Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.3, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Brewer's Friend Brewer's Friend is a complete homebrew beer recipe designer with brewing calculators, brew day planner, journal & more. Helping you brew your best, every time! ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.brewersfriend.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Home Brew Blog](https://www.brewersfriend.com/blog/) - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - July 2, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/07/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-july-2-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 American Wheat Beer 6 American IPA 2 Irish Red Ale 7 Munich Helles 3 Märzen 8 American Pale Ale 4 American Lager 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - June 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/06/14/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-june-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics Accurate Description Controversy: Hefeweizen Phenols are NOT Cloveby Mont Y. Märzen with 36 posts this monthLook, I get this style has been made for well over 500 years. I'm not arguing with German brewers. But I can't for the life of me figure out how they think that the phenols in this - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - June 2, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/06/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-june-2-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Weissbier 6 International Pale Lager 2 Saison 7 Cream Ale 3 American Lager 8 German Pilsner (Pils) 4 Blonde Ale 9 Specialty IPA: - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - May 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/05/14/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-may-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics Poll how many step mashby Brew Cat with 21 posts this monthJust wondering how many people step mash and why 4th Attempt at Pale Aleby Mike at Bay with 26 posts this monthHi all......this was my 4th attempt at a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone (in a row)........Attempted 4 times to get - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - May 2, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/05/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-may-2-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 English IPA 6 Kölsch 2 American Light Lager 7 Blonde Ale 3 Fruit Beer 8 Witbier 4 American Amber Ale 9 Specialty IPA: - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - May 1, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/04/30/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-may-1-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 English IPA 6 Kölsch 2 American Light Lager 7 Blonde Ale 3 Fruit Beer 8 Witbier 4 American Amber Ale 9 Specialty IPA: - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - April 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/04/16/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-april-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics FG variationsby deeJay with 29 posts this monthHi all, I do no chill double batches, 23L into plastic cubes x 2.Recently I have been getting big variations on final gravity from the same batch, mostly over attenuating, same temps and yeast, (... Over carbonated kegby Brewer #450121 with 28 posts this monthI - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - April 1, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/04/02/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-april-1-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 American Wheat Beer 6 International Pale Lager 2 Strong Bitter 7 American IPA 3 Cream Ale 8 Munich Helles 4 German Pils 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - March 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/03/23/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-march-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics Fan of FULLER´S ESBby JVi with 47 posts this monthLike topic states but i am not fan of what that cost for me per 0.5l bottle and like to try it someday in near future.Found 2 different BYO recipes for this bitter but reading those raised set of ... Gelatin, BioFine or - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - March 1, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/03/03/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-march-1-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 English IPA 6 Irish Stout 2 Witbier 7 Irish Red Ale 3 Saison 8 Weissbier 4 Cream Ale 9 American Light Lager 5 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - February 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/02/18/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-february-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics What to do with used malt?by Zitooo with 15 posts this monthI've put my first batches in the garden compost but realized there's a risk that the wild boars in the forest will come to eat them. What do you usually do with your used malt?Is it good food for ... No - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - February 1, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/02/03/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-february-1-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 German Pilsner (Pils) 6 Cream Ale 2 British Golden Ale 7 American IPA 3 American Brown Ale 8 Munich Helles 4 Weissbier 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - January 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/01/21/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-january-2026/) - Most Discussed Topics Dry Hop/Late Hop in a Sanitized Bag or Dump in Keg? Hop Spiders?by Mike at Bay with 32 posts this monthI am trying to get more clarity in some of my beers. Wondering what consensus is on Hops added open to the kettle or a spider? Also Dry hop adds...should I use - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - January 1, 2026](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2026/01/06/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-january-1-2026/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 German Pils 6 Best Bitter 2 Irish Red Ale 7 International Pale Lager 3 Witbier 8 Blonde Ale 4 American Light Lager 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - December 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/12/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-december-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Joys / challenges of winter beer brewing in the Midwestby JWR_12 with 30 posts this monthHi everyone,Thank you for your advice on various matters. Here's another one. After the big winter storm, it's been frozen here in Illinois, and it looks like things will stay beneath freezing fo... My batch starts/tastes perfect, - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - December 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/12/02/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-december-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Belgian Tripel 6 Weissbier 2 German Pilsner (Pils) 7 Irish Red Ale 3 Munich Helles 8 Cream Ale 4 American Light Lager 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - November 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/11/17/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-november-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Maltsters .by Lowlyric with 33 posts this monthMost of the recipes I see have specific brands of malts. Is it More of what they can get or do flavor profiles from different maltsters make that much difference? I would imagine business brands a... Brewing "non alcohol" or n/a beerby Dave Y with - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - November 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/11/03/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-november-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Imperial Stout 6 Russian Imperial Stout 2 Oatmeal Stout 7 American Stout 3 Vienna Lager 8 Strong Bitter 4 Sweet Stout 9 American - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - October 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/10/16/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-october-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Questions, and more questionsby Hman1962 with 24 posts this monthHello everyone. I got into home brewing this past February. So far, I have brewed 8 batches of beer. I know more now, than when I first started but there is a lot I need to learn. I have some quest... Permanent Vacationby - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - October 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/10/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-october-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Sweet Stout 6 American Porter 2 Munich Dunkel 7 American Stout 3 Best Bitter 8 American Amber Ale 4 Witbier 9 German Pilsner - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - September 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/09/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-september-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics A day earlyby Steve Ruch with 21 posts this month[ATTACH type="full"]32904[/ATTACH] Sparge temperature of 180F for a wheat beer?by Brewer #457364 with 9 posts this monthHi - I am about to brew an Allagash Wheat beer and the recipe says that after a 60 minute infusion mash, there's a 10 minute sparge - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - September 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/09/03/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-september-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 American Stout 6 Imperial Stout 2 Specialty IPA: Black IPA 7 Best Bitter 3 American Porter 8 Blonde Ale 4 American Brown Ale - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - August 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/08/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-august-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics What do yo pay for a pintby Brew Cat with 19 posts this monthWell I don't buy beer much but when I do go out it's hard to get a craft for less than $8 I've paid as much as $10. Which sickens me. Even at breweries it seems like $8. Shouldn't - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - August 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/08/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-august-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Festbier 6 Irish Red Ale 2 Märzen 7 American Lager 3 American Light Lager 8 International Pale Lager 4 Munich Helles 9 American - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - July 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/07/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-july-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Floating Diptubes?by Yooper with 16 posts this monthI am finally putting together a floating diptube for fermenting in a keg. I wish I had a 10 gallon keg so I could start with 5.5 gallons and then use the floating diptube to transfer. I have thi... Low oxygenation, high diacetilby Mastoras007 with - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - July 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/07/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-july-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Märzen 6 International Pale Lager 2 Imperial Stout 7 Specialty IPA: New England IPA 3 German Pilsner (Pils) 8 American Light Lager 4 American - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - June 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/06/16/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-june-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Mashing over two days - adding fresh wort to ongoing fermentationby Enskede Brewery with 15 posts this monthHi brewers.I am planning a 50L batch of beer in a couple weeks time but my Braumeister/Brewmaster system is only for 25L, so I need to mash two times. However, my only time to brew - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - June 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/06/02/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-june-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Double IPA 6 Weissbier 2 Berliner Weisse 7 Munich Helles 3 American Amber Ale 8 German Pilsner (Pils) 4 Kölsch 9 American Wheat - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - May 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/05/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-may-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Electric All In One Died - What's Next?by Chip99 with 27 posts this monthGot my system (Hancock Brewing) on Amazon October 2024. After a dozen or so brews I thought I really had this system figured out. Hitting SG's all the time. Efficiency WAY up. Died on me today ... Anyone know - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - May 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/05/02/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-may-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Imperial Stout 6 Specialty IPA: New England IPA 2 Vienna Lager 7 American Pale Ale 3 International Pale Lager 8 American Lager 4 Belgian - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - April 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/04/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-april-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Bitterness aftertasteby Mastoras007 with 51 posts this monthHello everyone So I'm using Magnum for my bitterness last 4-5 batches I have this aftertaste of bitterness that i don't like it.. i want to remove Recipe was 85% pale 2 row, 5% carapils 5% caram... Finally hit my numbersby Chip99 with 34 posts - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - April 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/04/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-april-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Märzen 6 Munich Helles 2 Weissbier 7 American Wheat Beer 3 English IPA 8 American Light Lager 4 Witbier 9 Cream Ale 5 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - March 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/03/24/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-march-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Late to the Tilt partyby J A with 24 posts this monthI've never used nor been particularly eager to use the Tilt devices. Part of it has always been the price. Also since I've used stainless conical fermenters almost exclusively, taking gravity sampl... Propane Burner To Boil Wortby JoshuaGates with 11 posts - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - March 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/03/03/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-march-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Irish Stout 6 Witbier 2 German Pils 7 Irish Red Ale 3 Munich Helles 8 American IPA 4 Belgian Tripel 9 Strong Bitter - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - February 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/02/18/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-february-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Graduating to your own all grain recipes...by Chip99 with 23 posts this monthSo I have had half dozen successful brews with all grain kits. I'm using an all in one system which works really well with or without a bag. I sparge with a cooler and normally 3 gallons of 170 d... - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - February 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/02/05/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-february-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Irish Stout 6 Saison 2 Irish Red Ale 7 Weissbier 3 Belgian Tripel 8 Dry Stout 4 American Wheat Beer 9 Cream Ale - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - January 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/01/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-january-2025/) - Most Discussed Topics Snowpocalyse!by Minbari with 60 posts this monthAnyone else get snowed in? Everyone in my family is stuck in the driveway, except me. :D[ATTACH type="full"]31138[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]31137[/ATTACH] Happy New Yearby Ozarks Mountain Brewery with 9 posts this month[ATTACH type="full"]31085[/ATTACH] Dark Wortby Brewer #447148 with 11 posts this monthI just signed up, I know this - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - January 1, 2025](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2025/01/06/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-january-1-2025/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 German Pilsner (Pils) 6 Munich Helles 2 American Light Lager 7 Cream Ale 3 Double IPA 8 International Pale Lager 4 Oatmeal Stout - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - December 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/12/16/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-december-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics How much did you brew in 2024by Josh Hughes with 23 posts this month[ATTACH type="full"]30888[/ATTACH] Anyone use a carboy harness?by Beerbelly with 12 posts this monthPros? Cons? I'm not getting any younger, if you know what I mean.... G'Day from the Gold Coastby SmokinAussie with 16 posts this monthHi Fella's Just joined - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - December 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/12/09/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-december-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Dry Stout 6 Belgian Tripel 2 Vienna Lager 7 Best Bitter 3 American Light Lager 8 English IPA 4 Fruit Beer 9 Munich - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - November 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/11/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-november-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics Star San contaminationby Cruyf with 22 posts this monthI am sure I am not the first to have this happen, but I have a 3 gallon fermenter of stout and when I went to move the blowoff tube and did not see that for some reason it was filled with Star San - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - November 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/11/05/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-november-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Irish Red Ale 6 Cream Ale 2 Sweet Stout 7 American Stout 3 Oatmeal Stout 8 Belgian Dark Strong Ale 4 Imperial Stout - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - October 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/10/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-october-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics my little breweryby Brews Bros with 21 posts this monthhello guys, some picture of my place, and my morning brew a SMaSH Pale Ale Citra...have a great day all[ATTACH type="full"]30501[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]30499[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]30500... Placement of CO2 tank???by cosmo65 with 15 posts this monthI built a keezer a couple of years ago and I - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - October 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/10/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-october-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 American Porter 6 American Amber Ale 2 Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer 7 American Brown Ale 3 Oatmeal Stout 8 Imperial Stout 4 Best - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - September 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/09/19/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-september-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics 2024 4th Quarter recipeby Donoroto with 23 posts this monthIn tonight's Zoom call, Josh selected [USER=5014]@Yooper[/USER] as the brewer of the quarter.So, we'll await her response: What should we all brew this quarter?Stand by...