exBEERiment | Kettle Hops: Muslin vs. Polyester Filter Bags In An American IPA

Author: Steve Thanos

Nearly every style of beer is known for possessing some level of bitterness to balance out malt sweetness, and this primarily comes from the isomerization of alpha acids that occurs when hops are added to the boiling wort. Once the boil is complete, brewers aim to transfer clean wort to the fermenter, hence many rely on some form of hop filtration, a common option being fabric bags.

A popular material used for hop filter bags is muslin, a lightweight and flexible cotton fabric with a relatively loose weave that allows wort to easily flow through. Given its absorbent quality, some believe using muslin hop bags can reduce overall hop character in beer, which is of particular concern when making IPA. For this reason, many brewers opt for bags made of polyester, which in addition to being more durable and less stretchy than muslin, is almost completely non-absorbent.

I’ve used both muslin and polyester bags extensively in my brewing, usually going with whatever is most readily available when my wort reaches a boil. While I can’t say I’ve noticed either as being better or worse than the other, I was curious if the different materials might have a perceptible impact on a hoppy IPA and designed an xBmt to test it out.

(more…)

Short & Shoddy | Festbier

Author: Will Lovell

In October 2013, my wife and I met up with some friends for a road trip through the Bavaria region of Germany where in addition to visiting many castles and monasteries, we attend the biggest beer party in the world– Oktoberfest. I saw some pretty wile things on that trip, from oxen rotating on a spit to pretzels that were bigger than my head. I also consumed a rather large quantity of delicious beer.

Märzen was the traditional beer served during Oktoberfest, but by the late twentieth century, it had been largely replaced by Festbier, a paler lager with a bit more strength. The purported impetus for this shift was to offer drinkers a less complex and thus more drinkable alternative, and while I remain a fan of Märzen, I definitely associate the fall season with Festbier, which the BJCP describes as:

A smooth, clean, pale German lager with a moderately strong malty flavor and a light hop character. Deftly balances strength and drinkability, with a palate impression and finish that encourages drinking. Showcases elegant German malt flavors without becoming too heavy or filling.

Since returning from that trip to Bavaria, I’ve enjoyed having a keg of Festbier on tap to align with Oktoberfest, though time unfortunately got away from me this year and I was unable to make one using my standard approach. It was the first week of September, which gave me about a month to go from grain-to-glass, so I threw caution to the wind and decided to see what I could get away with in that timeframe!

(more…)

exBEERiment | Impact Chemical Stabilization Has On A Back-Sweetened Berry Hard Cider

Author: Will Lovell

More similar to wine than beer, hard cider is fermented apple juice, which when left alone, is perceptibly dry with a touch of tartness. As preferable as these characteristic are to some, many desire a bit more balance, which is often achieved through back-sweetening, a process that involves adding some type of sweetener to the fermented cider prior to serving. 

A major concern when it comes to back-sweetening hard cider is re-fermentation, which has led to the development of a number of methods including the use of non-fermentable sweeteners, like xylitol and Stevia, and heat pasteurization. However, a growing trend involves stabilizing the fermented cider with chemical agents, namely sulfites and sorbates, prior to adding any fermentable sweeteners.

While recently planning a batch of hard cider, I recalled a conversation I had with a friend about back-sweetening, particularly his thought that cold storage might render yeast incapable of re-fermentation. Curious to see for myself, I designed an xBmt comparing cold storage alone to chemical stabilization with sulfites and sorbates prior to back-sweetening a hard cider.

(more…)

The Hop Chronicles | Talus LUPOMAX (2021) Pale Ale

Author: Mike Neville

Known for contributing a unique combination of citrus, floral, wood, coconut, and pine characteristics to beer, Talus originally hit the market in 2020, and the response from brewers has been largely positive. More recently, Haas released a LUPOMAX version of this modern variety, which given its higher concentration of lupulin, allows brewers to use less while achieving the desired pungency.

Alpha: 9.5%
Beta: 8.3 – 10.2%
Cohumulone: 34 – 39% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 2.0 – 2.7 mL/100g
Myrcene: 45 – 55%
Humulene: 15 – 20%
Caryophyllene: 6 – 10%
Farnesene: 0.1 – 1%
Linalool: 0.2 – 0.4%
Geraniol: 1.5 – 2.5%
ß-Pinene: 0.7 – 0.9%
Parentage: daughter of Sabro and open pollination

Given how new it is, my experience with Talus has been limited, but overall, I’ve enjoyed what it imparts to hoppy American Pale Ale and IPA. When I learned Haas would be releasing a LUPOMAX version, I was excited to see how it’d do on its own in a simple ale.

(more…)

exBEERiment | Impact Flaked Maize Has On A British Golden Ale

Author: Mike Neville

Malted barley is the primary source of fermentable sugar for beer, though as any experienced brewer is well aware, there are a number of alternative grains, one of which is corn. In its standard dry form, corn requires a cereal mash to make the starches contained therein available to the enzymes, which given its lack of diastatic power, typically comes from barley malt. However, flaked maize, or what some refer to as corn flakes, goes through a gelatinization process that ultimately allows it to be added directly to the mash.

