Ladies of Craft Beer

Posted By: Melissa Ward

When people ask me where I’m from, I tend to be a smartass and say “the entire East Coast.” It’s not completely hyperbolic, seeing that I’ve lived in 5 different states up and down the coast. But while I might proudly call the Philly metro area my home, there will always be a special place in my heart for Upstate NY.

And in Upstate there’s a fantastic city called Ithaca, bordering the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Region. Ithaca has a green reputation, Cornell University (Go Big Red!), and a growing brewery: Ithaca Beer Co., nicknamed “The Spirit of the Finger Lakes.”

I know my Uncle Larry—Cornell alum and Ithaca native for at least 30+ years (probably more)—favors Ithaca’s Nut Brown Ale; a lot of folks in NY do. For me though, I have to hand it to Ithaca’s seasonal offerings and its Excelsior! series. The other day, while perusing the cold case at my local Wegmans (yet another jewel of Upstate NY), I heard a six-pack of Ithaca’s Cold Front, a Belgian Amber Ale, calling my name.

According to Ithaca’s website, “Cold Front is our Belgian-style Amber Ale brewed in autumn to keep us inspired as the days grow shorter and the nights colder. It’s brewed with European Malts and hops and fermented with a legendary Belgian ‘Farmhouse’ yeast.”

Cold Front stands at 7.2% ABV, technically outside the prescribed limits of a “session beer,” but it’s extremely drinkable as a pint or two. The beer pours a deep amber brown with a fluffy white head. A spicy, Belgian yeast aroma erupted from the glass as I poured—I knew this would be good.

Taking a whiff, the nose is chock-full of spice. Taking my first sip, I’m greeted with a deep caramely sweetness with just the hint of dark stone fruit. Cold Front finishes slightly dry, demanding the drinker to take sip after sip.

What I find particularly clever is that Ithaca’s spring seasonal is called Ground Break. It’s a hoppy American Saison that celebrates spring and the waning of winter. As someone who spent five winters in NY, I can appreciate the care Ithaca’s brewers take to remind us that there are good (and warmer!) things around the bend.

Originally posted 2010-10-19 09:05:30.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

Much like the oatmeal your mother encouraged you to eat during the winters of your childhood, oatmeal stouts have been described as “nutritional” in the past, especially for breastfeeding mothers (the practice of drinking stouts while lactating is still supported by many, as seen by a quick Google search).

But oatmeal stouts aren’t just for the ladies—mothers or otherwise—they are an excellent beer for anyone to drink and brew at home.

According to the BJCP Guidelines, oatmeal stouts are a subcategory of stouts (category 13) and have a medium-light to medium-full bodied, creamy mouth feel. Brewers can thank the oats for their beer’s mouthfeel; the grain’s addition to the brew kettle gives this type of stout its recognizable silky texture without adding too much sweetness.

Oats - Photo courtesy of Elements 4 Health

Aroma is rich with coffee and roastiness—most often from the darker malts used, like black patent. Flavor mimics the aroma; oatmeal stouts are described as roasty, malty and sometimes chocolately, depending on the malt bill. Appearance is brownish-black, with a latte-colored head that can be thin-to-thick, depending on the glassware and pour.

Hops are not the stars of this beer, and should be selected to balance the malt; many brewers like to use East Kent Goldings, a traditional hop variety from the UK. More specifically, the IBUs for this style should range from 25-40 for a regular-strength (non-imperial) oatmeal stout.

The amount of oats used in each recipe differs, but most home brewers should shoot for 1-1.5 pounds of oats per 5 gallon batch. Also, something to note is John Palmer’s opinion on cooking oats before adding to the mash.

From his website: Rolled and flaked oats have had their starches gelatinized (made soluble) by heat and pressure, and are most readily available as “Instant Oatmeal” in the grocery store. Whole oats and “Old Fashioned Rolled Oats” have not had the degree of gelatinization that Instant have had and must be cooked before adding to the mash. … Cook according to the directions on the box (but add more water) to ensure that the starches will be fully utilized.

