Which is better, bottling or kegging? It’s one of the great homebrew debates, right up there with extract vs. all-grain and batch sparging vs. fly sparging. Both bottling and kegging have their advantages and disadvantages, and both can be onerous…
Editor’s Note: “So I Married a Homebrewer” appeared in the September/October 2007 issue of Zymurgy. “How’s the marriage going?” It’s an odd question, really, but I doomed myself to forever encounter it by writing a story about my betrothal to a homebrewer.…
Over the past few decades, beer has reclaimed its rightful place as both ingredient and accompaniment in private and professional kitchens. Beer for deglazing a pan, steaming mussels, mopping a roast, or providing substance to a beef stew has long…
Originally published in the May/June 2011 issue of Zymurgy magazine. [Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Brewing Better Beer, recently released from Brewers Publications] Just as a chef must understand the products he or she works with in order…
Originally published in the May/June 2011 issue of Zymurgy magazine. When the first prehistoric humans stumbled across the miracle of fermentation, it was viewed as a sacred process—a gift from the gods. For most of human history, beer has been…
By Ginger Johnson The word sustainability is thrown around almost recklessly these days. What does it mean? It means being a good steward to the planet, which is precisely why the beer community is an ideal group of already engaged, passionate…
By Drew Beechum With but a little twist I think we can fit the classic anthem of “Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate’s life for me” to the typical modern homebrewer. Admit it, you carry a little of that piratical “damn…
Originally published in the May/June 2010 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access all Zymurgy magazine issues through 2000 from your computer and mobile devices. Fruit beer has been brewed for hundreds of years in ancient pre-hopped brews and most famously as…
By Ted Hausotter Many of us started extract brewing because it is faster and easier than all-grain brewing. It is never more evident than when you brew four extract brews while making just one decoction mash all-grain brew! In this article, we…
Originally published in the March/April 2010 issue of Zymurgy magazine. When homebrewers want to venture away from Reinheitsgebot approved ingredients or traditional beer styles, one of the first places many turn to is another favorite beverage: coffee. Coffee shares many of…
by Laurie Yadon Early in 2007, fellow Oregon Brew Crew member Jeffry Fisher convinced me to brew beer with him in his kitchen. “It’s just cooking,” he said, “and you love to cook!" He had brewed a few times before; I had…
By Josh Pfriem Brewing classical lager beers is a balancing act that allows you to unleash delicate and subtle flavors while showing off beautiful raw ingredients. To drink a well-made German lager is like experiencing a well performed symphony; it is…
