Tag: homebrew

Chop & Brew # 34: Bad Ass Saison with Nathan Smith

By on March 1, 2015in beer education, homebrew, video

Our homebrewing friends at Chop & Brew are back in the Bad Ass Brewery with a bad ass guest host and co-brewer – Nathan Smith! Nathan is an awarding-winning homebrewer who calls the Bay Area home, but he’s originally from Minnesota — which is why he’s such a great brewer, of course. During a recent trip home, the Chop & Brew krewe invited Nathan to take the helm of the Bad Ass Brewery. The result: a split-batch of saison, lessons on mash efficiency, making brew day changes on the fly, and some schooling on farmhouse ales.

Some other recent Chop & Brew episodes that homebrewers may appreciate:
Episode 33 – Belgian Dark Strong Ale (Part 2)
Brewing with New Hop Varieties (Nathan Smith presentation from NHC 2014)

Chop & Brew #22: John Kimmich from The Alchemist

By on March 30, 2014in beer education, breweries, brewpubs, Features, general beer, history, homebrew, video

It’s not MN Beer officially, but likely something that will interest beer lovers and homebrewers here in the Upper Midwest. In this episode of the locally-produced Chop & Brew webshow, a discussion and Q&A with John Kimmich, head brewer at The Alchemist in Vermont, famous (infamous?) for the traders’ cult favorite Heady Topper. In this hour-plus video, John discusses not only his personal journey into and through craft brewing, he also offers homebrew-friendly advice and insight on all elements of brewing specifically as it relates to brewing hoppy beers. Footage shot in October 2013 while visiting Nashville, TN for the Music City Brew Off — which will be the focus of an entirely separate future episode of Chop & Brew. For Heady Topper recipe and other related links to the episode so this link to official episode page.

We also slacked a bit on posting the prior two episode of Chop & Brew in separate posts. So here they are in handy-dandy hyperlink form:

C&B 20: Homebrew Video Nerds Unite Two homebrewing videographers chat about their obsession with documenting brew days and what role video plays in the current landscape of homebrewing.

C&B 21: Meet the Brewer: Mino Choi Mino Choi is an award-winning homebrewer, winemaker and meadmaker. Join us for a gold-medal flight of his amazing fermentations and get some tips and tricks from one helluva competition fermentationist.

Chop & Brew #19: NYC Homebrew Tour

By on February 1, 2014in beer education, beer travels, Features, general beer, homebrew, tours, video

In this episode of Chop & Brew, we hit the road from the Twin Cities to New York City for the NYC Homebrew Tour. The C&B crew join beer journalist Joshua M. Bernstein and dozens of beer tourists as they visit three homebrewers and their homebreweries in Brooklyn. Maybe some day soon, we’ll see soemthing like this in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area? Check out the Official Episode page at Chop & Brew’s website for information on the tour, three homebrew recipes, and C&B merch like t-shirts, stickers and ringtones.

Chop & Brew #16: Wyeast 1217 West Coast IPA

By on November 27, 2013in beer education, general beer, history, homebrew, video

In this Chop & Brew Roundtable episode Chip, DonO and Dawson taste and discuss several IPAs fermented with Wyeast 1217 West Coast IPA (Private Collection strain for Sept-Dec 2013). The conversation focuses on the characteristics and usage of Wyeast 1217, but also includes discussion of the new high-alpha German hop Polaris and American hop EXP 5256; as well as the importance of malt bills to and general techniques for hop-forward (and malt-balanced) IPAs. Check out official episode page for homebrew recipes for the three beers discussed.

John Palmer Book Signing at Northern Brewer MPLS

By on September 20, 2013in homebrew

water“How to Brew” author John Palmer will be at Northern Brewer in Minneapolis on Monday, September 23rd from 5-7pm to celebrate the launch of his latest book, “Water.” “How to Brew” ranks right up there with “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.” Stop by Northern Brewer’s Minneapolis location to get a signed copy of the book and talk water with John!

“Water chemistry is a complex and daunting topic- often the most difficult and least understood element of brewing even though it accounts for roughly 95% of your beer. Understanding your water is the final piece of the brewing puzzle. The ultimate challenge.”