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

If you’re not familiar with this style, it’s always a wise idea to try a few varieties from your local pub or liquor store first to decide what qualities you want to impart in your brew. Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a classic, pouring a deep brown-black with a thick, mocha-colored head and giving off coffee and roast in its nose. But if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, then Stone Brewing Co.’s 12th Anniversary Ale would have done the trick (if you can still find a bottle hidden somewhere in a cellar). This ale was more commonly known as the Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, and it packs an intense flavor punch in the way of dark chocolate, coffee, and roastiness. According to the label, the 2007 hop shortage contributed to the genius of this beer because the brewers opted to use unsweetened chocolate from Chuao Chocolatier for most of this oatmeal stout’s bittering.

For novice homebrewers, it might be best to lean more toward the traditional angle of this style, but if you have a bit of a creative streak, go hell-bent for challenging the style’s guidelines and try adding chocolate, fruit, or even infusions of tea.

Related Posts:

• Cold Front — Ithaca Beer Warms Up to the Cold Nights Ahead
• Saison du BUFF — Victory Brewing’s Herbal Offering
• Women in Beer Series – Melissa Ward
• 5 Tips on Bottling Your Homebrews (and Not Your Anger!)
• BYOB – Bring Your Own Beer

Originally posted 2011-02-07 16:42:25.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

A few weeks ago I dipped into a snifter full of Dogfish Head’s version of Saison du BUFF — a collaboration between DFH, Victory Brewing and Stone. After enjoying that beer (maybe a bit too much), I knew I had to hunt down Victory’s and Stone’s. And luck was with me.

Today I want to share Victory Brewing Co.’s Saison du BUFF. Like Dogfish Head, I’m able to get the majority of Victory’s beers right at my local liquor store, mainly due to the brewery’s closeness — about an hour away.

I had my husband Ray join me in the tasting because 1) that’s what we do, and 2) I’m still recovering from a rather unpleasant cold, which has my olfactory and taste senses a bit muddled. He was my tasting wingman.

Like DFH’s version, Victory’s SDB pours a pale gold with a thin, white head that dissipates fairly quick. The spice is very evident in the nose and a lot of the herbal notes of rosemary, sage and thyme come out—with rosemary taking the forefront. When giving the glass a few swirls to kick up aroma, a bit of barnyard funk comes out, which is a nice touch amidst the herbs and spice.

Ray noticed a light, fruity sweetness to the beer, something he associates with farmhouse ales. He also found the rosemary complimented the citrus in the beer. I had a difficult time recognizing the traditional saison attributes, unlike my first sampling of Dogfish’s SDB. When I looked up Victory’s version, I came across a review that claimed it was “more Prima Pils than saison.” While I agree that this beer is more of another style than a saison, I don’t agree with likening it to a base of Prima Pils. It’s just something … else. And that’s not a bad thing.

If I were to pair this beer with food, I would go for a nice whitefish, like haddock, topped with a not-too-spicy salsa with plenty of cilantro. Ray pointed out that the cilantro would go well with the bright bitterness of the herbs and hops. He also suggested pairing SDB with grilled veggies tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette. Even some bread and the right cheese would go well with this beer.

And finally, yes, I have a bottle of Stone’s Saison du BUFF thanks to a little help from my friends. Stay tuned!

Originally posted 2010-10-11 09:05:14.

Posted By: Stevie Caldarola

As the president of Ladies of Craft Beer, I get the pleasure of meeting many amazing women who are a part of the craft beer industry. Each woman has great stories and amazing insight into the world of craft beer. This has inspired me to start a “Women in Beer” interview series. Whether brewing, blogging, selling, marketing, or advocating craft beer, women from all over the industry will answer the following ten questions to share with your their thoughts and experiences with craft beer. I hope that these little glimpses into the minds of these great women will inspire you.

Cheers!

Melissa Ward is a contributor for Ladies of Craft Beer and an avid homebrewer.