[ATTACH type="full"]3... First medalby Box of Rocks with 11 posts this monthJust found out my Mango Lambic-style sour beer - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - September 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/09/02/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-september-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Munich Dunkel 6 Munich Helles 2 Belgian Tripel 7 Czech Premium Pale Lager 3 German Pils 8 American Stout 4 Märzen 9 German - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - August 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/08/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-august-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics Boiling 90 Minutes recipeby Mastoras007 with 38 posts this monthHello,I'm going to brew this recipe [URL]https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/209608/heineken-lager-clone[/URL]it says boil 90 minutes, i'm thinging to boil 60 minutes as i do norma... Problems with online brewing suppliesby Brewer #331949 with 15 posts this monthHello all, I placed an order with an online brewstore on - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - August 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/08/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-august-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Festbier 6 Irish Red Ale 2 Märzen 7 American Amber Ale 3 American Stout 8 Cream Ale 4 Imperial Stout 9 German Pils - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - July 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/07/15/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-july-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics Extract to startby Steve Ruch with 10 posts this monthWhich of you started brewing with extract and moved to all-grain and who stayed with extract? Basement brewery ventilationby philjohnwilliams with 41 posts this monthI'm getting ready to make the switch from brewing with propane outdoors to electric brewing in my basement. I'll - [What's Brewing at Brewer's Friend - July 1, 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/07/01/whats-brewing-at-brewers-friend-july-1-2024/) - Here's a look at what's been happening at Brewer's Friend over the past month. Check out the latest and greatest recipes, styles, ingredients, and more. Trending Styles 1 Oatmeal Stout 6 American Pale Ale 2 Weissbier 7 Berliner Weisse 3 Czech Premium Pale Lager 8 Witbier 4 German Pilsner (Pils) 9 - [Fresh Brew: Your Monthly Digest of Top Forum Discussions - June 2024](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2024/06/24/fresh-brew-your-monthly-digest-of-top-forum-discussions-june-2024/) - Most Discussed Topics Five gallons? by Steve Ruch with 22 posts this month Five gallon batches are considered the norm. What size does everyone actually brew? First All-Grain (BIAB) Recipe - SMaSH Pale Ale by Brewer #430359 with 60 posts this month As the title says, a friend and I are going to brew our - [Check out our New Features on our Changelog!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2019/04/02/check-out-our-new-features-on-our-changelog/) - A complete list of our newest updates, features, and fixes. - [Equipment for Starting with Ales](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/06/21/inventory-of-brewing-equipment-for-starting-out-with-ales/) - Here is an inventory of essential brewing equipment you will need for your first batch. With this setup you can only brew one batch at a time. This is about as 'tight' as you can get. Many of the items can be found used if you have the time to bargain hunt. The cost of - [FREE Brewer's Friend Windows Program](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/04/13/free-brewers-friend-windows-program/) - 2022 Update: Unfortunately, the Windows version of Brewer's Friend is no longer available as it didn't offer the accuracy or features that we offer in the web version. Please give the full featured online recipe builder a try. We are pleased to announce the release of the Brewer's Friend Windows App! Free Brewer's Friend Windows - [Better Faster Cheaper Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/08/17/better-faster-cheaper-beer/) - Brewer's are always on the lookout for a killer recipe, a brew day improvement, or a way to take their brewing to the next level. When we taste a good quality micro brew, we say to ourselves: "I could brew that... but first I'd make a few changes...". Home brewers are self sufficient, determined, creative - [How to Brew - By John Palmer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/12/18/how-to-brew-by-john-palmer/) - How to Brew - By John Palmer Everything You Need To Know To Brew Beer Right The First Time This is the book to own for home brewing. I found it especially useful after I had done a few extract batches and was looking to go into the all-grain realm. The book goes into a - [Making Sense of Efficiency Definitions](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/11/30/making-sense-of-efficiency-definitions/) - When using brewing calculators like Brewer's Friend brewers are inadvertently confronted with the concept of efficiency. While efficiency is an important tool in making the brewing process more predictable, there exists a lot of confusion around various definitions for efficiency. Let me clear up most of them. In brewing, just like in any other field, - [Yeast Pitch Rates Explained](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/11/07/yeast-pitch-rates-explained/) - To make high quality beer consistently, understanding your yeast pitching rate is important. In fact, this may be the key to taking your beer to the next level. It turns out that liquid yeast manufacturers give you barely enough to get by, which we explain in detail below. The yeast pitching rate describes how much - [Barrel-Aging Beer: Stout and Saison](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/09/30/barrel-aging-beer-stout-and-saison/) - Advanced Brewing Series By Jim Vondracek In past centuries, all beers were fermented and sometimes aged in wood. Today, brewers seek to add complexity to beers, layering flavors and aromas, by aging beers in barrels. Some of these beers are the most sought-after commercial beers on the market - ‘whales’ - and breweries make a - [Controlling Fermentation Temperature with a Fermentation Chamber](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/10/08/controlling-fermentation-temperature-with-a-fermentation-chamber/) - Controlling fermentation temperature is a key factor in making repeatable high quality beer. You’ll be amazed at how much your beer will improve by focusing on consistent fermentation temperature, and a related component the yeast pitching rate. Yeast give off different flavor profiles depending on the temperature the fermentation takes place at. Consider US-05, a - [Brewing Water Basics Part 2](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/11/19/brewing-water-basics-part-2/) - For some of us, the biggest challenge is dealing with brewing water is high alkalinity in the water. For a moderate amount of... - [Leah Dienes of Apocalypse Brew Works](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/08/06/leah-dienes-of-apocalypse-brew-works/) - Leah Dienes brewmaster at Apocalypse Brew Works, transition from homebrewer to pro brewer, how to homebrew a smoked hefeweizen - [Ensuring Success With Your First Lagers](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/03/20/ensuring-success-with-your-first-lagers/) - Brewing your first lager can be intimidating. Breaking down the process into easy-to-tackle steps ensures your first lager goes off without a hitch. - [Returning to Homebrew Competitions](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/07/06/returning-to-homebrew-competitions/) - Returning to Homebrew Competitions after the pandemic. Beer Judge Certification Program BJCP judging at the 2021 IBU Open at Confluence Brewing in Des Moines. - [How to Use Chocolate in Your Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/04/09/how-to-use-chocolate-in-your-beer/) - Adding chocolate to your beer is one of the easiest ways to elevate your beer's flavor. You can bring out more chocolate flavors in a base recipe or build... - [Beer Styles Series: Belgian Golden Strong](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/06/14/beer-styles-series-belgian-golden-strong/) - How to brew the Belgian Golden Strong beer style, including a history of the style, its characteristics, brewing tips, and a recipe for homebrewers. - [Homebrewing Your First Extract Batch](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/05/29/homebrewing-your-first-extract-batch/) - Learn to homebrew your first malt extract batch with step-by-step instructions on how to make a sweet stout. Recipe on Brewer's Friend is included. - [Money Saving Tips – Repitching Yeast](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/11/26/money-saving-tips-repitching-yeast/) - Update 11/12/2011: Check out the article on Bad Batches to see why you might want to avoid re-pitching yeast, or if you do so, make sure to understand the risks involved. Did you know you can save ~10% on your next batch of home brew by re-pitching yeast? Some brewers buy new yeast for each batch. That - [Ingredient Series: Gene-Edited Beer Yeast](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/05/13/ingredient-series-gene-edited-yeast/) - Homebrewers use their creativity, building recipes and brewing processes using new or novel brewing ingredients, like Omega Yeast's gene-edited beer yeast. - [Rebooting](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/04/03/rebooting/) - by Jim Vondracek This spring, the Brewer’s Friend blog is rebooting, to augment the resources and tools the site offers homebrewers. We will be posting new content for brewers weekly. Initially, our content will focus on six areas: Styles - an indepth look at a particular style, including one or two recipesIngredients - a look - [Beer Styles Series: Maibock or Helles Bock](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2021/04/05/beer-styles-series-maibock-or-helles-bock/) - by Jim Vondracek Today, we’re taking a deep dive into a seasonal style - the traditional Maibock, now called the Helles Bock in the latest BJCP style guidelines. Seasonal brewing with beers like the Helles Bock can be great fun, as homebrewers establish their own traditions or follow historical patterns that may be hundreds of - [A Discussion With John Compton - Highway Manor Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/09/29/a-discussion-with-john-compton-highway-manor-brewing/) - His parents were religious folk and were not crazy about the idea but if it keeps him out of trouble then it seemed worthwhile. The book that... - [Priming Sugar 101: How To, How Much, and When To Use?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/09/24/priming-sugar-101-how-to-how-much-and-when-to-use/) - How to prime your beer and get it ready to drink using priming sugar. - [10 Beginner-Friendly Beer Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/08/28/10-beginner-friendly-beer-recipes/) - This collection of simple beer recipes will have you on your feet in no time. Most of these beginner homebrew recipes require less equipment than - [Gose Beer - History, Style, And Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/06/18/gose-beer-history-style-recipes/) - Gose-style beer was first brewed more than a thousand years ago in a small town called Goslar in northern central Germany. The original Goslar beer... - [Fermentation Temperature Controllers](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/05/14/fermentation-temperature-controllers/) - This article shows the range of methods to control fermentation temperature, from the simple and inexpensive to the complicated and pricey. - [6 Hops That Can Make an Impact Next Brew Day](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2020/03/03/6-hops-that-can-make-an-impact-next-brew-day/) - Hops come in several forms, and are one of the key ingredients needed in brewing. Here are 6 hops that can make an impact on your beer on your next brew day. - [Brewer's Friend Is Looking For Writers!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2019/12/05/brewers-friend-is-looking-for-writers/) - Brewer’s Friend is looking for passionate homebrewers who are interested in sharing their knowledge with the community in the form of articles for our blog section. The topics we’re looking to cover span a wide range of skill levels and subject matter. They will be technical in nature. Writers will be able to choose from - [Pre-Order Your Brewer's Friend T-Shirt - First T-Shirt Ever!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2019/01/24/pre-order-your-brewerss-friend-t-shirt-first-t-shirt-ever/) - For the first time ever we will be offering a run of BrewersFriend.com t-shirts! Pre-order now! We will accept pre-orders until March 31st, 2019, then print the t-shirts and ship in the weeks after that. These shirts are awesome! Next Level brand, 60% cotton/40% polyester. They are incredibly comfortable and very soft with a solid - [Import your Brewtoad files into Brewer's Friend- Quickly and Easily!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2019/01/08/import-your-brewtoad-files-into-brewers-friend-quickly-and-easily/) - Exporting recipes from Brewtoad, or any type of *.xml file, and into Brewer's Friend is simple and straightforward. When you are on the Brewtoad website, you can export the recipes one at a time easily. However, that could be very tedious, so you could try using this technique for exporting all of them found on - [Migrating Your Recipes from Beersmith To Brewer's Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2018/12/19/migrating-your-recipes-from-beersmith-to-brewers-friend/) - Import Beersmith recipe files into Brewer's Friend quickly and easily. - [New Brewing for Beginners Tutorial Available Now!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2018/12/04/new-brewing-for-beginners-tutorial-available-now/) - Have you wanted to homebrew, but never knew where to start? Or have a friend who does? Designed for beginners, this illustrated article can help you, from choosing the equipment you will need as well as give you step-by-step directions through the brewing and fermenting process. Check it out now! - [A Brief History and Look at Future Trends in US Craft Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2018/02/17/a-brief-history-and-look-at-future-trends-in-us-craft-beer/) - Some Big trends that 2017 saw: sour Beers, dry hopped wild beers, fruity/juicy IPAs, New England IPAs, and milk in everything. Even though people have... - [Brewing Water Basics - Putting it All Together](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2018/02/13/brewing-water-basics-putting-it-all-together/) - An overview of parts one and two. Brewing Water Basics part 3 covers both mineral additions and dealing with water alkalinity... - [Brewing Water Basics - Part 1](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/11/19/brewing-water-basics-part-1/) - brewing water seems like a complicated step to the brewing process. It can be simplified, at first, to make it more approachable. Brewing water is one... - [Aspects of Brewing a Wheat Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/10/23/aspects-brewing-wheat-beer/) - Brewing with Wheat isn't all about hefeweizens. A wheat beer can be many things and there is a lot you can do with wheat in homebrewing. Let's look at some... - [Tailgating and Homebrew: Two Essential Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/10/01/tailgating-and-homebrew-two-essential-recipes/) - Football season is ramping up, and that means tailgating season is in full swing. Bring some crowd-pleasing homebrewed beer to your next tailgate with... - [Beer Styles - SRM Color Chart - 2017 Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/05/07/beer-styles-srm-color-chart-2017-update/) - We've updated our popular SRM Color Charts with the latest BJCP beer styles. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their SRM colors in bar graph format. SRM stands for ‘Standard Reference Method’, a scale devised by scientists to describe how light or dark a beer is. Ranges of Color (SRM) by Style Loading - [Beer Styles - Original Gravity and Final Gravity Chart - 2017 Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/05/07/beer-styles-original-gravity-and-final-gravity-chart-2017-update/) - We've updated our popular OG/FG Range Graphs with the latest BJCP beer styles. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their original gravity (OG) and final gravity (FG) ranges in bar graph format. Original gravity (OG) measures how much sugar is present in the wort before it is fermented. The final gravity (FG) is - [Beer Styles - IBU Chart (Bitterness Ranges) - 2017 Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/05/07/beer-styles-ibu-chart-2017-update/) - We've updated our popular Bitterness Range Graphs with the latest BJCP beer styles. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their international bittering unit (IBU) ranges in bar graph format. Ranges of Bitterness (IBU) by Style Loading chart. Please wait… Data for these charts come from the the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). - [Beer Styles – ABV Chart (Alcohol By Volume Ranges) - 2017 Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/05/07/beer-styles-abv-chart-alcohol-by-volume-ranges-2017-update/) - We've updated our popular Alcohol Range Graphs with the latest BJCP beer styles. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their alcohol by volume (ABV) ranges in bar graph format. Ranges of Alcohol by Volume (ABV) by Style Loading chart. Please wait… Data for these charts come from the the Beer Judge Certification Program - [Beer Styles - Alcohol By Volume Bar Graph](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/04/beer-styles-alcohol-by-volume-bar-graph/) - NOTE: This chart has been updated with the latest BJCP style guidelines; please see the new chart here: Beer Styles – ABV Chart (Alcohol By Volume Ranges) – 2017 Update Beer comes in a wide range of alcohol content. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their alcohol by volume (ABV) in bar graph - [Beer Styles - IBU Chart Graph (Bitterness Range)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/24/beer-styles-ibu-chart-graph-bitterness-range/) - NOTE: This chart has been updated with the latest BJCP style guidelines; please see the new chart here: Beer Styles – IBU Chart (Bitterness Ranges) – 2017 Update Beer comes in a wide range of bitterness. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their international bittering unit (IBU) ranges in bar graph format. Data - [Beer Styles - Original Gravity and Final Gravity Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/04/beer-styles-original-gravity-and-final-gravity-chart/) - NOTE: This chart has been updated with the latest BJCP style guidelines; please see the new chart here: Beer Styles – Original Gravity and Final Gravity Chart – 2017 Update Beer comes in a wide range of malt/hop flavor balance and alcohol level. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their original gravity and - [Beer Styles - SRM Color Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/28/beer-styles-srm-color-chart/) - NOTE: This chart has been updated with the latest BJCP style guidelines; please see the new chart here: Beer Styles – SRM Color Chart – 2017 Update Beer comes in a wide range of colors, from yellow golden to amber to opaque black. This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their SRM colors in - [Improved Calculations for First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/04/20/improved-calculations-for-first-wort-hopping/) - We've heard lots of feedback on the way Brewer's Friend deals with First Wort Hops and today we're rolling out some updates to the Recipe Builder, offering better calculations for First Wort additions. For details on what First Wort Hopping (FWH) is, check out our FAQ and original blog post here: https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/#firstworthops https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/ How did - [StirStarter Equipment Review](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/01/02/stirstarter-equipment-review/) - An essential tool in the home brewer's kit is a stir plate. Using a stir plate with a yeast starter boosts yeast cell counts dramatically*. This leads to healthier fermentation, and thus better beer! I recall using a stir plate in chemistry lab. In that case it was a hot plate and stir plate combined. - [Stir Plates and Growing Brewing Yeast Quickly](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/10/25/stir-plates-and-growing-brewing-yeast-quickly/) - Creating a simple yeast starter as outlined here at brewersfriend.com will greatly increase your yeast cell count, but there is a way to easily supercharge this process. By using a stir plate you will be able to grow nearly 100% more yeast cells using the same volume of starter in the same amount of time. - [Android App Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/02/20/android-app-updates/) - It's been a LONG time coming, but we're excited to announce that we've updated our Android app! It was very overdue for some improvements, so we started by fixing some of the more serious issues, including: Fixes for crashing bugs Better, more reliable recipe syncing with the cloud General stability improvements We also brought it - [iPhone App Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2017/02/03/iphone-app-updates/) - We have good news for you mobile brewers out there today: we've released a new version of our iPhone app which is rolling out today. The new version addresses a few important additions and fixes including: BJCP 2015 Styles - Yes; we're finally catching up to 2015! :) The addition of the new BJCP styles - [Searchable Fermentables on the Recipe Builder](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2016/06/07/searchable-fermentables-on-the-recipe-builder/) - It's been a busy few weeks here at Brewer's Friend, but we have another feature we'd like to announce. The recipe builder is the core and most important tool we have here and we take feedback and ideas on it to heart. We've continually gotten requests to provide the ability to search for fermentable ingredients - [Facelift & Instant Recipe Ordering](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2016/06/01/facelift-instant-recipe-ordering/) - We’re really excited to share two of our largest announcements ever! Read on for details on how we’re improving the Brewer’s Friend website and making it more convenient to brew your best beer. First, a facelift… As you all know, the Brewer’s Friend website has always had a quirky look and feel that seemed - [Brewer’s Friend News and Recipe Giveaway!