Pre-Prohibition Beer Bottle Lamps – Art, History and it Lights Up!

Friday, May 17th, 2013

If you are looking for a cool item to give to the brewer who has everything, check out Peared Creation. They make lamps out of pre-prohibition beer bottles. We were sent one of these lamps to review! The cord is an antique fabric style. The on/off switch is a vintage faucet handle. It ...

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Precision Hydrometer, Cool a New Toy!

Friday, March 8th, 2013

A precision hydrometer is a fun upgrade and only runs about $15. Yeah, taking measurements, entering brew logs, and doing brewing science - this is fun! I've broken a few hydrometers on accident over the years and normally bought the cheap ones that read from 1.00 to 1.16. These are all ...

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Jockey Box Setup For Parties

Friday, January 11th, 2013

When I first started kegging, I soon realized how much simpler taking beers to parties would be. I’d take ONE big container of beer, and dispense it. No more super heavy coolers of glass beer bottles to lug over and bring the empties back for cleaning and reuse. Until this fall ...

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Infographic: How Far Will Home Brewing Take You?

Friday, December 21st, 2012

Brewing is a truly awesome hobby that hooks people for many reasons. First off, a side effect of pursuing this hobby is having lots of delicious beer on hand!  But that is just the beginning.  The wide range of beer styles, yeasts, and brewing processes means there is always something new to explore.  Brewing ...

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Removable and Reusable Labels for Home Brew Bottles

Friday, October 5th, 2012

The other day I realized, my home brew bottles are naked! They don't have fancy labels like all those commercial beers do... I hope they don't feel embarrassed when I take them to a friend's house. I'm lazy and just write one or two identifying letters on the cap with a sharpie. H = Hefe, PA ...

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Homebrew Summer Shandy

Saturday, September 1st, 2012

For a refreshing twist on home brew, try something called a shandy - beer mixed with lemonade, ginger ale, etc. It has been a blistering summer where we live. I was over at a friend’s house recently. She pulled out a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy out of the fridge and poured me one. ...

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Big Hops Climbing the Shed

Saturday, August 11th, 2012

The hops are really climbing up the shed! Chinook and Fuggle are growing the best in the middle. Only two year old vines, I'm pleased and can't wait to brew! Next year a trellis is going up to keep the hops off the siding. It will look nicer, and be better ...

Posted in Fun, Hops Growing | 5 Comments »

Beer Drinking is a Skill

Saturday, March 24th, 2012

For fun we just posted a tasting sheet we started using around here at parties. This tasting sheet is designed for all skill levels of beer drinkers. YES friends, beer drinking is a SKILL. Guzzling beer is even a skill in certain international sports, as featured and proven in the ...

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The Beer Tool – Cool Bottle Opener

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

When I saw this bottle opener I thought, dang, that is a cool idea! Quote from the product: Like most great ideas, the Beer Tool came out of a problem. Being tired of having to use the wife's bottle opener to crack a cold one the decision was made to come up ...

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Brew Shed Complete and Brewing

Sunday, August 14th, 2011

The brew shed is looking good in time for the rains to return. It is a relief to have it done (at least on the outside). All it needs is interior trim. Slowly but surely all the equipment is migrating out there. The best part is the brewery is now operational. ...

Posted in Equipment, Fun | 12 Comments »