1. What was your first beer experience?

My VERY first was most likely when I took a sip of my dad’s macro lite-beer and I spit it out in the driveway around age 12. My first CRAFT beer experience that I can remember would be the Cherry Wheat from Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Media, at their annual brewfest. So good.

2. If you brew/homebrew, what or who inspired you to start brewing? If not, what do you do in the industry and what or who inspired you to get into it?

My husband Ray and I began brewing because his sister and brother-in-law are hardcore into it, with the intention of opening a brewpub eventually. We watched them on a brew day, and then for Christmas one year they bought us the “nice-to-have” equipment that most first-time homebrewers don’t buy for themselves when starting out. Because I’m a baker and Ray’s a science-guy and we both love to cook, brewing just seemed like the right hobby to share.

3. What is your favorite beer to brew and why? What is your favorite beer to drink and why?

That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. I enjoy brewing beers that have a lot going on—it keeps the brew day exciting. My favorite recipe that I’ve written is for our Bee Sting Ale, a hybrid pale ale. So delicious and refreshing.

As for drinking, I love pale ales and IPAs for the spring and summer. In the fall and winter I look forward to the seasonals, imperial stouts and anything big and bold that will keep me warm.

4. What is/was your favorite beer event to attend, and why?

This year we made it to GABF for the first time and LOVED it! We went with the goal to ONLY try beers we never had before. What a great experience. We enjoy going to SAVOR as well, but I think deep down, the Brandywine Craft Brewers’ Festival will always be my favorite—it was my first major introduction to craft beer by Ray, and I had an amazing time. We’ve gone every year since then (back in 2007) and have an awesome time.

5. Have you taken any tasting and/or brewing courses? What are your thoughts on such courses?

No courses, but we do read publications like Zymurgy and Brew Your Own, and we have a number of brewing books. We tend to be more interested other brewers’ procedures, ideas, etc. For example, we learned A LOT about Stone when we went to Tria Cafe’s Fermentation School class “Get Stoned on Election Day” two years ago. Mitch Steele presented 7 of Stone’s beers and gave us some amazing insight on the brewery. That is the kind of event we look for.

6. What advice do you have for anyone interested in getting into your aspect of the beer industry, whether it be brewing, blogging, etc?

Just do it. Buy the equipment, some books, read some recipes online, snag some brewing software (we use Beer Alchemy for Macs…very useful) and go for it. If your first homebrew is a stinker, try to figure out why, and try again. Have fun with it, and don’t take it TOO seriously.

As for blogging, get an idea of what you want your blog to be about. Bathtub Brewery focuses on our homebrews, offering readers our recipes and tasting notes. It also offers homebrewing advice, our participation in The Session and Fermentation Friday, and posts about our beer travels, cooking with beer, and so on. When we started, we had a rigid schedule of 3 times a week. We did well with this for quite some time, but life happens. Maybe the most important thing was letting ourselves take breaks when needed. When we were ready to talk about beer, the blog would be there.

7. If you brew, what is your latest creation? If you don’t brew, what beer would you want to brew/ want to see brewed?

Our latest beer is the Bee Sting Ale, Redux. We brewed it on Memorial Day and had friends come over to experience the process. I love that beer!

8. What has been your hardest challenge in the industry? What has been your greatest success?

Getting myself out there and networking more. I’m a shy person around people I don’t know. Some nights I can give out a ton of blog business cards, and other nights I don’t even reach in my bag for them. It’s something I want to work on. The greatest success would have to be getting recognition. “You’re the guys from Bathtub Brewery!” It’s great to meet the faces behind the blogs and Twitter. Also, Bathtub Brewery recently participated in Dish on the Fly, where Mary from the Town Dish took a bunch of Philly foodie gifts up to Boston. We were asked to contribute a homebrew, so we offered up our 1+ year aged Barleywine. The brew was passed along to one of the brewers at Harpoon, and I found out later that he REALLY liked it. Score!

