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Party Star Mini-Keg Overview
A very overdue review of the Party Star mini-keg system: how to carbonate beer, how to dispense beer with and without tap system, demonstration of set up and use. This is a great 1 gallon system that is perfect for gifts, picnics, taking to a social or outdoor event, and to you local homebrew club meeting.
You can find all the Party Star products in our kegging supplies category!
~Cheers!...
NEW 1 Gallon Homebrew Bundles!
BCMS is excited to offer several 1 gallon homebrew bundles to all of us brewing nano-batches. These bundles are inspired by you, our customers, with whom we have had countless amazing conversations about what you are brewing. These bundles are in-store exclusives and you will not find them on our website or anywhere else!
Beginner Brewer Bundle
Includes everything a new or returning brewer needs to start brewing beer, hard cider and seltzer, and more!...
| 2.0 Gallon Bucket |
| 2.0 Gallo |
Hop Spider vs Hop Tube
Alissa reviews this fast selling hop tube which has a number of advantages over the hop spider that has been popular for many years. The fine mesh will prevent large particles from blocking bev out dip tubes, pumps, or chillers. It will hold approximately 5 oz of hop pellets, allowing for some space to permit full extraction of the hop oils. Ideal for dry hopping in the keg and can also be used for fruits, wood chips, spices and more. The stainless steel chain makes it perfect for easy retrieval...
Lallemand LalBrew Wildbrew Philly Sour Yeast
WildBrew™ Philly Sour is a unique species of Lachancea selected from nature by University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Philly Sour produces moderate amounts of lactic acid in addition to ethanol in one simple fermentation step. This first yeast in the WildBrew™ series is a great choice for innovative, sessionable sour beers with refreshing acidity and notes of stone fruit.
With high attenuation, high flocculation and good head retention, WildBrew™ Philly Sour is an ideal yeast for...
BrewZilla All Grain Brewing System With Pump - The Mash Out and Boil
GFHBer Kim takes you through the step-by-step process of mash in on your new BrewZilla !
Read the BrewZilla Gen 3.1.1 Instructions here!
Watch the previous video blog The Mash here.
~Cheers!...
BrewZilla All Grain Brewing System With Pump - The Mash
GFHBer Kim takes you through the step-by-step process of mash in on your new BrewZilla !
Read the BrewZilla Gen 3.1.1 Instructions here!
Watch the previous video blog The Setup here.
Watch the next video blog The Mash Out and Boil here.
~Cheers!...
BrewZilla All Grain Brewing System With Pump - The Setup
GFHBer Kim takes you through the step-by-step process of setting up your new BrewZilla so that you are ready to go on brew day!
Read the BrewZilla Gen 3.1.1 Instructions here!
Watch the next video blog The Mash here!
~Cheers!...
Why More Women Should Brew Beer
This blog is written about home brewing from my perspective as a woman. As is my nature, I did some research and asked friends for input about brewing their own beer. My fellow home brew club member sent me an article from Brulosophy. It was a 2020 home brew survey that broke down several interesting demographics. The one that was relevant here was about the percentage of women that home brew. It showed a shocking 1 percent. He also shared that the percentage of women in our club of ov...
Using A Counterflow Wort Chiller To Conduct Reverse Step Mash (The Grainfather)
Let's talk about wort chillers! Most home brewers are familiar with the trusted immersion chiller. This is a tried and true method of cooling a wort relatively quickly. During the summer months when the tap water is not very cold I will use a second immersion chiller in a bucket of ice to get the water as cold as possible before it reaches the immersion chiller in the brew kettle. (Full disclosure; I use the same immersion chiller during the summer in combination with my counterflow wort chiller...
Wort Aerator and Difusser
Increase dissolved oxygen in your wort without having to rock or shake a heavy fermenter. Attach this aerator/diffuser to the end of your transfer tubing when filling your fermenter. Also works similar to a fly sparge when connected to the recirculation pipe on many all in one systems. Great addition to The Grainfather or Mash & Boil with Pump! Works with 3/8" tubing without modification.
Buy Wort Aerator / Difusser Here!
~Cheers!...
Comparison of The Grainfather and Brewer's Edge Mash and Boil with Pump
We are comparing The Grainfather and Brewer's Edge Mash & Boil with Pump. Both offer similar manual functions which would be an great all in one recirculating system upgrade from brewing with a cooler mash tun. The Grainfather also includes a counter flow wort chiller as compared to the need to buy a conventional wort chiller for the Mash & Boil with Pump. The Grainfather is also completely automated when you use the website and app.
Please watch our series Brewing Gluten Free Beer Using The...
Deluxe Brewcraft Starter Brewery Kit - Gluten Free Beer
Today we are taking an up close and step by step look at all the equipment included in the Deluxe Brewcraft Starter Brewery Kit.
Regardless if you are brewing an extract or all grain recipe, or if you brew in a bag or only need sparge water for your Mash & Boil with Pump or The Grainfather, you can use the equipment included in this kit:
Cleaner (2 oz Alkaline Wash) & Sanitizer (4oz Star San)
Nylon Carboy Brush (27” long)
Nylon Bottle Brush
18 Qt. Stainless Steel Stockpot with Lid
18” Plastic S...
