Skip to content

Hardcore Mild

  • Speaker: Adam Stine
  • Track: Beer Styles
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Mild ale is a style with a long, sometimes confusing history. It’s rare to find commercially brewed milds in the US, so homebrewers who want a pint of mild often need to brew it themselves. Luckily, it’s a relatively quick and inexpensive style to brew at home. Mild ale can…

Read More

Hold My Beer and Watch Me Science!

  • Speakers: Denny Conn Drew Beechum Malcolm Frazer Marshall Schott
  • Track: Other/Misc.
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Join Denny Conn and Drew Beechum from Experimental Brewing, along with Marshall Schott and Malcolm Frazer from Brülosophy, for this panel discussion. Learn how citizen science can improve your brewing and help you discover what works and what doesn’t. Questions will be taken and are encouraged!

Read More

Homebrew Disrupts American Beer: A Live Interview with Charlie Papazian

  • Speakers: Charlie Papazian Chip Walton Tom Dalldorf
  • Track: Historical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Join Charlie Papazian as he reveals the events and ideas in his life that helped immerse millions of homebrewers in the disruptive revolution of homebrewing. Homebrewing changed how the world views beer and will continue to be the leading edge of beer's evolution. Tom Dalldorf and Chip Walton will join…

Read More

Homebrew Worldwide: An International Panel

  • Speakers: Brian Condron Chip Walton Gaston Rivera Lai I Jie & Miguel Loza Peter Symons
  • Track: Other/Misc.
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Join moderator Chip Walton of Chop & Brew and a panel of international homebrewers to discuss our hobby and the global homebrewing culture from many different perspectives. Learn how homebrewers from other countries overcome challenges related to supplies and equipment, work with indigenous and popular styles, and brew beer on…

Read More

Ice Cider

  • Speaker: Jeremy Olsen
  • Track: Alternative Fermentation
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Ice cider is a delicious but uncommon cider style. This seminar reviews the history and origins of ice cider and discusses tips and techniques for making it at home. Learn about apple juice selection, the freezing process, fermentation, and post-fermentation adjustments to make your own ice cider.

Read More

In It to Win It: Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Competing Your Way to Better Beer

  • Speakers: Derrick Flippin Dexter Garner
  • Track: Clubs & Competitions
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

With great beer comes great awards! Learn how homebrew competitions can improve your beer and ultimately make you a better brewer. Find out how to maximize your chances at winning gold from two highly successful competition brewers who have a history of going against each other, tooth and nail, to…

Read More

Lager Yeast Strain Selection for Style, Flavor, and Aroma

  • Speaker: Kevin Lane
  • Track: Yeast & Fermentation
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

There are many lager strains available on the market and a number of diverse lager styles. Selecting the correct right lager strain for your goals is the first step towards brewing your best lager ever. This seminar analyzes different lager styles and helps homebrewers learn the yeast selection criteria needed…

Read More

Lagers to Lambic: Hard Stuff the Easy Way

  • Speakers: Brian Hall Derek Springer
  • Track: Brewing Process
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Lager, lambic, high-gravity, low-gravity, fruity, and funky—it’s enough to make your head spin! Many brewers might believe that certain styles are out of reach, requiring techniques accessible only to the brewing elite. But these “challenge” styles are within your grasp and easier than you think! Join bloggers Brian Hall of…

Read More

Liquid Time Capsules

  • Speakers: Dr. Patrick McGovern Ken Schramm
  • Track: Historical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

In this two-part seminar, Patrick McGovern and Ken Schramm take us on a fascinating, fermented journey through time. Dr. McGovern brings the past alive with spicy, fruity, and malty aromas and flavors unearthed in his new book, Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created. Then Ken explains why we are living in…

Read More

Maintaining Quality after the Brew Day

  • Speaker: Warren Haskell
  • Track: Technical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

This presentation focuses on quality from keg to glass. With all the time and effort we spend making our beer, let’s make sure we serve it with equal care! Kegerators, keezers, jockey boxes, and party taps are common equipment, and its important to know how to properly clean and maintain…

