[duncan]

We are excited to announce the Stan Hieronymus will be hosting his second session of Ask the Experts!

Registered AHA Forum users (register for free!) will be able to submit questions to Stan starting Monday, May 12 through Monday, May 26, 2014. Stan will answer your questions on the forum shortly after!

About Stan Hieronymus:
Stan Hieronymus is a professional journalist and amateur brewer who has made beer his beat since 1993. He has written hundreds of articles for periodicals, co-authored four books with his wife Daria Labinsky, contributed to several publications, including 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, and maintains his blog AppelationBeer.com. He has also authored three books for Brewers Publications: Brew Like a Monk (2005), Brewing with Wheat (2010) and For the Love of Hops (2012). His travels have taken him to breweries in every state in the country as well as behind the scenes in internationally famous breweries such as De Sint-Sixtusadij Westvleterten and Private Weissbierbrauerei G. Schneider & Sohn.

Please note: We anticipate a lot of participation in this public Ask the Experts, so be aware that Stan may have to selectively answer questions based on the volume of queries.

[duncan]

Alright everyone...start submitting your questions! You have until Monday, May 26th!

-Duncan

[hoprod]

Commercial hop acreage in non-traditional (outside of the PNW) states is small but growing, with Michigan, New York and Colorado alone now topping 600 acres collectively.  In addition, brewers seem to have a lot of enthusiasm in using locally sourced materials in their beer.   What are your thoughts on the role of these regions in meeting the craft industry's demand for hops as the market continues to grow?  Will they remain niche, or become a bigger player over the next several years?

[kmattingly]

Stan, what do you find are the top differences between successful brewing ventures and unsuccessful ones?  What are the keys that separate the "winners" from the "losers"?

[dkfick]

Dry Hopping - Cold or fermentation temperatures?  Follow up: Dry hop in the primary fermenter or off the yeast in a secondary or keg?

[thebottlefarm]

Have you ever heard of a dry hopping method in which you moisten the hops with 170* water proir to dry hopping, and if so, do you know the reason behind this?
I read about it in an older brewing book, and wondered what value there might be in such a dry hop method.
AO

[ultravista]

Stan - looking for your feedback on candi sugar for Belgians. Do you make your own or prefer to buy off the shelf? If you make your own, please share your process. If buying, explain why.

[ram5ey]

Hi Stan,

When is the best time to make sugar additions such as candidate syrup in Belgian ales?

[jeffy]

Stan,
Years ago I think I remember Charlie P. asking about mosquitoes and beer drinkers.  I can't remember if the question was if the beer drinkers attract or repel the insects, but I think there was some folklore about it one way or the other. 
I recently read that one of the oils in some American hops is geraniol, which is an ingredient in some repellents. 
My question is whether a bunch of hoppy beer drinkers getting together will keep mosquitoes at bay or better yet, will drinking hoppy beers by yourself act as a repellent?
Hoping that hops keep me from swatting,
Jeff

[jeffjm]

Hi Stan -

Is there any recent information that's come to light about the interplay of specific yeast strains and hops?

Thanks!

[rheiskell]

Hey,  I have a brew pot that has a hair line leak is there another method other than welding I can use to patch the leak, that will stand up to the heat and not effect the taste of my beer?

[mchrispen]

Hi Stan,

You talk a lot about beer from a place... which seems fairly literal when describing Germany, England, Wallonia or other small, well recognized regions where all ingredients are fairly close - but not North America. Can you contrast what is happening in the US against other well known regions and the challenges of sourcing truly local ingredients in such a large body of land?

Can you describe a US "beer from a place" example that mirrors the traditional brewery models from history?

[narvin]

Hi Stan!

What are some interesting things you've learned about Belgian (and Trappist, in particular) brewers since you wrote BLAM almost 10 years ago?  This is one of my favorite brewing books, and favorite styles of beer.  How are market conditions affecting the trappists?  Has the beer changed?  Do any new yeast strains or process developments stick out in particular?

Also, I'm going to Belgium in the fall.  What's a can't miss place to see?

[philosofool]

I have a question about simple sugar and dryness of beer. A lot of people suggest using simple sugar to "dry out" a beer.  Obviously, 12 pounds of malt will produce a sweeter beer than 11 pounds of malt and a pound of sucrose. However,

(1) will 11 pounds of malt and a pound of sucrose produce a much dryer beer than 11 pounds of malt (with no sugar)?
(2) will 11 pounds of malt mashed at 149, 60 minutes, be drier than 11 pounds of malt mashed at 152, 60 minute, with 1 pound of sugar in the boil.
and
(3) what about 12 pounds of malt at 149 versus 11 pounds at 152 plus sugar in the boil?

I've always worried that adding simple sugar is just adding alcohol and making it harder to enjoy a few homebrews (too intoxicating) rather than making the beer a whole lot better.

(P.S., I realize that the mouthfeel is an important consideration too, so dryness is just one of many points to keep in mind.)

[tilladam]

Stan,

Any new impressions or insight into the value of mash hopping?.....specifically in regards to flavor contributions?