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2016/04/20/brewers-friend-news-and-recipe-giveaway/) - Hey there Brewers! In this edition of the Brewer’s Friend Newsletter, we have a special announcement in addition to covering some of the latest features and additions to the site. So grab a beer and let’s check out what’s new. New Features and Improvements We’re always working to improve our calculators, recipe builder, and apps, - [New Brewer’s Friend Features and New Membership Options](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2016/02/25/new-brewers-friend-features-and-new-membership-options/) - Hi Fellow Brewers! Our team at Brewer’s Friend has been hard at work improving our brewing tools and we’d like to share some of our progress and a few changes to the site and subscriptions. First, an update on our community and content: Brewer’s Friend now has 60,000 brewers using our recipe builder, forum, and - [Brewer's Friend Windows App Updated](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2016/01/04/brewers-friend-windows-app-updated/) - Last week we released a new update to the Free Brewer's Friend Windows application. This update fixes a bug that was causing an error in the way that recipes would calculate original gravity. You can download the latest version of the app here: Free Brewer's Friend Window App For those of you that haven't tried - [2015 BJCP Style Guidelines Now Live on Brewer's Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/11/05/2015-bjcp-style-guidelines-now-live-on-brewers-friend/) - We're pleased to announce that we now have support for the 2015 BJCP style guidelines on Brewer's Friend starting today. Here is the set of styles that's included in the update: https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf Since the styles are quite different from the previous set, we decided it would be best to not automatically modify existing recipes. - [Brewer's Friend Recipe of the Week!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/08/12/brewers-friend-recipe-of-the-week/) - We've started a new feature on Brewer's Friend, Recipe of the Week! - [New Brewer's Friend Android Apps!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/06/12/new-brewers-friend-android-apps/) - Fellow Brewers, We’re very excited to announce that we’ve released 2 new Brewer’s Friend apps for Android! Brewer’s Friend Premium Our full-featured recipe builder, brewing calculators, brew session manager, etc. Sync your recipes with the cloud and your BrewersFriend.com account. Unlimited recipes and brew sessions so you can make unlimited delicious beer. Brewer’s Friend Free - [New Recipe Bulk Export (Backup) Ability](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/04/08/new-recipe-bulk-export-backup-ability/) - Hey everyone, we have just added the ability to export all of your recipes into a zip file in either xml or html format. Just go to the "Beer Recipes" menu while logged in and you can choose from "Export BeerXML" or "Export HTML" to use the new feature! This should be helpful for anyone - [New Friend Following Feature](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/03/13/new-friend-following-feature-2/) - Hello everyone, we are pleased to announce that a new feature has been added with the ability to "follow" other brewers. The follow link is on each profile page (if it is set as a public profile) and whoever you follow will appear on your 'My Friends' area of the dashboard with some of their - [Have Your Way with Brewer’s Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/03/12/have-your-way-with-brewers-friend/) - We’ve been working as fast as we can lately to build and fix all the great features that you, the Brewer’s Friend community, have sent our way. We’d like to take a moment to really open things up and see what you all are thinking and what would make your brewing experience even better. We - [Congrats to all the Winners!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/02/09/congrats-to-all-the-winners/) - It's February 9th, and if you've been following our blog or social media accounts you know today marks the end of the first Brewer's Friend giveaway! We asked everyone to go back and update an existing recipe, or create a new recipe using one of our newest features, the addition of images! 231 of you - [This Weeks Newest Features on Brewer's Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/02/03/this-weeks-newest-features-on-brewers-friend/) - It’s been a very busy week behind the scenes of Brewer’s Friend. We've been busy working on a lot of the great ideas and features members have suggested, and some fixes you guys have been waiting on. We also brought on another programmer to help us make some headway. Thanks for helping us make Brewer's - [Brewer's Friend Supporting Membership and More Giveaway!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/01/13/brewers-friend-supporting-membership-and-more-giveaway/) - We're quite happy with the progress we're making into new features, and to help celebrate our newest feature, the ability to add photos to recipes, we're giving away five (5) one year supporting memberships, and 5 (five) Critter Cutter beer bottle openers to five lucky members! Brewer's Friend supporting membership provides you with Unlimited Recipes, - [Add Photos to your Brewer'sFriend Recipes!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2015/01/09/add-photos-to-your-brewersfriend-recipes/) - "Brewing with Total Confidence" is at the heart of all we do and we just added a new feature that will add to that sense of confidence as we all brew better beer. You can now include photos to your Brewer'sFriend recipes! Brewer'sFriend is already the greatest resource online when it comes to recipes, but - [BrewPrint.com and BrewersFriend.com have Merged! ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2014/12/04/brewprint-com-and-brewersfriend-com-have-merged/) - It is with great pride we announce the merging of BrewPrint.com and BrewersFriend.com. What were once two great brewing resources can now be found under one domain, BrewersFriend.com, and this means a lot of great things for our two platforms. First, we are combining the recipes databases to produce one of the largest collections of - [Yeast Pitch Calculator for iOS 7 launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/11/08/yeast-pitch-calculator-for-ios-7-launched/) - Our popular Yeast Pitch Calculator is now available in the App Store for iOS7! This is a port of our popular web based Yeast Pitch Calculator, now available for iPhone iOS7. Pitch your yeast like the pro's do with this easy to use calculator that supports dry yeast, liquid yeast, slurry, and starters. Calculates liquid - [Q&A session with brewing author Stan Hieronymus ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/10/27/qa-session-with-brewing-author-stan-hieronymus/) - After reading and reviewing For the Love of Hops, I had some follow up thoughts. Stan Hieronymus was very nice in replying to all my questions promptly in this interview style blog post. Stan has authored several books on beer and home brewing and runs an informative beer brewing blog. He can be found on - [September 2013 Release Live - Inventory and shopping list updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/09/27/september-2013-release-live-inventory-and-shopping-list-updates/) - This month we tuned up the inventory and shopping list features so the data flows more smoothly and gives more flexibility at the same time. This was based on user feedback in the feature request forum - thank you for the input! Recipe Tools -> Add To Shopping List improved: The Add Recipe to Shopping - [Book Review - For the Love of Hops](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/09/18/book-review-for-the-love-of-hops/) - Great book about hops. I learned something every page. Made my mouth water at times… Covers the entire range of hop related topics, from hops breeding, to farming, to drying and packaging, to brewing techniques, and even the complex sensory perception that is the enjoyment of a hoppy beer. For The Love of Hops: The - [Drying Hops Using a Food Dehydrator - Great Results](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/09/06/drying-hops-using-a-food-dehydrator-great-results/) - This year for drying my home grown hops I commandeered the household food dehydrator. It works like a charm. Makes the shed smell AMAZING!!! In previous years I used a window screen and box fan but I don't see myself going back to that. The window screen and fan approach can take days and days to finish - [August 2013 Release Live](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/08/30/august-2013-release-live/) - Multiple equipment profiles supported, new yeasts added, updates to extract/partial mash calculations and more. Multiple Equipment Profiles: The system now supports up to 5 equipment profiles under each account. To manage your equipment profiles click the gear icon in the upper right and then on Equipment Profiles. The equipment profile is used by the water - [Dude Your Beer Line Stinks! Wash It Out!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/08/16/dude-your-beer-line-stinks-wash-it-out/) - Every so often beer lines need to be cleaned. They can get so dirty the poured beer will smell and taste funny. This is a normal issue that all home brewers, bars, and restaurants have to contend with. The off colored crystalline sediment is officially known as beer stone (Calcium Oxalate). It builds up over - [Hops Trellis Ideas](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/08/02/hops-trellis-ideas/) - There are no rules when it comes to hop trellis design. The higher the hops can climb the better, up to 18 feet, but even 8-10 feet off the ground is okay. The important thing is to make sure the hops have as much sunlight as possible. Give the vines something to climb up as - [July 2013 Release Notes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/07/25/july-2013-release-notes/) - The July 2013 release is live. Hop stand support, gyle/krausen priming calculator, starting mash thickness field, and many other refinements are in this release. Along with changes to the cloud application this month our iPhone app was just updated to version 1.5 and is available in the app store. Many thanks to those who contributed - [Lifting Carboys and Kegs with a Pulley in the Brew Shed](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/07/12/lifting-carboys-and-kegs-with-a-pulley-in-the-brew-shed/) - Lifting carboys full of beer in and out of keezers can be bad for the lower back. My brew shed is setup with freezer chests for both the fermentation chamber and keezer. Freezer chests require awkward bending and lifting to get carboys and kegs in and out. There is no way to lift with the - [Why Kegging Home Brewed Beer Just Feels Right](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/07/05/why-kegging-home-brewed-beer-just-feels-right/) - Cracking open that first bottle of your own home brew is a satisfying feeling and a great accomplishment. The rush of CO2 as the seal is broken, the anticipation, the smell, and ohh the taste, and mmmm another sip... Along the same lines, your first pour of kegged beer will be equally satisfying. Kegging offers - [April 2013 Release is Live, Refractometer Support, Calories, iPhone 1.2 sync, Lifetime Memberships](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/19/april-2013-release-is-live-refractometer-support-calories-iphone-1-2-sync-lifetime-memberships/) - More cool new features at your disposal. Our mission is to help you brew better beer! Enjoy! Refractometer Support: When used with wort, refractometers readings require adjustment by a wort correction factor, and an additional correction in the presence of alcohol. Our calculators cover all that for you! See our FAQ about the types of gravity scales - [June 2013 Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/06/25/june-2013-updates/) - We got a lot of good features out this month. Recipes and brews can be organized into folders. On the recipe editor the yeast drop down may be sorted by product id, or by name. Nine new yeasts were added. We now accept payments with Stripe (in addition to PayPal). The new brewing report page - [Pro Grade Refractometer Atago PAL-1](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/06/14/pro-grade-refractometer-atago-pal-1/) - The Atago PAL-1 is a professional grade digital refractometer that we got to test out over the past few brew sessions. Compared to my $40 refractometer from Amazon, it is a night and day difference. The PAL-1 is super accurate reading to reading, varying only +/- 0.05 Brix. Contrast that with my cheap-o refractometer which - [Using your Refractometer Correctly for Maximum Accuracy in Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/24/using-your-refractometer-correctly-for-maximum-accuracy-in-home-brewing/) - A refractometer is a nifty brewing instrument that allows a gravity reading to be taken with just a single drop of wort. It beats wasting 6-8 ounces for a hydrometer sample. The drop of wort is spread across a flat lens with a clear plate that snaps down over it and uniformly spreads the fluid. - [Book Review - Booze For Free](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/06/07/book-review-booze-for-free/) - Booze for Free - The Definitive Guide to Making Beer, Wine, Cocktail Bases, Ciders, and Other Drinks at Home - by Andy Hamilton. https://www.amazon.com/Booze-Free-Definitive-Making-Cocktail/dp/0452298806/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1 This book is a fun, quick read with some witty comments by the author. The book is mostly focused on ingredients that can be foraged, like wild herbs, berries, fruits. It includes more - [2013 May Release Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/05/28/2013-may-release-updates/) - May has been a busy month for Brewer’s Friend. The mash calculator tab has new updates. Recipes integrate with the Mash Chemistry and Brewing Water Calculator. The 1.3 version of our iPhone app is live and supports sync of brew sessions and brew logs! We are very happy to get these items knocked out for - [Pre-Prohibition Beer Bottle Lamps - Art, History and it Lights Up!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/05/17/pre-prohibition-beer-bottle-lamps-art-history-and-it-lights-up/) - 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 gives a nice warm amber - [Hops Squeezing and Hops Absorption - More Bitterness Please](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/05/10/hops-squeezing-and-hops-absorption-more-bitterness-please/) - Should we squeeze out the hops bag or not? A recent IPA brew session called for 7 ounces of hops. The recipe is 110 IBU with a lot of late hopping. For this brew, I did not squeeze out the hops bags and left them behind after draining the kettle. I then squeezed out the hops bags - [Alcohol By Volume Calculator Updated](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcohol-by-volume-calculator-updated/) - The Brewer's Friend ABV Calculator was just updated to include not one, but now two formulas for calculating ABV. There are two popular formulas out there for calculating ABV. You can pick the one you prefer for use in your brewing notes. If you don't like math, or don't care that much, just stick - [BRY-97 American West Coast Yeast Review](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/05/24/bry-97-american-west-coast-yeast-review/) - BRY-97 is a relatively new dry yeast on the market released in limited amounts in 2012. Got a pack for the first time late last year. That brew is almost completely gone, and I'm happy with the results, but there were a few surprises! In a nutshell, BRY-97 is NOT your typical Chico strain like US-04, - [Want to know everything about IPAs? Check out this book by Mitch Steele](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/05/03/want-to-know-everything-about-ipas-check-out-this-book-by-mitch-steele/) - IPA Brewing Techniques, Recipes, and the Evolution of the India Pale Ale by Mitch Steele. A great book covering every detail you ever wanted to know about IPA brewing. It starts from the early history of beer all the way through to today’s modern hop bombs like Pliney the Elder. The author is the Brewmaster - [Brewing Water Treatment in 600 Words](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/12/brewing-water-treatment-in-600-words/) - It seems that over the last few years many more home brewers have taken an interest in understanding and modifying their brewing water. And there are good reasons to do so. Depending on the beer that is brewed and the water quality, modifying the brewing water can take a beer from great to excellent. The - [Beer on the Go in PET Bottles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/04/04/beer-on-the-go-in-pet-bottles/) - Check out this nifty method of packaging beer from the keg into light weight plastic bottles. I started kegging after almost 2 years of bottling. I fell in love with the fact that I now had one big "bottle" to clean and sanitize rather than about 50. One of the challenges that emerged after I - [March 2013 Release Live](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/03/22/march-2013-release-live/) - We just deployed some new features that are focused on accuracy and ease of use surrounding water volumes: Volume increases from sugars and extracts are accounted for in the Water Requirements calculation. Did you know that 1 pound of LME adds about 10.6oz of volume and 1 pound of DME adds about 9.4oz of volume? The - [Precision Hydrometer, Cool a New Toy!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/03/08/precision-hydrometer-cool-a-new-toy/) - 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 purpose models meant for - [February Release is Live - iPhone App 1.0, Label Generator, QR Codes, Share Recipe by Link](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/02/21/february-release-is-live-iphone-app-1-0-label-generator-qr-codes-share-recipe-by-link/) - Lots of goodies in the February release: The Brewer’s Friend iPhone app is now available on the App Store! Version 1.0 is out. This initial version supports recipe creation and a basic brew feature with logs. The plan is to build towards feature equivalency with the cloud application (inventory, shopping list, etc) and support data - [Jockey Box Setup For Parties](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/01/11/jockey-box-setup-for-parties/) - 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 I’ve been using a - [Broken Carboy Alert](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/02/07/broken-carboy-alert/) - To everyone who is using glass carboys, you may find this of interest. This is a re-post from a wine maker we know in the area who had some serious trouble with glass carboys breaking lately! ------------------------------------------------- This morning I discovered a small pool of wine underneath a 5 gallon glass carboy I was using - [On the relationship between Plato and specific gravity](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/10/31/on-the-relationship-between-plato-and-specific-gravity/) - One of the most important measurements in brewing is the "sugar" content of wort and, later, beer. Sugar is in parenthesis because what is dissolved in wort is more than just sugar. It's various sugars, proteins, lipids, minerals and trace elements. The professional brewing world refers to this collection of compounds as extract. There is - [January 2013 release is live - Shopping List, Inventory Update, Yeast Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2013/01/15/january-2013-release-is-live-shopping-list-inventory-update-yeast-updates/) - The January 2013 release is live. The My Brewing section got a lot of attention - Shopping List, Inventory Sorting, and My Brewing notes. The Recipe Editor has three new fields: target fermentation temperature, yeast pitch rate, and award winning. The Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator is more tightly integrated with the Recipe Editor, - [Infographic: How Far Will Home Brewing Take You?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/12/21/infographic-how-far-will-home-brewing-take-you/) - 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 can be a way to - [December 2012 Release is Live!