One Of A Kind Bottle Opener By Wind Shadow Flutes
Enjoy this demonstration of the one of a kind bottle opener by Wind Shadow Flutes in Olympia Washington.
Cheers!...
Assessment of Flaked Quinoa PPG & Lovibond
Brewing gluten free beer has been a collaborative effort that has included everyone from the newest home brewer to the most experienced dedicated gluten free brewmaster. We appreciate the enthusiasm the GFHBing community has for sharing what they learn about brewing gluten free beer so that we may continue to improve the mash and brew process, and of course make amazing beer! So of course we were super excited when Aaron from the upcoming dedicated gluten free brewery in San Francisco ...
Porter vs Stout
We are following up with some feedback from our last video blog. A few of you reached out to us and asked us to go into further detail about porter and stout beers. We wrote a lot of notes which we will refer to during the video blog; but since we deviated from what we wrote quite a bit, we included our notes in their entirety here:
We first need to discuss the differences between the porter and stout beer styles. To do this we need to go back to the 1700’s when these beers first appeared. The po...
Suggested Mangrove Jack's Dry Yeast by Beer Style
According to Mangrove Jack’s, beer yeast works in three stages: Lag Phase, Fermentation, and Maturation. After pitching the yeast, a lag period of 12 to 24 hours before active fermentation starts is normal. Vigorous fermentation may take up to 48 hours to occur. The finished beer will reach premium flavor potential after approximately 4 weeks maturation; 1-2 weeks fermentation followed by 2-3 weeks bottle conditioning. However, some exceptions include Lagers, Strong Ales, and Bavarian Wheat beer...
Suggested Lallemand Dry Yeast by Beer Style
According to Lellemand, rehydrating dry yeast is a crucial step to ensure rapid and complete fermentation. The following effects have been observed with non-hydrated yeast under specific brewing conditions: longer diacetyl stand, longer fermentation time, longer lag phase, stuck fermentation, and poor utilization of maltotriose.
The following chart is an excerpt from 'Brewing Catalog' by Lellemand
|
Belgian |
…use… |
Abbaye |
|
Saison |
…use… |
Belle Saison |
|
Amer... |
Suggested Fermentis Dry Yeast by Beer Style
Yeast attributes a lot to the finished beer. Do you want a dry or full bodied beer? Are you making an Ale or a Lager? According to Fermentis, beer yeast is able to produce or contribute to body, mouth feel, flavor and many aromas which could typically be grouped into four categories: neutral, fruity, floral and spicy. But the expression of the yeast onto the final beer depends on factors including pitching rate and fermentation temperature, as well as the effect of oxygen.
The following chart i...
Victoria Grain Mill with Electric Drill
How to connect an electric drill to a Victoria / Corona style grain mill; and a few overviews how to properly use this style grain mill with gluten free or conventional malts.
Cheers!...
Sugar Chart For Home Brewing
Last month we discussed his experience with extract brewing. We thought a good follow up to that video blog would be a chart of sugars frequently used in brewing gluten free beer....
| Sugar | Lovibond | PPG | Fermentability | Typical Usage |
| Brown Rice Syrup 42DE - Clarified | 2 | 1.037 | 75% | Nearly colorless and flavorless; Provides proteins and amino acids necessary for yeast nutrition, head retention and body. High percentage use may result in cidery effect. |
| Brown Sugar - Light | 40 | 1.04 |
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Fermentation
The final episode in our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Boil
The eighth episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Mash
The seventh episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Mill
The sixth episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Malt
The fifth episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Ingredients
The fourth episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Recipe
The third episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - The Equipment
The second episode of our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
Home Brewing Tutorial Series - Introduction
The first in our series of home brewing tutorials is now available on the GFHB YouTube page!
Cheers!...
How To Calculate The Perfect Strike Water For Your Next Mash
So you have tried your hand at an all-grain batch of beer and the math was close but not what you expected. It might be your Strike Water. There are several variables to take into calculation when trying to achieve the target mash temperature, and each as important as the other. The difference between getting to 163.4F and being off a few degrees may affect the efficiency of your mash…and less fermentable sugars for your eager yeast to devour.
Grain Temperature: So, you set your thermostat to ...
16 Herbs and Spices to add Flavor and Aroma to your Homebrew
Early beers were made from not hops, but roots and herbs. Just because we are not brewing medieval beers anymore doesn’t mean we have to stop brewing with herbs and spices. Many of the attributes of modern hops can also be achieved using the right herbs and spices. And many up and coming craft beers, such as Grapefruit IPA, uses the right hops in combination with herbs and spices to get that great flavor profile. Here is a list of the herbs and spices we carry and how they can be used to enhance...
How to weigh hops (or anything) without a scale!
Starting with a one ounce packet of hops, open packet and pour contents onto a work area such as a large plate or cutting board. Divide contents into exactly half. Now you have two half portions of hops, or 0.50 oz. If needed, divide contents again into exactly half. Now you have four quarter portions of hops, or 0.25 oz. Repeat as needed to achieve the desired amounts.
Below is a chart that will help you get to the amount of hops your recipe calls for:
1 = 1.00
1/2 = 0.50
1/4 = 0.25
1/8 = 0.1...
Brew A Great Non-Alcoholic Beer