Contrary to the beliefs of bacon, brisket, and gouda aficionados everywhere, there can be such a thing as too much smoke There’s a temptation to up the ante with smoke—rauchbier with weisswurst (sausage), dense porter with baby back ribs—but many chefs are finding that the sweet spot for beer and smoked food is one of a reciprocal relationship, managing the level of smoke intake for a more pleasurable meal.

The truth is, not all smoke is the same. Chef Isaac Toups of Toups’ Meatery in Mid-City, New Orleans, uses a large variety of woods for smoking various meats and the results demand different beers.… Read the rest “Smoke and a Beer”

By Carly Smith, KBI & Hannah Crum, KBI & Kombucha Kamp

At Kombucha Brewers International^[1],one of our missions is to get people hyped about drinking and making their own Kombucha. Homebrewing beer has its own quirky, nerdy, enthusiastic crowd, and so does Kombucha brewing. We also have our own clubs, social media communities, taprooms, and favorite supply stores. We have much in common, and we invite you to brew your own Kombucha with us!

Whether you’ve never tried it, or you’re a regular Kombucha drinker, we’re here to encourage you to brew your own so you can discover the complex flavors lent by the microbes—along with all the ways to tailor this probiotic brew to your palate.… Read the rest “You’ve Tried Brewing Kombucha, Now Let’s Make it Delicious!”

Beer history is a fragile thing. So much of it has been lost to time because objects, artifacts, and recipes lacked a caretaker at a crucial time. Closings can happen quickly, and beer history is simply swept aside or discarded.

Fast forward to today. Craft brewers are increasingly using their platforms—including beer labels, draught chalkboards, or stories told by staff—to remind their customers of beer’s ties to the past. Many modern craft brewers have chosen to restore and preserve the stories—and beers—of the brewers who have come before them.

Finding a Beer to Celebrate Indiana

For Upland Brewing, the brewery’s 15th anniversary was a reason to delve into Indiana’s brewing history.… Read the rest “Telling Today’s Craft Beer Drinkers the Story of Yesterday’s Breweries”

Mash at 64°C (147°F) and adjust pH to 5.2–5.5. Rest for 60 minutes. If sparging, do so at 75–78°C (167–172°F). Collect enough wort in the kettle to yield 5 gallons (19 L) in the fermenter.

Boil the wort vigorously for 60 minutes, adding the hops, sucrose (table sugar), Whirlfloc, and yeast nutrient as indicated. After the 60-minute boil, lower the temperature to 90°C (194°F), add whirlpool hops, and let steep for 10 minutes before chilling the wort.

Chill wort to 19°C (66°F) and transfer to the fermenter. Aerate thoroughly and pitch the yeast.… Read the rest “Bush Telly Modern Australian Sparkling Ale”

The old principle that beer simply goes with pizza is outdated. People are now putting more thought into these pairings, as they have with the proliferation of superlative pizza offerings. A six-pack of whatever and a pie may no longer suffice, especially when you can find such nuance in enjoying a margherita with Pils, pepperoni with pale ale, or even a Hawaiian with hazy IPA.

The rules for pairing beer with pizza aren’t as definitive as the ones that apply to domestic pizza styles (e.g., Detroit, St. Louis, and Old Forge, Pa.),… Read the rest “Pizza by the Pint”

A reminder to members, update login credentials in the new member log-in portal

If the last time you logged into your member account was before Aug. 25, 2022, your login credentials have changed.

Your new username is the email address associated with your membership account and you need to update your password.

Here’s how to access your online account and get the benefits flowing!

• Update your password by requesting a reset password email
  OR
  Selecting Forgot Password under Account in the top right corner of any HomebrewersAssociation.org page—see the image below:

• You will receive an email message from info@brewersassociation.org with the password reset link.

A winter escape to Fairbanks, Alaska, is as close as most of us non-arctic dwellers will ever get to visiting a distant, civilized planet; one populated by fascinating denizens and bedecked with beautiful, frozen landscapes encircling a cluster of vibrant breweries.

The city’s otherworldliness helps explain the often-quoted slogan of Silver Gulch, the region’s oldest brewery: “Fairbanks, where the people are unusual and the beer is unusually good.”

Fairbanksans are also unusually hospitable, which is fortunate for tourists mystified by the quirks of subzero extremes and miniscule daylight spans. Locals seem to revel in taking visitors under their flannel-clad wings and patiently explaining the wondrous ways in which the laws of physics manifest differently in the Golden Heart City.… Read the rest “Aurora Hunting and Craft Beering in Fairbanks, Alaska”

American Homebrewers Association members can now access the January/February 2023 issue of Zymurgy magazine.

The post January/February 2023 <em>Zymurgy</em> Magazine Now Available appeared first on American Homebrewers Association.

American Homebrewers Association… Read the rest “January/February 2023 Zymurgy Magazine Now Available”