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/12/14/december-2012-release-is-live/) - We now support BeerXML import and export! An inventory deduction option is now available when you go to Brew a recipe. We also addressed several items in the Feature Request Forum from fellow brewers. BeerXML: BeerXML is an interchange format for moving recipes between brewing software packages. We support the version 1.0 spec. The 2.0 - [Uinta Wyld Clone - An Excellent Pale Ale With Simcoe and Amarillo](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/12/28/uinta-wyld-clone-an-excellent-pale-ale-with-simcoe-and-amarillo/) - When I first started brewing, I was NOT a fan of hoppy beers. The first year or so I brewed mainly English Southern Browns, Porters, Black Ales, some Belgians, and malty Amber Ales. Like many homebrewers, my tastes in beer began to broaden. Looking at the BJCP styles inspired me to try as many styles - [Unibroue Yeast - Available as Wyeast 3864 Belgian/Canadian Yeast](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/12/07/unibroue-yeast-available-as-wyeast-3864-belgiancanadian-yeast/) - Currently on special release in Q4 of 2012, Wyeast 3864 Belgian/Canadian Yeast comes from a brewery called Unibroue in Canada, and has some distinctive Belgian like properties you might be interested in. Discovering Unibroue: Years before I began to homebrew, we took a trip to Canada. It was a wonderful experience, and a memorable trip. - [Detailed Guide for Cleaning a Better Bottle](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/11/20/detailed-guide-for-cleaning-a-better-bottle/) - A while back I posted about my Better Bottle blowoff setup. During my search for a good blowoff arrangement, I ended up calling the manufacturer of Better Bottles (BBs). The man I spoke with was super helpful and knowledgeable. During that conversation, I decided to ask him about cleaning. The main reason I brought up - [How To Make a Yeast Starter (OG 1.040)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/19/how-to-make-a-yeast-starter-og-1040/) - Creating a simple starter can help assure viability of your yeast prior to brew day, it can also work very effectively to increase the yeast cell count so that you do not under pitch (too few yeast cells) your brew. Under pitching can stress your yeast, impede a healthy fermentation, increase lag time and lead - [October Release Is Live - Plato, Efficiency, and Batch Size Upgrades](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/10/23/october-release-is-live-plato-efficiency-and-batch-size-upgrades/) - The October release at Brewer’s Friend is live! This release targets serious brewers who want accuracy, ease of use, and more rigor in the definition of their recipes and brewing process. We hope you will enjoy tapping into Plato support on the recipe editor, four types of efficiency available in the brew session, and the - [Printable BIAB Checklist Launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/10/09/printable-biab-checklist-launched/) - One of our fellow brewers wrote in awhile ago asking for a printable Brew In A Bag (BIAB) checklist, similar to the current All Grain Printable Checklist, but tailored to BIAB. Here it is: BIAB Brew Day Checklist – Printable list of steps for brewing using the BIAB method. For more information on what BIAB - [Removable and Reusable Labels for Home Brew Bottles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/10/05/removable-and-reusable-labels-for-home-brew-bottles/) - 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 = Pale Ale, S = - [September 2012 Release is Live](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/26/september-2012-release-is-live/) - We just launched a bunch of features! We are proud to say that many of the updates in this release came directly from topics in the feature request forum. In addition, we made a nice improvement to the brew feature so it reports Pre-Boil Efficiency in addition to Brew House Efficiency. We also made some - [Hops Harvest Complete](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/21/hops-harvest-complete/) - The 2012 hops harvest is complete! Everything is packaged and dried. The process is to first harvest the hops by hand picking. You can cut the vines down, but this year I decided to leave them up and use a small step ladder to reach the higher cones. My advice is to only harvest one - [Chain Mail For Cleaning Stainless Steel](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/15/chain-mail-for-cleaning-stainless-steel/) - Yes, that's right! Chain mail has a practical use in the brewery! In addition to brewing, I enjoy cooking. In fact, I see brewing as an extension (a BIG one!) of my cooking. Early this year, one of my favorite cooking magazines - Cook’s Illustrated - reviewed a cleaner for cast iron. It’s called the - [Wildflower Wheat Tasting Notes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/07/wildflower-wheat-tasting-notes/) - I wanted to follow up with some tasting notes on this recipe and blog post. Here’s a photo of a pint - note that the head had fallen in the time it took to pour from my keezer, bring the glass up from the basement, set it down, and snap a photo. Appearance - Pours a - [Draft Beer At Home - Keezer Build With Collar](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/10/16/draft-beer-at-home-keezer-build-with-collar/) - Close your eyes and imagine your personal in home bar, complete with a draft system, stocked full of home brew!.... Congratulations! You are thinking of a Keezer! Here's how to build one: What the heck is a keezer? Very simply, a keezer is a chest freezer that has been converted into the ultimate refrigerated beer - [The White House Releases Beer Recipes!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/02/the-white-house-releases-beer-recipes/) - The wheels of Washington's political bureaucracy have turned. With only 12k of the 25k signatures needed on the formal petition, the White House released the beer recipes to the public. These are very straight forward extract batches that can be done with a basic brew kit on your stove at home. We loaded them into Brewer's Friend: Honey - [Homebrew Summer Shandy](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/09/01/homebrew-summer-shandy/) - 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. It was pretty good - [Benefits of Cloud Brewing Software and Our Pricing Model](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/08/29/benefits-of-cloud-brewing-software-and-our-pricing-model/) - In case you are curious about why we went with an annual subscription fee, and why we think it works better, this post should clear up some details. You may be on the fence like this fellow brewer who wrote in (edited and anonymized): Its hard to justify $10 a year when I can just - [Inventory Management Feature Launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/08/24/inventory-management-feature-launched/) - Hey fellow brewers! We just launched an inventory manager! It tracks fermentables, hops, yeast, other ingredients and equipment. Look for it under the My Brewing navigation menu at the top, or the My Inventory button inside your brewing dashboard. In future releases the system will provide the option of deducting items from your inventory when - [15 Minute Boil Tested](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/08/25/15-minute-boil-tested/) - Earlier this year, a fellow named Brian reached out to us for a collaboration project. He's a very cool guy, an award winning brewer, and happens to be the owner of The Brew Mentor, a home brew store in Mentor, Ohio. Brian had an idea that makes brewing easier for extract brewers who are pressed - [Brewing Wildflower Wheat – A Honey Chamomile Wheat Beer from Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/07/01/brewing-wildflower-wheat-a-honey-chamomile-wheat-beer-from-dogfish-head-founder-sam-calagione/) - We were running dangerously low on Witbier, our standard summer quaffer. Hoping for an interesting alternative to try, I was "shopping" for inspiration in the wheat beer recipes on Home Brew Talk (or Homebrew Talk, HBT, depending how you spell it). I ran across one posted by Passed Pawn – a Honey Chamomile Wheat. He - [Better Bottle Blowoff Tube](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/07/28/better-bottle-blowoff-tube/) - When I had been brewing about six months, I transitioned from glass to Better Bottles. These are PET plastic fermenters. I was hauling carboys up and down stairs from basement to kitchen frequently. Even with a Brew Hauler strap system, the breakage potential and resulting safety issue was hard for me to stomach. When I - [Big Hops Climbing the Shed](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/08/11/big-hops-climbing-the-shed/) - 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 for the siding on - [Brew Timer Upgrade](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/07/31/brew-timer-upgrade/) - The brew timer upgrade we talked about in our July 11th post just went live. This is awesome because a separate clock timer is no longer needed on brew day. We can't wait to brew again! The timers are saved auto-magically by the system. The new design allows navigation inside the brew session page, even - [Instrument Calibration for Maximum Brewing Awesomeness](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/12/19/instrument-calibration-for-maximum-brewing-awesomeness/) - I am about to brew several batches of beer – whoot! In the spirit of science, and the interests of quality, I decided to recalibrate my equipment since it had been awhile. Besides, I broke my hydrometer and had to buy a new one, so I have no idea where I'm at with it. Beyond - [Early Release Ended – Subscriptions Available](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/07/11/early-release-ended-subscriptions-available/) - The Early Release period is complete. The Brewer's Friend subscription based service is now live. Brewer's Friend saves you time, helps your brewing go more smoothly, and leads to better home brewed beer. The price is $9.99 per year for Premium Members, or $17.99 for two years. We offer an unlimited duration trial so new - [Summer Brewing Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/06/17/summer-brewing-update/) - The first day of summer is right around the corner. It is time for summer beers to be brewed and enjoyed. Usually this means choosing delicate aromatic hops, fruity yeasts, and shooting for a drier finish. Liquid refreshment here we come! We played around with five different batches, each overlapping the other in some respect. - [BIAB Custom Bags You Can Order](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/06/23/biab-custom-bags-you-can-order/) - Looking for a custom made brew bag for doing BIAB? Check out this article. If you don't know what BIAB is yet, check out our previous article for complete details on BIAB. But where can I buy a BIAB bag? Finding a suitable bag has been a long standing problem. The multitude of kettle shapes - [Quick feature update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/06/21/quick-feature-update/) - No Chill - extended hop boil time calculation now supported. Click the 'More...' button in the recipe editor. Look for the No Chill - Extended Hop Boil Time field. A value of between 5 and 15 minutes should more accurately represent the IBUs for the batch. We leave it up to you decide. With a no chill - [Building a Mash Lauter Tun Copper Manifold](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/29/building-a-mash-lauter-tun-copper-manifold/) - There are three main categories for mash tun manifolds: Wire mesh tubing, Copper or CPVC manifold, and a false bottom. This article will explain how to build a copper manifold and hopefully save you a few trips to the hardware store. A copper manifold installed in the bottom of the cooler will allow wort to - [Yeast Washing 101](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/01/30/yeast-washing-101/) - Yeast washing is a simple, yet useful procedure that will allow you to harvest, store, and re-use yeast from your own yeast bank for pennies per brew session. Please review how to make a starter and why a stir plate to help you best re-activate your yeast after cold storage. SANITATION: You must sanitize everything - [Racking Tutorial with a Built In Spigot](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/04/09/racking-tutorial-with-a-spigot/) - Racking beer is made easy if your primary fermenter has a spigot. Note that this piece of equipment is essentially a bottling bucket with a good lid. They are cheap and easy to use with only a few drawbacks. Racking beer is not required, but it can add clarity in the final beer. I only - [New features launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/06/01/new-features-launched/) - New features were rolled out recently: Brewer's Profile Pages - under your profile section you may upload a picture and setup a public profile. See my profile as an example. We encourage everyone to upload an inspiring beer-tastic profile picture! The picture appears on your profile (if you choose to make it public) and your public recipes. Update 6/4 - [All Grain Water Chemistry Brewing Information](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/14/all-grain-water-chemistry-brewing-information/) - Understanding water chemistry in brewing is an important step to refining home brewing skills. It turns out less than a teaspoon of a couple key brewing salts can make a big impact in a batch of beer. This is mainly applicable to all grain brewing where full control over the mash chemistry is available. However, - [New Calculators for Priming and Kegging Launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/05/28/new-calculators-for-priming-and-kegging-launched/) - Just launched the following calculators: Priming Sugar and Keg PSI Calculators: Priming Calculator - Calculates how much priming sugar is needed. Works with table sugar, corn sugar, and DME. Keg Carbonation Calculator - Calculates regulator PSI setting based on desired volumes of CO2 and temperature. - [First Brew Adventure](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/05/22/first-brew-adventure/) - Post by Brewer Aaron: Brewing my first batch of beer today --a hefewiezen with citra hops-- only solidified the wisdom that failure is good, especially the right kind. In this case, my first brewing experience was fraught with failures, but ones that we were set up to recover from gracefully and learn from. So here - [Black Ale as a Beer Category](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/05/15/black-ale-as-a-beer-category/) - Black IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, Black Ale, whatever you want to call it, the people want it! Damn that looks delicious! Rather... it WAS delicious as I drank it after taking the pictures. Currently Black IPAs, CDAs, Black Ales, Dark IPAs, whatever you want to call them, are categorized under BJCP category 23 – - [Site Theme Upgraded](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/12/10/site-theme-upgraded/) - Hello fellow brewers, this is a quick announcement to let you know we upgraded the site theme today! Yeah, change is no fun and we apologize if the shock of seeing the blog theme change caused anyone to spill their beer. The old theme was so familiar to me it does take some getting used - [Complete Recipe Builder Launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/12/13/complete-recipe-builder-launched/) - Hello fellow brewers! Great news, Brewer's Friend has just launched the Early Release of our complete recipe builder! We took our readers' advice and leveraged the existing calculators to create a complete tool that allows you to input, save, and print recipes. The tools can be used anonymously, but in order to save things you'll - [Recipe Builder 1.01 launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/12/24/recipe-builder-1-01-launched/) - Hello fellow brewers, Happy holidays from the Brewer's Friend team. May your brewing be merry and plentiful in 2012! Our team has been working very hard the past week and a half to make the 1.01 release of the Recipe Builder possible. There is a lot more on the way in 2012 from Brewer's Friend, we hope - [Recipe Builder 1.02 Launched](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/01/01/recipe-builder-1-02-launched/) - Another release just went live. The 1.02 release includes the following features: New and improved Mug icon (the color is dynamically set by the brewing software). Scale by Efficiency feature launched for All Grain / BIAB / Partial Mash recipes. Uses logic to keep OG the same, while preserving flavor and color balance. This was a bit - [Brew Feature Launched Version 1.03](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/01/15/brew-feature-launched-version-1-03/) - Hello fellow brewers, Thank you to the many brewers who have written in with comments and suggestions. The positive feedback has been really great to hear. We have just launched the 1.03 installment of the Brewer's Friend Recipe Builder which we hope you will enjoy using. Recipe Builder 1.03 supports the following features the community - [Version 1.04 Launched, Copy and Brew Log](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/01/30/version-1-04-launched-copy-and-brew-log/) - The latest release is now live, which includes: Recipe Copy feature activated. Now you can make copies of your recipes or other recipes that have been shared by others. Brew Log feature setup which allows you to record gravity readings, how much volume you collected, tasting notes, etc. When starting a Brew Session you may - [1.05 is launched - Brew Timer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/02/18/1-05-is-launched-brew-timer/) - Thank you to everyone who wrote in with suggestions for improving 1.04. This release was focused on an innovation we created called the Brew Timer. More information on that below. We also made some basic user interface improvements (very small changes), added additional yeasts, and updated the scaling logic. The 1.05 launch includes: Ability to - [1.06 Launched - Batch Performance](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/03/01/1-06-launched-batch-performance/) - This launch places the cap stone on the brew session section - Batch Performance. The numbers behind a batch of beer are a big deal to pro brewers. Home brewers can benefit from these numbers as well. I tend to obsess over post-brew stats like ABV, attenuation, expected OG vs actual OG, and efficiency. In - [1.07 Launched - Search, Dashboard, Late Additions ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/03/18/1-07-launched-search-dashboard-late-additions/) - Hello fellow brewers, Please raise your glasses to the 1.07 launch of Brewer's Friend! This launch includes what you've been asking for - recipe search, late additions, and a brewing dashboard! Recipe Search: The Beer Recipe Search Feature is live! Every category has a handful of recipes. There are even a good number of metric - [1.08 Launched - Lots of small stuff](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/03/26/1-08-launched/) - This release of the Brewer's Friend home brewing software, recipe calculator, brew planner and journal is all about little details. Many of these items were asked for by users participating in the early release. Thanks again for the feedback. Ability to check off steps on the Brew Steps tab of a Brew Session: In hops - [1.09 Launched - Random Beer Brewing Goodness](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/04/19/1-09-launched-random-beer-brewing-goodness/) - Latest release is live, version 1.09! This is our 10th release since last December. The 1.09 release is a random amalgamation of improvements. The system is better than ever with the ability to sort hops and grains after you enter them, dry hopping in days, eight new hops, and 3 new grains. With this release - [Brew Shed Exhaust Fan – Need More Power!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/05/06/brew-shed-exhaust-fan-need-more-power/) - Choose your brew shed exhaust fan and ducting design carefully. My shed is exactly what I was after with one exception: the exhaust system. On wet days the condensation from the boil off can become a bit of a problem. Note that there are zero problems on warm days, but doing a 90 minute boil - [Large Batch of American Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/01/26/large-batch-of-american-beer/) - Brewed an 11 gallon batch of my Blitz Weinhard Clone. This is close to what Blitz probably tasted like originally (not the watered down stuff they produce today). Doing an 11 gallon batch is great. It generates twice as much beer in the same amount of time! It also gives the opportunity to try two - [Myths About Electric Brewing Dispelled](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/04/14/myths-about-electric-brewing-dispelled/) - Personally, it has been eight batches since the upgrade to electric. The electric brewery is just awesome. There have been zero leaks on my weld-less fittings and no problems with operation. Going into the upgrade, there were a few myths I was concerned about. Let me tell you the facts: You can only - [The Beer Tool - Cool Bottle Opener](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/02/11/the-beer-tool-cool-bottle-opener/) - 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 with something tougher, - [Beer Drinking is a Skill](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/03/24/beer-drinking-is-a-skill/) - 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 movie Beerfest! Make sure to - [How long does it take to brew a batch of beer?