Read More

Mastering Mead

  • Speakers: Curt Stock Matthew Weide Steve Fletty Steve Piatz Thomas Eibner
  • Track: Alternative Fermentation
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota is home to seven of the last 12 AHA Meadmakers of the Year: Curt Stock (2005), Steve Fletty (2007 and 2016), Steve Piatz (2008), Thomas Eibner (2009 and 2012), and Matthew Weide (2014). Join a panel discussion with these award-winning meadmakers and learn about their signature meads. Meads from…

Read More

My Milkshake Brings All the Boys to the Yard: Brewing New England IPAs

  • Speakers: Brian Hall Malcolm Frazer
  • Track: Beer Styles
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

New England Style IPA (NEIPA) showcases some of the best hop flavors and aromas to be found in beer, and it’s growing in popularity. Ed and Brian will shed light on this hazy, sometimes-controversial style and discuss the recipe formation and brewing techniques you need to create the crushable hop…

Read More

Oaking Levels in Traditional Mead

  • Speaker: Susan Ruud
  • Track: Alternative Fermentation
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

This seminar demonstrates how aging Traditional Mead on oak can drastically change its flavor and perceived sweetness. Four Traditional Meads will be served: one that hasn’t been oaked at all, along with three that have been aged on the same kind of oak for different lengths of time.

Read More

Origins and Evolution of Australian Sparkling Ale

  • Speaker: Peter Symons
  • Track: Beer Styles
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Australian sparkling ale is in the 2015 BJCP Guidelines as Category 12.B., and now is a great time to explore this style in depth. This seminar includes details of brewing techniques across different eras and how these techniques might have influenced the flavors and development of Australian sparkling ale. Recreations…

Read More

Pairing Beer: How Does Your Palate Approach, Taste, and Pair Beer?

  • Speaker: Adam Dulye
  • Track: Sensory Analysis
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Taking a sip of beer might seem as common as a blue sky, but what is the first thing you think about when you taste it? In this seminar, we will dive into the two main palate approaches to tasting beer, discover how each defines a pairing, and learn how…

Read More

pH in the Home Brewery

  • Speaker: Tasty McDole
  • Track: Brewing Process
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

We’ll follow pH in the brewhouse from water to beer. Topics will include the definition of pH, brewing software and pH control, and the importance of pH in brewing water, mash, kettle, and the finished beer.

Read More

Recipe Development with Dangerous Man

  • Speakers: Alxndr Jones John Leingang Rob Miller
  • Track: Recipe Formulation & Improvement
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Join the staff of Dangerous Man Brewing as they delve into the myriad ways to build a recipe. Whether it’s a nod to tradition, a twist on an old favorite, or a completely unique approach to an ale or lager, Rob, John, and Alxndr will offer their insights. Challenge your…

Read More

Saluting the Ancient Purveyors and Preservers of Beer! Brewing on the Borders of Greek and Roman Dominion

  • Speaker: Travis Rupp
  • Track: Historical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Ancient sources discuss beer as an invention of the barbarians of Northern Europe and the savages of the Near East. This presentation explores those peoples of Northern Europe known to have produced and preserved beer culture under Roman and Greek oppression. Travis Rupp will explore ancient brewing conventions of British,…

Read More

The Big Mo: Molasses Beer, America’s Forgotten Beer Style

  • Speaker: Frank Clark
  • Track: Beer Styles
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Early Americans often made their beer without malt—they used molasses instead! Why would they do this, and what kinds of beer did they make? Join beer historian and master of historic foodways Frank Clark as he explores America’s forgotten beer style, molasses beer! This beer was one of the most…

Read More

The Critical and Often Overlooked Spec: Final Gravity

  • Speaker: Brennan Greene
  • Track: Technical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

