Mead Making Tips from Michael Fairbrother
The BeerSmith blog recently featured a video interview with the founder of Moonlight Meadery, Michael Fairbrother. As I’m planning on making my first mead, I thought I’d share some of the mead making...
View ArticleI Forgot To Add Campden Tablets To My Wine!
I started a 5 gallon batch of raspberry wine yesterday and I had to wait until the batch cooled down to add the Campden tablets...and I forgot. I pitched the yeast last night and about an hour later I...
View ArticleBottling Day: Steam Freak Captian Cogsworth Coffee Stout
Last night I bottled the Steam Freak Captain Cogsworth Coffee Stout. This brew requires a somewhat unusual bottling process, so I’ll walk you through it. The objective: add the coffee and the priming...
View ArticleDo Wine Fining Agents Need To Be Stirred?
First of all, your wine making articles are great. One answer I have not seen in your posted articles is whether to stir fining or clearing agents multiply times after adding them in wine. Your article...
View Article5 Beer Recipe Kits for Winter Homebrewing
In a lot of ways, winter is high brewing season. For many, it's time to get the brew kettles out and the beer recipe kits on the way. Not only do the lower temperatures encourage us to hibernate, they...
View ArticleThanksgiving Is About Togetherness... And A Bottle Of Wine.
In my own humble opinion, nothing describes Thanksgiving better than the word togetherness. Whether it be with family, friends, co-workers or someone you just met, being together is what seems to make...
View Article10 Home Brewing Gift Ideas For The Holidays!
It’s that time of year to start thinking about home brewing gift ideas for your favorite homebrewer. With so much equipment and ingredients to choose from, where do you start?The best way to figure out...
View ArticleLeigh Erwin: What I've Learned
Hi everyone!My, oh my, that mead experience was somewhat of a fiasco. I’m so done talking about it, though today I will mention just a few things I learned from that experience, and what I hope to do...
View Article3 Ingredients, 3 SMaSH Beer Recipes
For those of you who have never heard of a SMaSH beer recipe, SMaSH is an acronym used in homebrewing for single malt and single hops. A SMaSH beer is a beer brewed using only one variety of malt and...
View ArticleHow Do You Make Brandy?
Hi You All,My name Charles, I live in NC, I have been making wine for about 7 years and have made all kinds, by the way you all got a great web site, what I would like to know is how do you make...
View Article5 Gallons of Apple Juice, Three Hard Cider Recipes – Part 1: Pasteurization &...
One of the benefits of joining a homebrew club is that you’re often exposed to group events and discounts. My local homebrew club does an annual cider pressing at a local cidery. This year I picked up...
View ArticleThen Benefits Of Wine Kits vs. Fresh Grapes
What is the going opinion of making wine with fresh grapes and crushing them, as opposed to using a wine kit? Is one better than the other by default, or would you say either method can produce...
View Article5 Reasons to Love Partial Mash Brewing
Sometimes partial mash brewing gets a bad rap. Some think that the only way to make good beer is by brewing all-grain. On the contrary, you can make good beer with malt extracts and some specialty...
View ArticleMy Homemade Wine Is Too Sweet. What Can I Do?
I made 2 batches of wine one of Blackberry/Raspberry and the other Blueberry/Raspberry/Cranberry. Although they have a great flavor they are way to sweet, can I add some more yeast to get them to...
View ArticlePartial Mash Brewing Day: Captain Cogsworth Coffee Stout
This weekend I brewed my latest homebrew recipe kit from E. C. Kraus: Captain Cogsworth Coffee Stout.Though I often brew all-grain, I enjoy other methods of making beer. For example I like partial mash...
View ArticleLeigh Erwin: Bottling My Mead
Hi everyone!Bottling day for the mead is (finally) here! I’ve been through quite a lot with this wine. I think I ended up racking it at least 3 times to not much avail, then finally figured out that...
View ArticleBelgian Abbey Single Recipe (Extract with Specialty Grains)
If you’re a fan of Belgian Abbey beers, you’ve probably heard of dubbel, tripel, and witbier. But what about Belgian Abbey single? If you like these beers you'll love brewing the Belgian Abbey single...
View ArticleMold On Top Of Wine Cork
A friend gave me a bottle of homemade wine and the top of the cork is green and fuzzy. Is it still safe to drink?Name: LoisState: NY ----- Hello Lois,Having mold on top of the wine cork of your...
View Article10 Home Brewing Tips For The Beginner
Are you getting ready to brew your first batch of beer? While the idea of home brewing may be intimidating, don’t let it keep you from making the leap. Here are ten home brewing tips for beginners to...
View ArticleAdding More Color To Wine
How can I give my red wine more color? I'm new at wine making. Jerre M. — TN ----- Hello Jerre,Adding more color to your wine is something that is easy to do when you are making it. The color...
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