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/03/10/how-long-does-it-take-to-brew-a-batch-of-beer/) - Brewing beer can take as little as two and a half hours for a simple extract batch and up to six hours for a complex all grain recipe. It is not a good idea to rush anything in brewing. Cutting back the boil time is not feasible because that time is needed to convert alpha - [Using a mini-fridge as a keezer FAIL](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2012/01/07/using-a-mini-fridge-as-a-keezer-fail/) - In an attempt to save money, space, and time, I thought it would be a good idea to buy a mini-fridge online for use as a keezer or fermentation chamber. Turned out there was not enough room. All mini-fridges have a hump inside them where the compressor and fan are located. This eats up some - [Curvy Brew Stand](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/11/26/curvy-brew-stand/) - Well I'm up and brewing in the shed these days. The brew stand is completed. The idea was to make a solid, aesthetically pleasing stand that will outlast me. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a brew statue, since it is wood not metal. Still the curves are sexy. "She's got legs!... And she - [Infected Batch Forensics](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/11/12/infected-batch-forensics/) - For the first time in many years I experienced a bad batch of home brewed beer last month. I am sharing this with the community so you can avoid my mistake. It is embarrassing! Being out the time and money for the batch and having an empty keg sucks. However, I learned a couple things I - [Wine Season and New Wine Calculators Released](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/10/26/wine-season/) - Home wine makers are wrapping up the season with late harvests coming in throughout the Northwest. This weekend is going to be the last chance for Oregon Pinot Noir. The California harvest is of course long over by now. Recent wine making activity has inspired me to write a couple new calculators related to wine - [Wheat Malt in All Grain Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/10/16/wheat-malt-in-all-grain-brewing/) - Wheat malt takes extra preparation in brewing since it is smaller in size than standard malts. The first time I ran wheat malt through my grain mill, it was frustrating to discover the gap was set too wide for the wheat malt only! The other grains were being crushed perfectly. I ended up trying a - [Electric Brewing Upgrade](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/10/05/electric-brewing-upgrade/) - Upgrading to electric brewing makes home brewing a real pleasure. This article covers the details, including a 30 amp GFI'd outlet, drilling holes, and ordering ~$280-500 worth of parts. Dave Knott at HighGravityBrew spent years perfecting electric brewing equipment for his own use. He sells everything you need online and through his home brewing store - [Hops Harvest Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/09/13/hops-harvest-update/) - It is time again to pick home grown hops. What a fun experience. The smell is just heavenly. In fact, I'm sure they have a section in heaven devoted to hops... So far, the only vine ready to pick was Nugget. We got 2.35 dried ounces out it. That seems like a small amount compared - [Wine Making Overview](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/09/05/wine-making-overview/) - If you are into making wine, and live in a northern climate, now is the time to start lining up your local grapes. Grapes all over Oregon and Washington will ripen in the next 4-6 weeks. Check local message boards, your local home brew store, or craig's list. I have found my local wine maker's - [Growler – The Perfect Gift](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/09/04/growler-the-perfect-gift/) - My friend got me a growler of Deschutes beer for my birthday. What a great gift! It came full of cold, delicious beer. The best part is, the growler is mine too. After we drank our way through several home brews, we finished off the growler among three of us. I have had my eye - [Brew Shed Complete and Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/08/14/brew-shed-complete-and-brewing/) - 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. The first brew was - [Keg Care and Cleaning PBW vs Oxiclean](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/29/keg-care-and-cleaning-pbw-vs-oxiclean/) - Soda kegs, commonly used in home brewing draft systems, require regular cleaning and maintenance. Following is a brief description of keg care and cleaning requirements to assure optimum performance from these pressurized vessels. For an explanation of the keg components referenced below, see our article on keg anatomy. Believe it or not, soda kegs do - [Hops Alpha Acid Table 2009](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/02/27/hops-alpha-acid-table-2009/) - Updated for the 2009 harvest. New varieties added - thanks to everyone who wrote in! Alpha Acids from hops contribute to the bitterness in beer. During the boil alpha acids are isomerized and increase international bittering units (IBUs). This site has an IBU calculator. Hops also contain beta acids, which contribute to aroma only. The - [Stone Brewing Tour in Escondido](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/08/01/stone-brewing-tour-in-escondido/) - We had a chance to visit Stone Brewing in southern California last month. It is a blast, I highly recommend it. After the brewery tour, they give you a predetermined 'flight' of their four main beers. Tours are every two hours most days. We went on a Tuesday and it was full but not too - [Aeration Practices Simplified](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/07/23/aeration-practices-simplified/) - In the interests of simplifying the brewing process I no longer aerate with an oxygen tank and stone! This saves the trouble of sanitizing the tube and stone each brew day. There is no worry of running out of oxygen, or keeping a second tank on hand. My tube is impossible to clean thoroughly because - [Recipe - Golden NW Extra Special Bitter](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/04/24/recipe-golden-nw-extra-special-bitter/) - This a wonderful tasting British ale that uses Zeus bittering hops. More of a NW + British hybrid really. This Golden NW ESB has a nice balanced malt to hop ratio. A bread like biscuit flavor rolls into medium bitterness over the tongue. It finishes smooth and has drinkability – in that you will want - [Brew Shed Update](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/25/brew-shed-update/) - The shed is taking its final shape. The roof is on, skylight is in, and gutters installed. The electrical is in and the inspection passed! The paint job is just primer right now. It was all done by hand with rollers or by brush so it soaked in good. I was told by a friend - [Basket Press for Fruit Based Brews](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/07/09/basket-press-for-fruit-based-brews/) - Fermenting crushed berries, grapes, and fruits can be a fun diversion from making beer. Home brewers who make beer already have all the equipment, except for a basket press. I tasted an amazing pear, blueberry, raspberry cider at a home brew club meeting last year. This inspired me to get more into fruity meads and - [My New Tool - The Carboy Cleaner](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/05/01/my-new-tool-the-carboy-cleaner/) - Carboy Cleaner LLC has made life better by building a better carboy brush. Unlike a better mouse trap (which nobody cares about), the Carboy Cleaner really is a time saver and does a better job than my old 'L' shaped brush. Thank you capitalism. You know, I didn't have a good relationship with old 'L' - [Brew Shed Is Framed and Sided](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/05/14/brew-shed-is-framed-and-sided/) - With the brew shed foundation poured and cured the project continued forward. It takes about a month for concrete to cure. It also takes about a month for spring to kick off in Oregon. Reminder to our readers: You know you are seriously addicted to home brewing when you start making plans for a brew - [Beer Wagon Deployed](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/04/beer-wagon-deployed/) - The latest do it yourself (DIY) home brew project is complete! This is nowhere near as cool as my shed, but it does help save the back when it comes to brewing. While my brew shed is underway I brew in the garage and ferment in the spare bedroom. This means I have to lug - [Brew Shed Slab Is Poured](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/04/16/brew-shed-slab-is-poured/) - The brew shed has gone from the drawing board to reality. The slab has been poured! Late into the evenings last winter I had been making plans for this project. Now it is underway! Next step is to frame and roof it. That will be happening soon and I will post pictures. May I remind - [Time to order Hops Rhizomes 2011](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/03/06/time-to-order-hops-rhizomes-2011/) - It is time to order hops rhizomes for spring planting. The sooner you plant hops rhizomes, the sooner you can start growing hops vines and enjoying home grown hops in your beer. This year I will plant a few new varieties around the site where my brew shed is going up. Hops Rhizomes Ready to - [Beat Oxidation Problems by Topping Off](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/03/26/beat-oxidation-problems-by-topping-off/) - From my recent experience making wine, I was reminded of the importance of completely filling up the secondary fermenter to the top. A sure way to get a spoiled batch of wine is to leave a lot of head space in the carboy after racking. In beer oxidation can lead to wet card board flavors, - [Good news for Oregon Home Brewers](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/03/05/good-news-for-oregon-home-brewers/) - The Oregon Senate has passed legislation to re-legalize aspects of home brewing that were outlawed last year. The bill, SB 444, invalidates last June's article. At that time home brew clubs and beer competitions were considered illegal. The law was so narrowly reinterpreted that taking home brewed beer out of the house was seen as - [Getting A Good Pour - Kegged Beer CO2 Line Length and Pressure](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/18/getting-a-good-pour-kegged-beer-co2-line-length-and-pressure/) - There are several variables that play a role in achieving this goal, AND you will need a calculator! Factors that play a role in the quality of your pour are the following: Beer Temperature: This will affect how readily the beer absorbs CO2. Colder beer absorbs CO2 into solution more readily. The lower the temp. - [Brewers Cannot Spell - Fermentor or Fermenter?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/02/26/brewers-cannot-spell-fermentor-or-fermenter/) - How do you spell fermenter, fermentor? According to my text editor both are spelled wrong! It is the big tub we put the wort in, add the yeast to, and watch bubble. It can also be called a fermentation vessel, carboy, or simply the primary. According to google, fermentor gives 266,000 results, fermenter gives 725,000 - [Hot Liquor Tank for All Grain Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/02/13/hot-liquor-tank-for-all-grain-brewing/) - Advanced all grain brewers use a Hot Liquor Tank to heat their strike and sparge water. The term Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) is a misnomer that comes from the commercial brewing world. The HLT never holds anything that has alcohol in it or sweet wort. A better name would be a hot water tank, or - [Deschutes Red Chair NWPA clone home brew recipe](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/07/17/deschutes-red-chair-nwpa-clone-home-brew-recipe/) - Deschutes made a great beer this year, Red Chair NWPA (North West Pale Ale). Besides Ninkasi, this is really the only beer I would buy from the store again. Naturally, I wanted to make a clone recipe. I think this came pretty close for my first attempt, very drinkable beer. 1/30/2011 Update: Based on my - [Benjamin Franklin's Birthday](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/01/13/benjamin-franklins-birthday/) - Benjamin Franklin's birthday is coming up Monday, January 17th. This year it happens to fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which makes it a day off for a lot of folks in the US. I plan to brew in honor of both! Ben Franklin Quote: "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants - [Stainless Steel CAD Designed Dip Tube](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/01/02/stainless-steel-cad-designed-dip-tube/) - A dip tube allows a kettle to drain to the bottom by itself. No lifting and pouring required. It works because of siphon action. Adding a dip tube to your kettle or HLT is something to consider. My kettle has female 1/2" pipe thread on the inside, with a ball valve on the outside. This - [Brew Shed Plans The Obsession Continues](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/01/18/brew-shed-plans-the-obsession-continues/) - Home brewing is a fun hobby with many aspects. There is always something to do - a new batch, a do it yourself (DIY) build, or a brew shed. The progression starts with a $150 kit from a friend and a 5 gallon batch of ale. This can lead to spending hundreds of dollars on - [Moldy Wet Keezer Solution](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/12/12/moldy-wet-keezer-solution/) - Here's quick tip for your keezer if you are having moisture or mold problems. Purchase a moisture absorbing product like DampRid or DryRid and drop it in your keezer (clean your keezer first if it is moldy). You can find DampRid or a similar product at your local hardware store next to the cleaning products. - [Ninkasi Tasting Room Tour](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/10/22/ninkasi-tasting-room-tour/) - Something has been stirring, or brewing rather, in the Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene, Oregon (go Ducks! - ranked No. 1 in Football, AP). No, not football, even though we did just STOMP UCLA yesterday, it is Ninkasi Brewing Co an aggressive craft brewer, which is quickly rising to the top of the north west beer - [Deschutes Brewery Tour](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/11/27/deschutes-brewery-tour/) - I visited Deschutes brewery in Bend, Oregon recently. The tour was fun and the free beer was great. They let visitors enjoy four complimentary 4oz samples from any of their main styles (Stout, Porter, Mirror Pond, IPA, and Cascade Lakes Organic). That works out to a free pint! They will also have small number of - [Wax Sealed Home Brew Tested](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/11/20/wax-sealed-home-brew-tested/) - For centuries the seal of choice on spirits and wines was melted wax. Lately special release craft beers are being sold with a wax seal. Home brewers can wax seal bottled beer without too much trouble. All it takes is melting the wax, dipping the top of the bottle, and letting it dry. The wax - [Scottish Light BJCP 9A](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/11/06/scottish-light-bjcp-9a/) - A friend of Brewer's Friend, Niall, wrote in from Edinburgh Scotland about what a real Scottish Light (style BJCP 9A) should look like: Niall: "Hi, I noticed you feature Scottish Light (60/-) on your colour chart (https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/28/beer-styles-srm-color-chart/), but that it's shown in the same colour range as 70/- and 80/-. Light is in fact extremely dark - [A Beer Brewer Tries Making Wine](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/10/16/a-beer-brewer-tries-making-wine/) - I'm going to take a shot at making wine this year. The books I have been reading say to pick good grapes, at the right time, and let nature take its course. I'm not planning on adjusting with sugar or acid, but I will takes notes on the original brix, fermentation length etc. Getting Grapes: - [German Lager Recipe All Grain](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/08/29/german-lager-recipe-all-grain/) - This has to be one of my favorite beers for all time. I have brewed it about 5 times, and it's just awesome. Talk about a 'session beer', that is something most people can drink all evening without a problem. My uncle, who is a German Protestant Minister, smelled the beer, took one sip, smiled, - [Hops Harvest 2010](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/09/13/hops-harvest-2010/) - Anybody who grows their own hops should be watching the cones carefully and preparing for harvest. I pulled the trigger on the first part of my hops harvest today, September 13th 2010. I'll do the rest of the vines this week. If your cones are papery, spring back when squeezed, and showing brown on the - [Pacman Yeast - Eureka!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/09/25/pacman-yeast-eureka/) - Pacman is the name of the yeast used by Rogue Brewery of Oregon. Rogue makes Pacman available in limited quantities to home brewers from time to time. Originally, I didn't get the name. Were they being cute? Does it 'pack' a punch? No, I was not thinking literally enough. While on vacation it dawned on - [DIY Project - The Beer Wagon teaser](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/08/14/diy-project-the-beer-wagon-teaser/) - Ever get tired of lugging a full carboy around? I sure do. I bought some straps that help to lift the carboy, but it is still a chore. I brew in the garage and ferment in a spare bedroom. It is a pretty long way between the two. Then I pull the carboy out and - [Hops Growth Progress](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/08/08/hops-growth-progress/) - Judging by my amateur hop yard (out front of the house) different types of hops grow at different speeds. This makes sense based on how many varieties of apples or tomatoes there are, but the variation in my hops was more than I expected. Harvesting everything at once does not appear to be the plan according - [Blonde Ale Summer Brew](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/06/19/blonde-ale-summer-brew/) - This Blonde Ale is a home brew thirst quencher perfect for summer time. I plan to serve it ice cold on tap for days when it gets above 80F. I named the brew after my wife as she has the most beautiful blonde hair. The Cascade and Mt Hood are a nice light combination, with - [The Art of Tasting Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/07/05/the-art-of-tasting-beer/) - Home brew is a thing to be appreciated. Guzzling is not allowed. Sucking through a hose upside down, also not allowed. This applies even to the epic "first batch" which usually tastes good only to the person who made it. 1) Pour If the beer is coming out of the bottle, make sure to decant - [Oregon Brewing Clubs Get Screwed](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/06/30/oregon-brewing-clubs-get-screwed/) - This sucks! Home brew clubs in Oregon are no longer allowed to have home brew at their meetings! Public beer and wine competitions, like those commonly held at the state and county fairs are now considered illegal too. What a bummer for us home brewers... The clubs can live on, but they have to be - [Water Volume Management in All Grain Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/06/12/water-volume-management-in-all-grain-brewing/) - How to hit your target wort volume spot on. There are several factors that go into how much water is lost during the brewing process from mash to fermentor. 1) Grain Absorption: Figure 1/2 quart per pound of grain. This comes out to ~1 pint (0.125 gallons) / pound of grain. Some reports are as - [Spring Cleaning and Updates](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/06/04/spring-cleaning-and-updates/) - Many updates were made to the site based on feedback from visitors: 1) Extract and partial mash brew day check lists now include a reminder to make sure all equipment is on hand. Thank you Matt for sending in that comment! 