Author Archive: Andrew
Hopbox Unboxing (May 2022)
There are a few of these on my YouTube channel, and I’m going to try to start posting all the videos here (maybe with a little more text here about the video). Anyway, this is the sixth Hopbox I received from Yakima Valley Hops. These are really fun to get because sometimes there’s as-yet-unnamed hops (like HBC 586), sometimes there’s new hops that my LHBS doesn’t carry (like Sonnet and Talus), there’s ones that I use a lot of (like Citra and Galaxy, and they even sent a can of LupoMAX Citra), and then ones that remind you that some classic hops are great because some classic styles are awesome (I’m looking at that Hallertau Mittelfruh can and thinking German Pilsner or Helles, both wonderful beers). Anyway, enjoy the video!
A Tour of my Brew System
This is a tour of my brew system. My system is cobbled together with parts from eBay, Amazon, Sparkfun, Auber Instruments, and probably Micro Center Mall too. The hot liquor tun is controlled by a PID controlling a solid-state relay that controls the tun’s heating element. The boil kettle controller is similar except instead of a PID I have an Arduino Micro that outputs a pulse width modulation signal (basically on for a period of time, then off for a period of time) to a solid-state relay that controls the boil kettle heating element. The Arduino also reads the rotary encoder and sets the numbers… and yes, it goes up to 11!
A Beer Homebrewer Makes Wine
I decided to make a wine. My wife and I occasionally enjoy a bottle of wine with dinner, and we’ve had times where we’ve run out (a tragedy!) and other times where my wife wanted wine but I did not (a 12 ounce bottle of wine is perfect for these situations!). Enjoy!
Road to BJCP Video 7: Spice, Herb, and Vegetable
In this video I talk about the spice, herb, and vegetable specialty style of the Beer Judge Certification Program, which includes Autumn Seasonal Beers (AKA Pumpkin Spice Ales) and Winter Seasonal Beers (winter warmers and Christmas beers). I also talk about which is which (spice, herb, and vegetable vs. autumn seasonal vs. winter seasonal). This category is like an overlay on top of a base category, which has to be specified upon entering a competition and should be provided to the judges. The spice, herb, and/or vegetable flavor should be evident in the aroma and flavor but not overpowering. There are no “vital statistics” (IBU, SRM, FG, OG, ABV) for these types of beers since they use those values from the specified base style.
NEIPA Brew Day/Recipe
I brewed a New England IPA recently, and while I didn’t take a lot of pictures or video, I referenced the recipe in a video, so it’s here for anyone’s use. This is for 5 gallons into the keg, assuming ~7 gallons into the boil kettle and 5.5 into the fermenter.
Fermentables
10 lb Weyermann Pilsner
1/2 lb Briess Carapils
2 lb Briess Flaked Wheat
2 lb Briess Flaked Oats
Hops
0.25 oz Magnum @ 60 minutes
0.25 oz El Dorado @ 15 minutes
0.25 oz Nelson Sauvin @ 15 minutes
0.25 Hallertau Blanc @ 15 minutes
1.0 oz Eldorado @ whirlpool 20 minutes
1.0 oz Nelson Sauvin @ whirlpool 20 minutes
1.0 oz Citra @ whirlpool 20 minutes
1.0 oz Eldorado @ dry hop 3 days into fermentation
1.0 oz Nelson Sauvin @ dry hop 3 days into fermentation
1.0 oz Citra @ dry hop 3 days into fermentation
Yeast/Other
1 pack Imperial A 38 Juice Yeast
5 tsp LD Carlson Yeast Nutrient
As of the time I’m posting this, the beer is still in the fermenter. It’s been a week. I think it is down to terminal gravity, but I want to do one more gravity check first, and then I’m going to cold crash in the water basin (in other words, add as much ice as I can) before racking it to a keg. 🍻
Road to BJCP 6: Pale European Bitter Lagers
In this video, I dive into BJCP Category 5, the pale European (German) Bitter Lagers, which include Leichtbier, Kolsch, Helles Export, and German Pilsner. Enjoy!
Road to BJCP 5: A Deep Dive into Pale European Malty Lagers
Road to BJCP Video 4: A Deep Dive into Standard American Beers
This week’s video is a deep dive into standard American beers. Enjoy!
Road To BJCP Video 3: Off Flavors
In this video I present the off flavors in beer that are on the BJCP exam and also commonly found in competitions. These include oxidization, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, sour, dimethyl sulfate (DMS), vegetal, astringent, solventy / fusel alcohols, alcoholic (“hot”), estery, grassy, light struck / skunked, metallic, musty, sulphuric, earthy, and leathery. I also talk about how to fix these, since part of the BJCP scoresheet and exam covers how to fix these common off flavors.
Road to BJCP 2: Tasting and Evaluating Beer
I posted the second of I’m-not-sure-how-many videos in the Road to BJCP series. I do an evaluation of Deschutes Obsidian Stout in the same way that I would evaluate a beer that I’m judging. I talk about evaluating the aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression of this beer and compare it to the Beer Judge Certification Program 2015 Style Guidelines.
The next video is going to be about off-flavors… coming out next week!