Commonly associated with mass market American lager, corn has been used in various styles of beer since the dawn of brewing proper. In the UK, British Golden Ale was developed to compete with the popular commercial lagers of the day, hence it is intended to be light, crisp, and very drinkable. One way some brewers did this was to include a decent portion of corn in their recipes, an approach likely adopted from the very lager breweries they aimed to emulate.

I’ve used flaked maize a number of times over the years, though it’s usually been when I’m making styles like American Lager or Cream Ale. With a past xBmt showing tasters were able to reliably distinguish an American Lager made with flaked maize from one made with all barley malt, I was curious of the impact it might have on a more characterful British Golden Ale and designed an xBmt to test it out.

(more…)

Brü It Yourself | Rooted In Tradition Root Beer

Author: Will Lovell

I’m not sure how it happened, I can barely recall when it happened, but apparently at some point, I promised my neighbor’s kids that I’d make them a batch of homemade root beer. While I blame this lapse in memory on the multiple Dos-A-Ritas I consumed with my buddy, making scratch root beer didn’t seem too difficult, so as a man of my word, I accepted the challenge and dove into researching the various approaches.

As it turns outs, root beer isn’t as simple as I originally presumed, and I learned some interesting stuff about this delicious soda. While I was aware a number of interesting ingredients are used to make traditional root beer, sassafras is what I always associated with it, though commercial use of the actual root bark was outlawed by the FDA in 1976 due to it possessing potential carcinogenic properties. In its place, soda makers were able to use sassafras extract, which is said to contribute similar flavors.

Considering how little sassafras is used to make a batch of root beer, along with the fact nobody would be consuming massive amounts of it, I threw caution to the wind and opted to use the real deal for this batch. I also picked up some sassafras extract to use in future batches for comparison, but for this initial go at root beer, I went the more traditional route. Conveniently, I was able to source all of the ingredients from Amazon, and once everything was in my possession, it was time to whip up my first batch of Rooted In Tradition Root Beer!

(more…)

ProBrü exBEERiment | Impact Crowler Storage Has On American IPA

Author: Marshall Schott
Brewer: Crow & Wolf Brewing Company

There’s little question that the freshest, highest quality beer comes straight from the tap at the place it was brewed, though not everyone wants to consume their favorite beer on location. For this reason, most breweries offer options for customers to take beer off premises, and a vessel that’s grown rapidly in popularity over the last few years is the Crowler.

Developed in 2002 out of a partnership between Oskar Blues Brewery and Ball Corporation, the Crowler is a hybrid that offers the light and oxygen impermeability of cans with the ability to contain a higher volume of beer, like a growler. While arguably more ideal than other options, Crowlers are typically filled by running beer into them direct from a faucet, creating a vector for exposure to oxygen, which is of particular concern for more sensitive styles like IPA.

Like any quality brewery, Crow & Wolf wants their customers to have the best experience possible with their product, which is one reason they use Crowlers. While kicking it with the brewers from CAW recently, we started talking about our experiences with Crowlers over the years, both good and bad, and our focus quickly shifted to shelf-life, specifically as it pertains to hoppy IPA. It was at his point we agreed to stop with the presumptions and designed an xBmt to test it out for ourselves.

(more…)

The Hop Chronicles | Cascade LUPOMAX (2021) Pale Ale

Author: Will Lovell

Released in 1971 by Oregon State University’s hop breading program, Cascade quickly rose in popularity and is often credited as the variety that ultimately spurred the craft beer boom. Known for imparting beer with notes of grapefruit and pine, Cascade is synonymous with American craft beer, and Haas’ LUPOMAX version promises to deliver even more pungent character with less vegetal matter.

Alpha: 12.5%
Beta: 6.0 – 7.5%
Cohumulone: 30 – 35% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 0.8 – 2.5 mL/100g
Myrcene: 45 – 60%
Humulene: 14 – 20%
Caryophyllene: 5 – 9%
Farnesene: 6 – 9%
Linalool: 0.3 – 0.6%
ß-Pinene: 0.5 – 0.8%
Parentage: Open seeding, Fuggle mother

Like most brewers, Cascade holds a special place in my heart and I’ve used it numerous times over the years. When Haas announced they were releasing a LUPOMAX version of this classic hop, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some!

(more…)

exBEERiment | Grain Comparison: Chit Malt vs. Carapils In A Blonde Ale

Author: Steve Thanos

When judging to the BJCP guidelines, foam is listed under the category of appearance, which may send the message that its only purpose is making a beer look pretty. However, as many experienced drinkers are wont to point out when receiving a headless pint of American light lager, foam serves as a sort of delivery system for the underlying beer’s aromatic qualities.

While all beers are brewed using the same basic ingredients that contribute the building blocks of foam, there are certain factors that may limit head formation and retention. For this reason, maltsters have created products targeted specifically at improving foam and body, one of the most popular being Carapils, a light dextrin malt that’s produced in a similar fashion as other crystal/caramel malts. Another option that’s received attention of late is chit malt, which is barley that has gone through a reduced germination phase and thus retains many of its “raw” characteristics that are said to contribute to foam, body, and haze stability.

Like many brewers, I relied heavily on Carapils when I first started brewing, trusting wholly the claim that it positively contributes to foam quality. Then, when a past xBmt showed a beer made without this popular malt actually had better foam than one made with it, I began to question veracity of these claims and look for an alternative, which is when I discovered chit malt. Curious how they compare to one another, I designed an xBmt to test it out!

(more…)