2) All brew day checklists and recipe templates have been made unit independent. They - [Second Year Hops Growth Amazes Me](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/05/31/second-year-hops-growth-amazes-me/) - The second year hops have really taken off. It is only the end of May, and two of the plants have already grown 10 feet! I am amazed at how quickly they have grown this month given we only had a few days of nice weather. For the most part is has been cloudy, grey, - [Beer Glass Cabinet in Brewery](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/05/23/beer-glass-cabinet-in-brewery/) - The latest addition to the brewery is a custom beer glass cabinet. It is made of mahogany and red oak paneling. I inherited a melamine cabinet from a neighboor friend, face framed it, added panels, added a shelf, and built the doors. In total the project was under $10 out of pocket because the - [Hops and Dogs](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/05/09/hops-and-dogs/) - Here's a friendly notification to all brewers who own dogs: If a dog eats hops it can be fatal! A study conducted by the National Animal Poison Control Center, University of Illinois in Urbana in 1995 showed this to be true. Of the eight dogs, seven were Greyhounds, one was a Labrador Retriever, all cases - [All Grain American Pale Ale Recipe](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/04/15/all-grain-american-pale-ale-recipe/) - Given what I had in my brewing inventory I decided to brew an American Pale Ale along the lines of a Deschutes Mirror Pond clone. Deschutes is said to use British yeast for their American beers, so I stuck with that and tried a variety that was new to me. This beer will be on - [I love my Keezer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/04/03/i-love-my-keezer/) - Home brewers who keg their beer have a keezer or kegerator to keep it cold. Kegerator = keg + refrigerator Keezer = kegerator + freezer Keezer = the place where my beer is kept cold and on tap I prefer the Keezers, not to be confused with Geezers... A kegerator or keezer can also double - [Second Year Hops are Sprouting](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/03/28/second-year-hops-are-sprouting/) - Compared to this time last year, the hops are huge! They are now second generation and should yield a lot more cones this fall. These hops have been in the ground for 12 months. They sprouted early because of the warmer winter in Oregon. I noticed the sprouts forming last week. Since hops are a - [Hops Types Pellet Plug Leaf](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/03/21/hops-types-pellet-plug-leaf/) - Hops come in three different packages, pellet, plug and leaf (whole/loose leaf). The difference between pellet, plug and whole leaf hops is much more than cosmetic. Aside from looking different, these variations will affect hop utilization (to a degree), freshness, and ease of storage/use. The best hop type for you will be based on your - [The Four Brewing Seasons (2 of 4)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/03/07/the-four-brewing-seasons-2-of-4/) - Each season has at least one beer style that it is known for, if not several. This season an Oktoberfest / Marzen recipe has been selected. This is part TWO of a four part (season) series about these seasonal brews. Spring is quickly approaching, although much of the country is still in the grips of - [Yest Review SafLager W-34/70 Dry](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/12/06/yest-review-saflager-w-3470-dry/) - An excellent property of dry brewing yeast is that they have a very high cell count, they store well (years) and the yeast are packed with nutrient reserves which allow for fast starts. When brewing lagers, the vast majority of yeast strains are liquid yeast strains, requiring large starters for lager beers. Liquid yeasts contain - [Digital Thermometer for Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/02/06/digital-thermometer-for-brewing/) - A handy tool in brewing is a digital thermometer. When it comes to all grain brewing this is a must to accurately monitor and maintain the desired mash temperature. It also helps to know when boil is approaching ("a watched pot never boils..."). I keep this handy tool by my side when ever I brew. - [Malt Conditioning](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/01/16/malt-conditioning/) - I find that the longer I brew, the more involved I become in the process and the mechanics of every detail. Learning new techniques and testing them on your own is part of the joy of having a hobby as vast as home brewing. Some new processes or techniques offer little advantage, and thus are - [Beer Style Guidelines - What kind of beer is this?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/12/27/beer-style-guidelines-what-kind-of-beer-is-this/) - Beer style guidelines are as numerous as the types of beers that you will find around the world. In fact there are different types of beer styles... styles of beer styles if you will. One organization that produces beer style guidelines is the Beer Judging and Certification Program (BJCP). They have a long list of - [First batch tips](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/17/first-batch-tips/) - Here are some tips that will keep you out of trouble for your first batch. These tips apply to an extract style recipe using malt extract (dry or liquid). Scrub the kitchen, sink, stove, and all counter tops. Start boiling the water early, since that will take awhile. Do not use bleach to sanitize equipment, - [Beer Head Retention](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/12/19/beer-head-retention/) - Beer head formation and retention can tell you more about your brewing process than you could have imagined, as you will soon see. Shortfalls in your brewing practices can be robbing you of that long lasting head that you are seeking on your favorite pint. So, what makes beer foam? LTP1 is a low molecular - [Hugh Hefe Hefeweizen AG (5.5 US gal)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/09/12/hugh-hefe-hefeweizen-ag-55-us-gal/) - Summer is the season for light and bright beers. A favorite that is light in body, low abv, but full of flavor and complexity is the hefeweizen. Perfect for a thirst quencher and suitable for a twist of citrus if you so choose. The following recipe is based on 82% brew house efficiency see an - [Randall Enamel Test For Even More Hoppiness in Your Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/11/30/randall-enamel-test-for-even-more-hoppiness-in-your-beer/) - In recent years, craft brewers (especially in the Pacific Northwest) have tried to push the envelope on hop flavor in beers, from increasing the aroma and flavor hops to aggressively dry-hopping. For fans of that style, there is one more step that can be taken to add extra hop flavor to beer, and that is - [The Four Brewing Seasons (1 of 4)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/11/14/the-four-brewing-seasons-1-of-4/) - Each season has at least one beer style that it is known for, if not several. This is part one in a four part (season) series about these seasonal brews. Winter is quickly approaching, and has already placed some parts of the US and other countries in its grip, so there is no better time - [Holiday Spice Ale - Ready in a month](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/11/02/holiday-spice-ale-ready-in-a-month/) - A lot of breweries sell a “winter beer” or “Christmas beer”, and they’re typically high-gravity, with complex flavors. Our brewing group wanted something that was exactly the opposite: a low-gravity, easy-to-drink beer that would complement our turkey with cranberry sauce. This is pretty similar to most “holiday spice beer” recipes you’ll find, with one nice - [Recipe OktoberFEAST Ale AG (5.5 US gal.)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/10/15/recipe-oktoberfeast-ale-ag-55-us-gal/) - With fall just around the corner, cooler temperatures and shorter days are on there way. This calls for a maltier, less hoppy, less zingy beer to satisfy us on those cool evenings around the fire. As the temperatures go down, the ABV of seasonal beers goes up. To speed up the process, this Oktoberfest beer - [Identifying Hops Techniques](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/10/10/identifying-hops-techniques/) - It’s the season to harvest, and if you’ve been diligent and foresighted, you have a nice crop of well-labeled hop plants, and have no need for this article. However, if the labels you planted next to the vines have faded & run since you planted them, or if your hop harvest didn’t come from a - [Fall Hop Harvest Guidelines](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/09/29/fall-hop-harvest-guidelines/) - Now that you have spent the entire growing season diligently caring for your vines, it is time to harvest what can turn out to be copious amounts of hops on healthy, mature plants. The following will cover some guidelines for you to follow in order to assure that you are harvesting your hops at their - [What is SMaSH brewing ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/09/05/what-is-smash-brewing/) - Beers are complex. They typically consist of several types of malt, some base, some specialty, and this lends to the complexity of the beer. In the same sense, many beers use more than one hop type, again adding to the complexity and dimension of the beer. Beer is the sum of all of its parts, - [Almost time for the hop harvest](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/17/almost-time-for-the-hop-harvest/) - It is almost that time of year - the hops harvest! For us, Centennial, Mt. Hood and Hallertau are almost ready. Nugget is not yet ready. Harvesting and storing hops: It is time to pick when the petals on the cones just start fading to brown. The vines can be cut down to the base - [White Labs WLP300 Yeast Review](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/09/19/white-labs-wlp300-yeast-review/) - White Labs has always been a favorite of mine, no matter the yeast variety, they produce excellent beer and are very reliable yeasts. Aside from the fact that you get a great product, you get a really cool test tube looking vial that is already labeled, which you can use to store harvested yeast after - [How to bottle beer from the keg](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/26/how-to-bottle-beer-from-the-keg/) - Once a brewer begins kegging, he/she will never go back to bottling, or will they? There is something to be said for the convenience of bottled beer. It travels well, it can be given as a gift and it is the only way to get it to a competition. How do we get that sweet - [Beer Aeration Oxidation and Mitigation](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/22/beer-aeration-oxidation-and-mitigation/) - Oxidation is not the same as aeration. Aeration is the process by which oxygen is introduced to your beer or your wort, oxidation is the outcome, it is what happens to your wort or beer when exposed to oxygen at the wrong point in the process. Aeration of COOL wort ( - [Anatomy of a Corny Keg ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/15/anatomy-of-a-keg/) - If you do not keg your beer already, someday you almost certainly will. It is a superior package for the home brewer. They save time and they feel cool. Only downside is they are not portable. Cornelius kegs, or corny kegs for short, are a widely available means for home brewers to package their beer. - [Baby Hops Cones](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/13/baby-hops-cones/) - The cones are starting to form on the hops plants outside. I just wanted to share a few pictures. This one is hallertau: This is from nugget: - [The Dark Side of Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/08/the-dark-side-of-home-brewing/) - Brewing has a dark side. It has yet to be brought to light by the dozens of books I have read on home brewing. The multitude of people online who I have connected with about brewing have never spoken about it. The brewing industry itself wants us to believe it is a myth. That dark - [CCB Haus Ale All Grain Aussie No Chill](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/08/ccb-haus-ale-all-grain-aussie-no-chill/) - This beer can be a staple in anyones refrigerator or kegerator. A light and crisp gateway beer for the non-homebrewing crowd, this beer is a great thirst quencher on a hot summer day, or a great session beer for anytime gatherings. The following recipe is based on 82% brew house efficiency. See an explanation of - [The Hops Race](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/03/the-hops-race/) - All six new rhizomes sprouted this year. Some are doing better than others. Nugget is doing the best, while cascade and magum are lagging. They were both hit with excess water during a storm. The gutter overflowed right on top of them for an hour. It was painful to watch. All told I am really - [Introduction to Partial Mash Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/08/01/introduction-to-partial-mash-brewing/) - Whether you’re a novice home-brewer who has outgrown kits and all-extract limitations, or a long-time brewer looking for an easier day brewing, the partial-mash technique of brewing has several merits worth exploring. It is considerably less time- and labor-intensive than all-grain brewing, requiring fewer steps and less cleaning. Process-wise, partial-mash brewing most closely resembles extract - [Dry Hopping Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/25/dry-hopping-beer/) - While hops can be added to the boiling wort for as little as fifteen, ten, or five minutes to impart aroma and flavor, true hop-heads know the best approach to really punch up the hop profile of a beer is dry-hopping. Because hops have gone up in price over the last few years, dry-hopping your - [Malted Grain Types and Mash Profiles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/11/malted-grain-types-and-mash-profiles/) - Today's modern, high quality and highly modified malts are excellent performers for the home brewer. As with nearly any ingredient, the science behind the creation and use of any malt should be clearly understood in order for the brewer to create the desired outcome. Malt type, mash temperature and mash time all play a large - [Yeasts the difference between ale and lager](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/03/yeasts-the-difference-between-ale-and-lager/) - Beer snobs will insist that there are truly only two types of beer: ales & lagers. While it’s amusing to hear them explain why a German Dopplebock is a lager while a Wietzenbock is an ale, the truth is that they’re not actually talking about flavors or styles, but yeasts. Yeasts are living organisms. The - [Sparging Methods](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/07/04/sparging-methods/) - There are several ways to extract the sugars that we convert during the mash from the grain bed, they include, fly sparging, batch sparging and NO sparging. Fly Sparging: When the mash is complete the brewer will vorlaugh and begin the sparge. With this method the brewer wants to slowly and gently add water to - [Brew House Efficiency Defined](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/27/brew-house-efficiency-defined/) - For the all grain brewer, brew house efficiency is of great importance. Brew house efficiency will directly affect your recipe formulation and how many pounds of malt will be required to reach a specific OG at a specific volume in the fermentor. This is a brief explanation of brew house efficiency. Brew house efficiency is - [Brew In A Bag (BIAB) All Grain Brewing Method](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/20/brew-in-a-bag-biab-all-grain-brewing-method/) - BIAB is an acronym for Brew In A Bag. It is a dead simple all grain brewing technique. All it requires is a large grain straining bag, 15 gallon kettle and a propane burner. This method is excellent for brewers who are wishing to convert from extract brewing to all grain, because you can make - [Water Chemistry Calculator Updated](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/04/water-chemistry-calculator-updated/) - The water chemistry calculator at this site now allows NaCl (non iodized salt) as an additional brewing salt! Use canning salt, kosher salt, pickling salt, or pure salt - just make sure it is not iodized. Avoid regular table salt because it is iodized! Yeast will not handle iodine well so avoid 'table salt' or - [Australian NO CHILL Brewing Technique TESTED](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/06/australian-no-chill-brewing-technique-tested/) - “No Chill” is a term used for the Aussie method of transferring HOT wort into a sealed container and letting it cool gradually, over a period of time. Aussie brewers generally pitch the yeast when they see fit to do so, sometimes days or even weeks later. This method has evolved out of the necessity - [Over Priming Home Brew Bottle Bomb](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/01/over-priming-home-brew-bottle-bomb/) - If you happen to over prime your bottled home brew beer, this is what you will get: “Huston We Have A Problem” This beer was very excited to see me! It had a texture more like soda at least until it settled down. Over priming creates a veritable fountain of fizz, and if left unattended - [Adding Fruit Flavors](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/21/adding-fruit-flavors/) - Fruit-flavored beers are extremely popular, and fun to make. One advantage the home brewer has over large breweries is the use of local ingredients and less concern over cost per unit. There are three options for adding fruit flavors to your beer, and they vary in cost, effort, and flavor. The easiest approach is to - [Casking small batches with oak chips and wine/liquor](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/06/07/casking-small-batches-with-oak-chips-and-wineliquor/) - Very few homebrewers have access to used wine or alcohol barrels, and even fewer brew in 50 gallon batches to properly use them, but it’s quite possible to achieve the “barrel aged” flavor in smaller batches. By using small amounts of wood chips, liquor or wine, water, and time, it’s possible to add those flavors - [Basics of Hops in Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/23/basics-of-hops-in-brewing/) - Hops contribute four elements to beer: stabilization, bitterness, flavor, and aroma. Using the right hops, added to the boiling wort (pronounced wert) at the right time, is every bit as crucial as using the right grains or yeast. Hops resins contain two types of acid, one (Beta) that contributes to aroma, and the other (Alpha) - [First Wort Hopping](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/09/first-wort-hopping/) - Brewers are always interested in improving the flavor and aroma of their beer, and there seems to be an endless array of techniques by which to accomplish this. One technique that is receiving much attention is first wort hopping. Also known as, and referred to as, FWH in most brewing circles and software applications. First - [Yeast terminology attenuation and flocculation](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/30/yeast-terminology-attenuation-and-flocculation/) - Flocculation describes the process of yeast sticking and clumping together once all the nutrients have been used. As the yeast gathers, they become too heavy to remain in suspension in the beer, and fall to the bottom of the fermenter, mixing with the sediment and nutrients. Home-brewed beer can use yeast to carbonate bottles (aka - [Coors brewery tour](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/06/coors-brewery-tour/) - My wife and I took vacation recently in Colorado, specifically Fort Collins and Boulder which is about a hour north/north-west of Denver by car. There are several breweries that give tours in that area. One of them happens to be the largest single site brewery in the world, the Miller-Coors brewery in Golden Colorado. Hey, - [New Belgium Brewery Tour](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/25/new-belgium-brewery-tour/) - I remember when Fat Tire ale came out and how awesome it was. New Belgium Brewing has carved out a respectable niche and I'm really glad I got to visit. It is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, about a hour north of Denver. By the way, the town is nick named 'Fort Fun' by the - [Adding Sight Gauges on A Budget](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/26/adding-sight-gauges-on-a-budget/) - $3.26 Sight Gauge modification for hot liquor tank (HLT) or mash lauter tun (MLT). This article explains how I added a sight gauge to a 10 gallon hot liquor tank (HLT) cooler as well as an identical 10 gallon mash lauter tun (MLT). Gas fired vessels may also be converted in this manner, but use - [Beer styles and relative CO2 levels](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/16/beer-styles-and-relative-co2-levels/) - To begin, consider a brief refresher from chemistry class. Gases dissolve into liquids; the amount of gas that can be dissolved into a liquid is inversely proportional to that liquid’s temperature. At one extreme, boiling liquids contain very little dissolved gases; most home brewers know this, either directly or indirectly from having to oxygenate their - [Lautering Equipment False Bottom vs Manifold](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/05/02/lautering-equipment-false-bottom-vs-manifold/) - There are some distinct differences between the these two popular methods of lautering your mash that you will want to consider prior to building your mash tun. As with most brewing equipment or brewing methods, you need to determine which one will provide you with the results that you desire. A false bottom is simply - [Baby Hops Sprout Pictures](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/19/baby-hops-sprout-pictures/) - After only three weeks of putting hops rhizomes in the ground they are already sprouting! Check back on the website for regular updates. Growing hops is easy and so much fun! Cascade Hops Sprouts 1 - After 3 Weeks Hallertau Hops Sprouts - After 3 Weeeks (about 5 inches tall) According to Fresh Hops we - [All Grain Brewday Checklist Posted](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/12/all-grain-brewday-checklist-posted/) - Dear