beer came up. My friend Kate sheepishly mentioned that she really enjoyed Shipyard Pumpkinhead. As Shipyard has grown it has fallen into a similar trap as Samuel Adams, Widmer, and Deschutes. Their English and English influenced ales are certainly out of place in a world where if a beer isn’t a hop-bomb, it’s crap! Just because there may be other pumpkin beers I think are superior, or a beer snob who measures the quality of a beer only in IBUs might look down on the Shipyard line, doesn’t mean a beer drinker should feel the need to justify anything to anyone.

I am also starting to question the chase for the latest and greatest beers which has some drinkers leaving brands like Sam Adams. I love trying new things. I love being inspired to brew new things. Now it is to the point where I can’t remember most of the beers that I have tried. To what end am I chasing new beers if most of them aren’t memorable?

Before I started brewing I thought I was an educated beer drinker. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. That was when I truly learned how beer was supposed to taste. That doesn’t mean you have to brew to appreciate beer. What it does mean is to be open to what you don’t know. Too many beer snobs aren’t.

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