This seminar highlights the importance of final gravity (FG) to various beer styles and discusses how to achieve target FGs. Commercial brewers and homebrewers often don’t pay enough attention to FG, but doing so and adjusting accordingly can greatly improve the quality of your beer. We will discuss mass-produced light…

Read More

The Dinosaur in My Beer: 250 Million Years of Homebrewing History

  • Speaker: Dr. Andrew Farke
  • Track: Historical
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

You probably know the historical origins of brewing in early human civilization, but our favorite ingredients also plant their roots back in the Age of Dinosaurs. Paleontologist Andy Farke will time travel with seminar participants, munching hops with Triceratops, tracing the connections between malting and bird evolution, and more! You…

Read More

Use of Dry Yeast for Fermentation and Bottle Conditioning

  • Speaker: Jennifer Helber
  • Track: Yeast & Fermentation
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

The advantages of dry yeast are often misunderstood and discounted by homebrewers, but experience in a commercial brewery demonstrates the consistency of performance, especially for bottle conditioning. With the introduction of new varieties, dry yeast is a great tool for homebrewers! Join Jennifer Helber as she discusses the best practices…

Read More

Using Trees in Unsual Ways to Create Unique Flavor Profiles

  • Speakers: Aaron Kleidon Marika Josephson
  • Track: Ingredients
  • Homebrew Con 2017
  • Minneapolis, MN

Using maple, hickory, juniper, and oak trees as guides, we describe how to create unique flavors from leaves, bark, sap, nuts, buds, berries, and branches. We’ll discuss historical uses of each tree and the different ways they add complexity to beer. We’ll also describe how to harvest different tree parts,…

Read More

A Timeline for Sour Beer: How to get the Flavors you Want, When you Want Them

  • Speaker: Brian Hall
  • Track: Brewing Process
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

This seminar's focus will be on attaining a wanted flavor profile without the all the fuss, specifically in Lambic and Berliner Weisse styles. Does age always matter? How does an imagined profile become reality when brewing wild beers? This presentation will look at traditional versus modern production—how to produce what…

Read More

Beers That Flunked The Reinheitsgebot— Or How to Brew with Ingredients from Your Yard Without Killing Your Neighbors

  • Speaker: Stan Hieronymus
  • Track: Ingredients
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

Brewing with ingredients from the garden, yard, and nearby woods is older than the famous German beer purity law. Learn about using cultivated ingredients or foraged ingredients—even yeast collected in the wild—to make beers that are as pleasant to drink as they are to talk about. You’ll learn tips on…

Read More

Big Party, Big Money

  • Speakers: Scott Hackett Scott Michaels
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

Celebrate your business with a party, invite customers to take part, and have a ginormous sales day. We'll show store owners how to plan and throw a big shindig for around $200 and collect 30 times as much in sales the same day. It's fun, it's profitable, and it's a…

Read More

Blind Tasting: Sensory Development for the Homebrewer

  • Speaker: Sean Coughlin
  • Track: Sensory Analysis
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

Removing preconceived bias from sensory evaluation will make for a more powerful learning/tasting experience. We will focus on sensory description along with the triangle test and how it can be used by the discriminating homebrewer.

Read More

Brew Naked! (One Gallon at a Time)

  • Speakers: Chris Horton Jennifer Indicott
  • Track: Brewing Process
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

Learn the process and benefits of ultra-small batch brewing. One gallon batches are perfect for those with limited brewing and fermentation space. For those with larger brew systems that want to dial in recipes or experiment with ingredients, this is the perfect way to do so at minimal cost. One…

Read More

Brewing Grisette and Saison: Insight from Historical Records and Modern Producers

  • Speaker: David Janssen
  • Track: Historical
  • Homebrew Con 2016
  • Baltimore, MD

This presentation will look at historical information, focusing on the industrial revolution to modern times, to better understand the history of grisettes (a historical beer style which disappeared in the mid-1900s) and saisons. We will discuss historical production methods, characteristics of historical versions, similarities and differences between these two beers,…

Read More