fellow brewmeisters and brewmistresses, A checklist of steps in the beer brewing process for all grain based recipes has just been posted. Find it by linking to it in the upper right corner of the site or clicking on this link: All Grain Brewday Checklist. I was inspired to build this the other day - [Cold Crashing Ales A Way to Clarify Beer](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/18/cold-crashing-ales-a-way-to-clarify-beer/) - Many homebrewers are interested in achieving that sparkling clarity that they see in mass produced beers. A clear beer doesn’t taste any different, and if it is free, your friends won’t be complaining if it is a little hazy! Clearing your creation will further highlight the care and effort that you put into producing it. - [White Labs Burton Ale Yeast or Wyeast Thames Valley](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/04/09/white-labs-burton-ale-yeast-or-wyeast-thames-valley/) - Earlier this year I brewed 3 pale ales with WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast. According to mrmalty, it is the same Wyeast strain as: 1275 Thames Valley Ale Yeast. I had success with this strain, and propagated it a few times without any problems. The beer is excellent but I would like to warn fellow brewers. - [Recording Keeping Tips](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/08/recording-keeping-tips/) - Consistency is the Virtue of Homebrewing Part 2: Record Keeping It’s no good to brew a great beer once, only to fail to recapture that glory every other time. In the last article, I discussed the importance of good hygiene procedures in brewing consistent beer. Good hygiene practices mean your beer contains just you intended - [Brewing Process Improvement Ideas](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/29/brewing-process-improvement-ideas/) - Consistency is the Virtue of Homebrewing Part 3: Process improvements To brew a consistent beer from one batch to the next, it helps to have clean, sanitary equipment each and every time. This is discussed in depth in Part 1 of this series. If you’ve just stumbled upon this article, I recommend starting from the - [Best Grind Setting for Grains](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/28/best-grind-setting-for-grains/) - It pays to listen to your grist, it can tell you a lot about your brew day before you ever mash in, if you look and listen to what it is telling you. Do not underestimate the importance of a good crush and the pitfalls of a bad crush on brew day. Your brewing efficiency - [Planning Your Hops Yard for Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/15/planning-your-hops-yard-for-home-brewing/) - Growing hops at home is a great way to expand the brewing hobby, practice a green thumb, and have fun in general. It is cheap to get started, and also saves money on each batch, though it does take up time like everything else in brewing. Hops is a perennial and produces new vines annually - [How to Plant Hops for Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/20/how-to-plant-hops-for-home-brewing/) - Planting hops is a straight forward process. This article will walk you through what to consider when planting your hops. If you have not done so already, see our article on planning out your hops yard. You will need an area that is sunny, has good drainage, high quality soil, and a place for the - [Mashing, Thick or Thin?](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/22/mashing-thick-or-thin/) - One variable that all-grain brewers may not consider is mash thickness and how it affects efficiency and wort quality. It turns out adjusting the water to grain ratio in the mash might help. Increasing efficiency in all-grain brewing reduces the amount of grain required to reach your target OG, thus reducing the cost of your - [Calculators updated, water chemistry added](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/14/calculators-updated-water-chemistry-added/) - All our calculators were overhauled today, some bugs were fixed (thanks to those of you who pointed them out). The main thrust of the technical work for the last month or so has been the water chemistry calculator. We just launched that today and a related article that explains water chemistry in beer. We hope - [Cleaning and Sanitization Tips](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/21/cleaning-and-sanitization-tips/) - Consistency is the Virtue of Home Brewing Part 1: Cleanliness One of the most frequent comments heard about home brewed beers is “this guy brewed a batch of really good beer, this one time...” meaning he never managed to duplicate the feat. Consistency is the first, best virtue of a home brewer. Being able to - [Hops Rhizomes Have Arrived](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/07/hops-rhizomes-have-arrived/) - This year I am planting some new hop varieties out front of the house. The rhizomes for my new Hallertau and Kent Goldings arrived last week. I'll be posting more information about planting them, designing the trellis, caring for them, harvesting, and using them! Here is what hops rhizomes look like when they arrive in - [Brew Day Checklist for Extract Recipes Posted](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/08/brew-day-checklist-for-extract-recipes-posted/) - Dear fellow brewmeisters and brewmistresses, We have just posted a new PDF file for download. It is a checklist of steps in the beer brewing process for extract based recipes. You can find it by linking to it in the upper right corner of the site or clicking on this link: Brewday Checklist. This one - [Brewing Made Easy – By Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/05/17/brewing-made-easy-by-joe-fisher-and-dennis-fisher/) - Brewing Made Easy – By Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher From the First Batch to Creating Your Own Recipes This 90 page book is a simple introduction to brewing ales at home using liquid or dry malt extract. Steeping grains are highly recommended by the author. Not being an advanced book it will get you - [Kegging Beer Natural vs Forced Conditioning](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/03/01/kegging-beer-natural-vs-forced-conditioning/) - Kegging your home brew is a great way to save time. If you like draft beer you will love kegging your own brew. There are two basic methods for conditioning kegged beer. The choice depends on how soon you need the beer or if you want to conserve CO2. With natural conditioning, you prime the - [Introduction to RIMS and HERMS](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/22/introduction-to-rims-and-herms/) - This article explains the basic difference between RIMS and HERMS systems. Both are advanced setups for home brewers where mash water (wort) is circulated through a heating system. The benefits include clearer wort, higher efficiency, and an impressive looking setup that helps automate the brewing process and leads to consistency. The difference between RIMS and - [Add Thermometer Probe to HLT MLT Cooler](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/15/add-thermometer-probe-to-hlt-mlt-cooler/) - Instructions for adding a thermometer to your hot liquor tank (HLT) or mash lauter tun (MLT). This makes a handy addition, it is cheap to do (~$16), and improves temperature accuracy. Lets face it, brewing is an art and a science. Science in itself requires certain controls and measurements to be executed effectively. This is - [Boot Shaped Beer Glass](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/14/boot-shaped-beer-glass/) - Ever since I saw the movie Beerfest, I wanted a boot shaped glass to drink out of. That day has finally arrived. This was a Valentine's day gift to me from my wife. She is great! It has a Bavarian crest on the front, suitable for the home brew German lagers I intend to load - [Mashing and Lautering Basic Concepts](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/02/08/mashing-and-lautering-basic-concepts/) - Mashing and lautering are terms used in all grain beer brewing to describe how brewers go from malted grain to wort in the kettle. Mashing is the process of of creating sweet wort. We are lucky because in today's world we start off with malted grains. Malting is a time intensive process best done on - [Order Hops Rhizomes Soon](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/31/order-hops-rhizomes-soon/) - Thinking of growing hops? Now is the time to start ordering rhizomes for 2009. They sell out fast so order soon. Planting happens in the spring time. In the first year the yield will be small. Only in the second year does the plant really take off and yield up to several pounds of hops. - [Bulkhead for Cooler style Mash / Lauter Tun](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/12/bulkhead-for-cooler-style-mash-lauter-tun/) - If you are converting a cooler into a mash / lauter tun this guide will show you how to install a bulkhead and ball valve. On the outside of the cooler, a ball valve attaches to a bulkhead. The bulkhead passes through the wall of the cooler. On the inside it connects to the manifold - [Extremes of the BJCP Guidelines 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/12/12/extremes-of-the-bjcp-guidelines-2008/) - The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) puts out a set of style guidelines for beer, mead, and cider. Across the categories of beer there is a wide variation in average alcohol content, bitterness, and color. This article examines the average for OG, FG, ABV, IBU and SRM for the beer categories and reports the maximum - [Choosing a Kettle for All Grain Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/10/choosing-a-kettle-for-all-grain-brewing/) - If you are going all-grain, you are likely a pretty serious brewer. Eventually you will want to do 10 gallon batches. Even if you are not ready for 10 gallon batches, when going all-grain, it is recommended to jump straight to the 15 gallon size kettle. With a 10 gallon kettle you are limited to - [Munich Helles Lager - Spaten Clone (Extract)](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/15/munich-helles-lager-spaten-clone-extract/) - Makes an excellent light lager, but not an American light lager, slightly maltier and more bitter. Very drinkable beer, easy on the palate but not watered down at all. Helles means 'light' in German. This is pretty close to Spaten. Target Volume (Gallons) 5 Total Cost $33.35 Yield (ounces) 630 Cost per 12 oz bottle - [Pick the Correct Size Secondary Fermenter ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/11/15/pick-the-correct-size-secondary-fermenter/) - Oxygen is the enemy of beer after fermentation. The main cause of oxidation in beer is exposure to oxygen when racking or bottling. Another culprit is the head space in the secondary fermenter. Make sure to use the smallest size secondary fermenter possible as not to expose the beer to oxygen in the head space. - [Do It Yourself Immersion Wort Chiller Instructions](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/13/immersion-wort-chiller/) - After reading about the benefits of wort chillers and seeing the prices I took it upon myself to build an immersion wort chiller. It takes about 30 minutes and a trip to the hardware store. No special tools are needed beyond a crescent wrench. An immersion chiller works by taking advantage of the cool underground - [Break Even Cost of Home Brewing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/06/07/break-even-cost-of-home-brewing/) - The economics of home brewing are almost as pleasing as drinking the final product. If you just want to make ales, you can break even after only four batches. Some starter kits are so cheap, you can break even after less, but the more 'tools' the more fun and the easier the job becomes. For - [Cost Breakdown of Beer, Home Brewing vs. Commercial](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/31/cost-breakdown-of-beer-home-brewing-vs-commercial/) - The relative cost of commercial beer to the consumer is 70% marketing, packaging, and taxes! It is all because of the hefty price of marketing and packaging that home brewers have a substantial economic edge over large scale breweries. Comparing the breakdown to what home brewers pay for the relative ingredients tells us home brewers - [Brewing Outside on Propane](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/21/brewing-outside-on-propane/) - Brewing outside can be a really fun experience. It saves time for a number of reasons. First, there is is less cleanup to do before hand and afterward. Second, the water boils a lot faster than on a stove. I have waited 45 minutes to boil 3 gallons on a gas stove, but with propane - [When to use a blowoff tube](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/21/when-to-use-a-blowoff-tube/) - For dark beers or beers with a specific gravity greater than 1.060, in my experience, a blow off tube is need to keep from having an overflowing mess. Here is a picture of a porter that is only 24 hours into fermentation. You can see the amount of gunk on the glass in the head - [Halloween brew](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/10/27/halloween-brew/) - This is pretty spooky looking. Shine a flashlight through all the gunk that builds up on the inside of the carboy when fermenting a dark or high gravity beer! Whoo-hahahaah! If you don't wash it out after racking I bet it gets even spookier! Speaking of spooky, I've been thinking about some ingredients people used - [Glass vs. Plastic for Fermentation](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/12/28/metal-vs-plastic-for-brewing-equipment/) - There is a lot of debate out there regarding glass versus plastic for the fermentation vessel. It is really a toss up and comes down to personal preference. Which is better, a glass carboy or a plastic bucket as a fermenter? In terms of cleaning, buckets are way easier. However plastic buckets seem to hold - [German Kolsh Ale, 2008 ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/10/04/german-kolsh-ale-2008/) - White labs offers a Klösh yeast for making a German ale. It is not as robust as a lager, this beer is light and a bit sweet. It's a respectable easy drinking beer. If you want to lighten it up even more (like Budweiser or Coors), try substituting a pound of rice solids in place - [Brewing Up a Business - By Sam Calagione](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/12/brewing-up-a-business-sam-calagione/) - Brewing Up a Business- By Sam Calagione Adventures in Entrepreneurship from the Founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery In this combination auto biography, business account, and brewery guide Sam Calagione, lays down what challenging the big American breweries is like and his mission to redefine of beer to public. It was not an easy path, - [English Pub Bitter, 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/07/english-pub-bitter-2008/) - I wanted to try making something similar to the run of the mill beer in England. I found out from this batch, most of the flavor differences are due to the hops and yeast. Everyone who tried this beer really liked it. Target Volume (Gallons) 5 Total Cost $33.18 - [Per Batch Miscellaneous Item Costs](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/27/per-batch-miscellaneous-item-costs/) - When calculating the cost of a batch of beer, it is easy to overlook the little items like sanitizer, bottle caps, clarifier, priming sugar, and specialty items like burton/gypsum salts or Irish moss. For those of us who keg our beer, don't forget we have to pay for CO2 recharges every couple of years. For - [English Pub Bitter II, ESB - 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/12/21/english-pub-bitter-ii-esb-2008/) - This was the second attempt at an English Pub Bitter, and it is actually more like an Extra Special Bitter (ESB) this time given the IBUs at 43+. I am very happy with the results, the beer is definitely bitter, but not flooring. It has a nice malty flavor, a pretty deep golden hue, and - [Recording Keeping For Extract Brewers](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/12/07/recording-keeping-for-extract-brewers/) - Most beginning brewers start with malt extract. Compared to all grain brewing there is a lot less to track, but it can still be overwhelming at first. Our Brew Day Sheet for Extract Recipes will help you to make sense of this, and brew more consistently. The most basic thing to track at first is - [Expired yeast was a dud](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/11/23/expired-yeast-was-a-dud/) - I have only had one bad experience with expired yeast. It was White Labs Southern German Lager. I found out after I got home it was about 6 months out of date! I made up a normal starter using a half pound of DME and 4 pints of water (half gallon), to get a gravity - [Lagering At Home Video](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/11/03/lagering-at-home-video/) - This video shows you what an in home lagering setup looks like. Also includes a look at corny kegs and the temperature controller needed for fermentation of a lager. The beer being fermented is a Munich Helles! - [Money Saving Tips - Hops Utilization Factor](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/11/02/money-saving-tips-hops-utilization-factor/) - Minimizing costs and maximizing beer is a wonderful thing to put into practice. This post discusses the idea of getting more bittering potential from hops. With hops going for $32/pound this is worth paying attention to. Alpha acids in hops are isomerized into bitter flavors during the boil. The utilization factor is a number that - [Homebrewing for Dummies - by Marty Nachel](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/10/25/homebrewing-for-dummies-by-marty-nachel/) - Homebrewing for Dummies - by Marty Nachel A Reference for the Rest of Us! Covers everything from A-Z in brewing. A good text if you only had one book to buy and were a raw beginner. Some of the specialty chapters are worth checking too and go way beyond a what you might expect from - [Amarillo and Brown Sugar IPA, 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/10/12/amarillo-and-brown-sugar-ipa-2008/) - Amarillo hops impart a citrus grapefruit note to the aroma and flavor of the beer they are used in. This IPA recipe highlights the Amarillo hops and creates an IPA that is fairly mellow compared to some of the stronger IPAs. This recipe is quite complex and deviates a bit from standard recipes. Using 6 - [Orange American Hefeweizen II, 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/10/05/orange-american-hefeweizen-ii-2008/) - After brewing my first orange hefeweizen about two months ago I wanted to fine tune the recipe. This time I used sterling hops instead of cascade to reduce the biterness. Some people mentioned it was pretty bitter (not a bad thing for me). I had originally set out to replicate the Eugene City Brewery's Honey - [Orange American Hefeweizen, 2008](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/06/orange-american-hefeweizen-2008/) - The Eugene City Brewery has a honey orange wheat beer that inspired me to brew this. This beer is much heavier in flavor and body, which I ended up liking better. You can still drink a ton of it one setting, and it was perfect for my bachelor party. The coriander comes through really nicely - [Barley Wine, 2008 Recipe](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/10/barley-wine-2008-recipe/) - I will brew Barley Wine every spring so it is ready by winter. Next time I will try using champagne yeast a few days into the primary fermentation to get the final gravity down. Extra hops would help give it a more awesome bitter flavor. A full wort boil would also get the utilization of - [Malt Extracts - Liquid vs Dry](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/04/05/malt-extracts-liquid-vs-dry/) - Liquid Malt Extract (LME) and Dry Malt Extract (DME) can produce a very noticeable difference in the taste and body of beer, holding yeast, hops, temperature, and other variables constant. In general, bulk LME will produce a beer that is darker, and retains a sweet caramel flavor. This may be desirable depending on the style - [Hops Alpha Acid Table](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/14/hops-alpha-acid-table/) - Alpha Acids from hops contribute to the bitterness in beer. During the boil alpha acids are isomerized and increase international bittering units (IBUs). This site has an IBU calculator. Hops also contain beta acids, which contribute to aroma only. The more alpha acids the more bittering potential per ounce. For example, one ounce of Northern - [The Homebewer's Answer Book – By Ashton Lewis ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/09/27/the-homebewers-answer-book-–-by-ashton-lewis/) - The Homebewer's Answer Book – By Ashton Lewis Solutions to Every Problem, Answers to Every Question Pickup this book after you have been brewing for several months to fill in some gaps in your knowledge and open the door to new ideas. The book is compact in size but thick. It is not suitable to - [The Complete Handbook of Beers and Brewing – By Brian Glover](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/16/the-complete-handbook-of-beers-and-brewing-–-by-brian-glover/) - The Complete Handbook of Beers and Brewing – By Brian Glover The beer lover's guide to the world This book is not about home brewing, it is about beer. Every page contains vivid color images of beer labels, bottles, ingredients, production, and people enjoying beer. The first section briefly covers the history of beer, its - [Homegrown Hops– By David R. Beach](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/05/31/homegrown-hops–-by-david-r-beach/) - Homegrown Hops– By David R. Beach An Illustrated How-To-Do-It Manual The book is written by a native to Oregon and a fellow home brewer who decided to start growing his own hops back in the 1980's in the Willamette valley. Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are the best places in the United States to grow hops. - [Beer, Tap Into the Art and Science – By Charles Bamforth ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/31/beer-tap-into-the-art-and-science-–-by-charles-bamforth/) - Beer, Tap Into the Art and Science – By Charles Bamforth If you want to know everything about the history of beer, the processes of brewing, and the chemistry behind each of the ingredients this is the book. It is full of interesting facts and quotes about beer, yet it is a very serious approach. - [Standards of Brewing - By Charles W. Bamforth, Ph.D, D.Sc. ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/30/standards-of-brewing-by-charles-w-bamforth-phd-dsc/) - Standards of Brewing - By Charles W. Bamforth, Ph.D, D.Sc. A Practical Approach to Consistency and Excellence For a home brewer who likes numbers and math, it is a fairly interesting peek into what brewing for a living looks like. Lots of details about how to test ingredients for quality. Making consistent beer every time - [Brewing the World's Great Beers - By Dave Miller ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/03/brewing-the-worlds-great-beers-by-dave-miller/) - Brewing the World's Great Beers - By Dave Miller A step-by-step guide This was the most balanced book I could find on how to brew beer at home. Some books go into too much detail about all sorts of things such as PH, water balance, and yeast cell counts. This book mentions those concepts briefly - [Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John J. Palmer ](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/08/02/brewing-classic-styles-by-jamil-zainasheff-and-john-j-palmer/) - Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John J. Palmer 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew Browsing through the 80 recipes in this book was a great source of inspiration for my next batch of home brew. If you can't decide what to do next, pick up this book. There is bound to be something - [Extreme Brewing - By Sam Calagione](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/26/extreme-brewing-by-sam-calagione/) - Extreme Brewing - By Sam Calagione An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home This book contains 25 fun and 'extreme' beer recipes. The introduction surrounding the makeup of ingredients is well done and more detailed than most books. This book contains a lot of photography and the images are excellent. The intro to - [Healthy Fermentation Video](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/27/healthy-fermentation-video/) - This video shows you what healthy ale fermentation looks like. It is an IPA, with OG 1.06, after three days in the primary fermenter. - [The Homebrewer's Garden - By Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher](https://www.brewersfriend.com/2008/07/19/the-homebrewers-garden-joe-fisher-and-dennis-fisher/) - The Homebrewer's Garden - Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher How to easily grow, prepare, and use your own Hops, Malts and Brewing Herbs If you have ever considered growing hops, barely, or herbs this is a wealth of information. The book also contains 29 recipes that call for some of these exotic and historical ingredients. ## Pages - [home](https://www.brewersfriend.com/) - Brewer's Friend is a complete homebrew beer recipe designer with brewing software, calculators, brew day planner, journal & more. Helping you brew your best, every time! - [Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/) - Optimize your homebrew with our free pitch rate calculator and yeast starter calculator. Calculate the ideal yeast pitch for any beer style and improve fermentation consistency. Accurate, easy-to-use yeast calculators for brewers of all levels! - [Mash Chemistry and Brewing Water Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash-chemistry-and-brewing-water-calculator/) - Whether you are a brewer looking for a tool that allows you to calculate a resulting water profile based on a source water profile and salt additions or a brewing water expert who wants to figure out the amount of slaked lime needed for optimal alkalinity precipitation, this tool has you covered. It is designed to be simple and intuitive to use yet sufficiently accurate in its implementation of the underlying chemistry. - [Brewing Water Chemistry Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/water-chemistry/) - Water chemistry calculator for beer brewers targeting certain mineral levels. Calculates balance of flavor ions and checks for harmful levels. - [Hydrometer Temperature Adjustment Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/hydrometer-temp/) - Use our Hydrometer Temerature Adjustment Calculator to show actual specific gravity, correcting for the sample wort temperature & the hydrometer's calibration. - [IBU Calculator Beer Bitterness](https://www.brewersfriend.com/ibu-calculator/) - Use our IBU Calculator to show how bitter your beer will be given up to six hops additions. It works for all grain, partial mash and extract style recipes. Sign up for a free Brewer's Friend account & get brewing! - [Brewer's Yeast By Fermentis](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-fermentis/) - Name ID Attenuation Flocculation Optimum Temp Alcohol Tolerance Safale – English Ale Yeast S-04 Medium Medium 59-75 °F Medium Safale – American Ale Yeast US-05 Medium Medium 59-75 °F Medium Safale – American Ale Yeast US-56 Medium Medium 59-75 °F Medium Safale – German Ale Yeast K-97 Medium Medium 59-75 °F Medium Safbrew – Specialty - [Brewhouse Efficiency Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewhouse-efficiency/) - Reports beer mash extraction efficiency in percentage terms and points per pound per gallon (ppg). Useful for all grain beer brewers to calculate their actual efficiency at extracting sugars from the grain during the mash. Enter the amount of wort collected, the gravity measurement, and the grain bill. - [Home Brew Bottling Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/bottling-calculator/) - Use this bottling calculator to figure out how to bottle beer in a variety of bottle sizes, or a mix of different size bottles. Just enter your total volume and the number of each size bottle to check your results. - [All Grain OG, FG, ABV Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/allgrain-ogfg/) - Calculate original gravity, expected final gravity and expected alcohol by volume. Enter your volume of wort collected, batch size, grain bill, efficiency and yeast. Reports pre boil OG, OG, FG and ABV. - [Homebrewing for Beginners: How to Make Beer at Home](https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrewing-for-beginners/) - An illustrated tutorial for beginning homebrewers including equipment needed and techniques for brewing your own homebrew beer. - [Other Brewer's Dry Yeast](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-other/) - Other brands of Dry Yeast Name Attenuation Flocculation Optimum Temp Alcohol Tolerance Coopers Ale Medium Medium 65-75 °F Medium Doric Ale Medium-High Medium 62-72 °F Medium Edme Ale Med-High Medium 62-70 °F Medium Munton and Fison Medium High 64-70 °F Medium Back to the yeast page - [Beer Priming Sugar Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/) - Calculate precisely how much priming sugar to add at bottling time (bottle priming) for your home brewed beer. Works with a variety of priming sugars. - [Brewer's Yeast by White Labs](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-whitelabs/) - Ale Yeast by White Labs Name ID Attenuation Flocculation Optimum Temp Alcohol Tolerance California Ale Yeast WLP001 73-80% Medium 68-73 °F High English Ale Yeast WLP002 67-70% Medium 65-68 °F Medium German Ale II WLP003 73-80% Medium 65-70 °F Medium Irish Ale Yeast WLP004 69-74% Med-High 65-68 °F Med-High British Ale Yeast - [Brewer's Yeast by Danstar Lallemand](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-danstar/) - Danstar – Lallemand Dry Yeast Name Attenuation Flocculation Optimum Temp Alcohol Tolerance Nottingham Ale Yeast High High 57-70 °F Med-High Windsor Ale Yeast Medium Medium 64-70 °F Medium Diamond Lager High High 50-59 °F Medium Munich Dry Wheat Yeast Med-High Medium 64-70 °F Medium Back to the yeast page - [Brewer's Yeast by Wyeast](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-wyeast/) - Ale Yeast by Wyeast Name ID Attenuation Flocculation Optimum Temp Alcohol Tolerance German Ale 1007 73-77% Low 55-68 °F 11% American Wheat 1010 74-78% Low 58-74 °F 10% London Ale 1028 73-77% Med-Low 60-72 °F 10% American Ale 1056 73-77% Med-Low 60-72 °F 10% Irish Ale 1084 71-75% Medium 62-72 - [Terms](https://www.brewersfriend.com/terms/) - This page contains information on Terms of Service and Privacy. Please read this page carefully. Last updated Apr 8, 2021 TERMS OF SERVICE The following terms and conditions govern all use of the BrewersFriend.com website and all content, services and products available at or through the website. This Website is owned and operated by BrewersFriend.com. - [Brix Conversion Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brix-converter/) - Our Brix Conversion Calculator will convert Brix to Specific Gravity and Specific Gravity to Brix, calculating ABV (alcohol by volume) in dry wines. - [Home Brewed Beer Calculators](https://www.brewersfriend.com/stats/) - No matter how or what you're brewing, we've got you covered. Here you'll find a variety of tools and calculators to help you brew with total confidence. - [Alcohol By Volume ABV Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/) - Use our ABV Calculator to show alcohol by volume based on gravity change & eliminate the guess work. Sign up for a free Brewer's Friend account & get brewing! - [Brewer's Friend T Shirt](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewers-friend-t-shirt/) - The Brewer's Friend T-Shirt is now available for everyone, even those who didn't place a pre-order. They are incredibly comfortable and very soft - [Extract to Base Grain Conversion Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/extract-to-base-grain-conversion-calculator/) - [How to Determine your Refractometer’s Wort Correction Factor](https://www.brewersfriend.com/how-to-determine-your-refractometers-wort-correction-factor/) - When taking a refractometer measurement of wort, the Brix reading is not necessarily accurate. What is obtained is the Brix WRI (wort refraction index). Only after dividing the Brix WRI by the wort correction factor is the actual Brix known. It is helpful to know that Brix and Plato are nominally the same to 3 - [Force Carbonation Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/force-carbonation-chart/) - Force carbonation chart and instructions for carbonating beer in a keg with a cylinder of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a regulator. - [iPhone App Information Page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/iphone-app-information-page/) - Brewing with total confidence. The details make the difference between an average batch of home brew and a truly excellent brew that is repeatable. This app is a beer recipe calculator, brew session tracker, and brew log - all on your iPhone. We offer a fully featured free iPhone app which supports recipes, brew sessions, - [Color Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/color-calculator/) - [Brewer's Friend Banners](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewers-friend-banners/) - Banners and ads for Brewer's Friend - [Android App Information Page](https://www.brewersfriend.com/android-app-information-page/) - Brew with total confidence. The details make the difference between an average batch of home brew and a truly excellent brew that is repeatable. This app is a beer recipe calculator, brew session tracker, and brew log – all on your Android device. We offer a fully featured Android app which supports recipes, brew sessions, - [LME & DME Conversion Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/lme-dme-conversion-calculator/) - [Gyle and Krausen Priming Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/gyle-and-krausen-priming-calculator/) - [Advertise with Brewer's Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/advertise/) - [Beer Charts](https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-charts/) - Charts to help in your home brewing process and understanding of beer: Beer Style Charts: Beer styles range in alcohol, color, bitterness and original gravity / final gravity. Beer Styles - ABV Chart Beer Styles - IBU Chart Beer Styles - OG/FG Chart Beer Styles - SRM Chart Infographics: Infographic: How Far Will Home - [Refractometer Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/refractometer-calculator/) - [Plato To SG Conversion Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/plato-to-sg-conversion-chart/) - Convert between between Plato and SG (specific gravity) with the following chart. For home brewing purposes Brix and Plato are essentially interchangeable (same out to 3 decimal places). Equations: SG = 1+ (plato / (258.6 - ( (plato/258.2) *227.1) ) ) plato = (-1 * 616.868) + (1111.14 * sg) - (630.272 * sg^2) + (135.997 * - [Brewing Water Target Profiles](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-water-target-profiles/) - [Advanced Water Calculator Release History](https://www.brewersfriend.com/advanced-water-calculator-release-history/) - [Brewing Efficiency Chart](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewing-efficiency-chart/) - For visual thinkers, this diagram is very helpful in understanding the many types of brewing efficiency: This diagram illustrates where extract (i.e. efficiency) is lost starting with the grain and ending with the dissolved extract in the fermenter. Conversion efficiency is based main on mash temperature, crush, mash thickness, and pH. After that, efficiency can - [Beer Color Calculator SRM](https://www.brewersfriend.com/srm-calculator/) - [Keg Carbonation Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/keg-carbonation-calculator/) - [Batch Statistics for Extract Base Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/extract-ogfg/) - [Chaptalization Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/chaptalization-calculator/) - [Partial Mash Steps and Checklist](https://www.brewersfriend.com/checklist-partialmash/) - This checklist contains the steps for brewing partial mash recipes. We designed this sheet so we would remember things that are easy to forget, like adding brewing salts, or writing down pre-boil gravity. Enjoy! Click Here To Download the PDF Brew Day Checklist Sheet for Partial Mash Based Beer Recipes Get the Adobe PDF reader - [BIAB Brewing Checklist](https://www.brewersfriend.com/biab-brewing-checklist/) - This checklist contains the steps for Brew in a Bag (BIAB) all grain brewing. The sheet is is tailored to the BIAB method, as opposed to our standard All Grain checklist. By using this sheet, you will remember things that are easy to forget, like adding brewing salts, or writing down pre-boil gravity. Enjoy! Click - [All Grain Brewing Checklist Procedure](https://www.brewersfriend.com/checklist-allgrain/) - This checklist contains the steps for brewing all grain beer. The sheet is is tailored to the batch sparge method, but it will work with other variations too. We designed this sheet so we would remember things that are easy to forget, like adding brewing salts, or writing down pre-boil gravity. Enjoy! Click Here To - [Printable Resources for Home Brewers](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewdaysheets/) - At Brewer's Friend you can find helpful brewday checklists and recipe templates on the following subjects: All Grain Brewers: All Grain Recipe Template - All grain recipe template. Contains information on grain, mash schedule, water chemistry, hops, yeast, batch vital statistics, cost, and notes. Useful before the brew for planning, during the brew for recording - [Beer Recipe Template for All Grain](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewday-allgrain/) - This tool will help brewers organize and document everything they need to brew successfully using all-grain techniques. Without keeping good records you have no way of replicating results or troubleshooting a bad batch. Click Here To Download the PDF Brew Day Sheet for All-Grain Based Beer Recipes Get the Adobe PDF reader How to use: - [Dilution And Boiloff Gravity Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/) - [Quick Infusion Calculator for Mashing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/quick-infusion/) - [Mash Infusion and Rest Schedule Calculator](https://www.brewersfriend.com/mash/) - [Features and Pricing](https://www.brewersfriend.com/pricing/) - [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.brewersfriend.com/faq/) - [About](https://www.brewersfriend.com/about/) - Brew your very best, every time. Fun and free brewing resources, calculators, and software. A complete recipe designer, brew day planner, and journal. - [Wine Calculators](https://www.brewersfriend.com/wine-calculators/) - The following wine calculators are helpful in the process of making wine from grapes, or any fruit wine: Wine Calculators: Brix and Specific Gravity Conversion Calculator- Converts Brix to Specific Gravity and vice versa. The Brix scale is commonly used in wine making. Specific Gravity is commonly used in home brewing. Some hydrometers have only - [Beer Tasting Sheet Party Printout](https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-tasting-sheet-party-printout/) - To throw an awesome beer tasting party check out this printable beer tasting sheet! It is simple enough that anybody can use it. At the same time it teaches good beer tasting form such as evaluating appearance and smell before drinking. Click Here To Download the PDF Beer Tasting Party Sheet Get the Adobe PDF - [Archives](https://www.brewersfriend.com/archives/) - [random](https://www.brewersfriend.com/random/) - [Feedback welcome!](https://www.brewersfriend.com/feedback-welcome/) - [Beer Recipe Template for Extract Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewday-extract/) - The Brewer's Friend recipe template organizes and documents everything you need to brew successfully. Great for beginning brewers and experienced brewers who want to improve their recording keeping. Very helpful for replicating results or troubleshooting a bad batch. This brew sheet was tailored by an experienced brewer to help you get the most out of - [Partial Mash Recipe Template](https://www.brewersfriend.com/brewday-partialmash/) - The Brewer's Friend printable recipe template organizes and documents everything you need for partial mash brewing. Great for beginning brewers and experienced brewers who want to improve their recording keeping. Partial mash brewing is an easy and cheap way to bridge the gap towards all grain brewing. Click Here To Download the PDF Recipe Template - [Brewing Checklist for Extract Based Recipes](https://www.brewersfriend.com/checklist-extract/) - The checklist is perfect for beginning brewers. It contains all the steps for brewing an extract batch of beer. This sheet guides you through planning your recipe, getting setup, the actual brewing, racking, bottling, and all the way to enjoying the final product. Click Here To Download the PDF Brew Day Checklist Sheet for Extract - [Tell Your Friend](https://www.brewersfriend.com/tellfriend/) - [Home Brew Yeast Profiles from Popular Companies](https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast/) - Popular brands of brewer's yeast are cataloged here. Wyeast Makers of high quality liquid yeast sold in smack packs. Located in USA, Oregon. White Labs Makers of high quality liquid yeast sold in vials. Based in USA, offices in California and Colorado. Safale / Fermentis Popular dry yeast from France. Danstar / Lallemand Popular dry - [Thanks](https://www.brewersfriend.com/recipesubmitthankyou/) - Thank you for submitting your recipe! Good luck! Some parting thoughts: RDWHAHB - "Relax. Don't Worry. Have a home-brew." "Give a man a beer, he wastes the rest of the day. Teach a man to brew, he wastes the rest of his life." -- Unknown - [Other Ingredients](https://www.brewersfriend.com/other-ingredients/) - These ingredients can be used to clarify beer, fine tune the water hardness, flavor the beer, add certain textures, or be that secret ingredient in a holiday brew. Clarifiers: Gelatin Fining agent, used to clarify beer. Dissolve 1 tsp in warm sanitized water, cool, then pour into secondary fementer after racking. 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