9. Tell us your most fun beer story.

A year ago today (11/7) I got married to my best friend and homebrewing partner in the courtyard of Stoudts Brewery. Immediately following the ceremony, we went into the German-style beer hall and threw one kickass party, where we had over 11 beers on tap to choose from, including Smooth Hoperator, Stoudts’ Winter Ale (a hoppy red), Gold (a Munich-style Helles), Pils, Double IPA, Scarlet Lady (an ESB), a robust porter, Stoudt’s Pale Ale, Peppercorn Pumpkin Ale (aka Peppercornhole), Oktoberfest, and for our wedding toast: Old Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout (for me) and Stoudts’ Tripel (for Ray). Then we honeymooned in Denver, one of the other great beer cities in the US.

10. What is your take on the craft beer industry? What is your favorite thing about it? What could stand improvement?

This is an industry that a lot of others could learn from. It’s a place where competitors encourage each other and form a community—they bound together in that “it takes a village” kind of thing. I love this. I love how proud brewers are of what they create, how they’re proud of what others create. And I hope this never stops. I think craft beer is less “industry” and more community.

As for improvement? I think the craft beer crowd just has to keep moving forward. Focus on quality and creativity. The bottom line is important (money buys ingredients and pays salaries), but true success is measured in so many other ways. Never stop, never look back and let’s see where craft beer takes us.

Have a question? Email me here:[contact-form 6 "Untitled"]

Originally posted 2010-11-09 09:05:32.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

When it comes to homebrewing, a lot of people gripe about bottling: about how it’s messy or annoying or frustrating or how it totally ruins your day and leaves you yelling at your partner. Luckily for my husband Ray and me, we’ve never had a major issue with bottling. We have a set procedure that we don’t stray from, and that helps a lot.

To give any of you fed-up homebrewers a hand, or for the newbies that are curious about how to get beer into a bottle effectively, here are 5 tips on how to keep bottling from driving you mad and ending your marriage.

1. Schedule your bottling day. While bottling when the whim hits isn’t necessarily a bad thing, actually putting it on your brewing calendar not only keeps you accountable (hello…we put off bottling a beer for nearly 3 months!), but it ensures that you make time for it and that you have the necessary supplies: bottles, caps and priming sugar.

2. Make sure you have enough bottles for the size of your batch. I know offhand that a 5 gallon batch of beer yields approximately 2 cases of 12 oz bottles, give or take. I also like to include a few 22 oz bottles in the mix, which means I often don’t need the full 48 bottles. Nonetheless, it never hurts to have extra bottles on hand. You can purchase cases of bottles at your LHBS (we’ve gotten them for $13/case) or recycle the craft beer bottles you consume (more on that in a later post).

3. Sanitize your bottles — the easy way! We take unlabeled, non-twist top bottles and place them on all the spokes in our dishwasher’s bottom level. The bottom can usually hold the full 48, but if necessary, you can poke some through the top rack, depending on your dishwasher.

We run a heavy load cycle without soap and turn on the heated dry. This is great because it’s pretty much hands-off, giving us time to transfer the beer from the fermenter to the bottling bucket, boil our priming sugar and sanitize our other equipment. Once the bottles are done, I repackage them into 6-pack cartons to make them easier to handle. (I realize not everyone has a dishwasher, but if you do, try this!)

4. Use a bottling checklist. This will keep you organized and less likely to forget something. We use the following list:

Bottling Check List
1. Calculate the number of bottles needed; remember, a 5 gallon batches yields approximately 2 cases of 12 oz bottles.

2. Sanitize all of the following:
• Bottles
• Bottling bucket
• Siphon
• Tubing
• Brew Spoon
• Sample-taker
• Bottling wand

3. Line up the following:
• Priming sugar (or DME if you prefer)
• Refractometer or hydrometer (for final gravity reading)
• Caps
• Capper
• Sharpie (to label caps)
• Empty beer cartons

4. Dissolve 4 oz priming sugar in 1 cup of water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes,
then let cool to room temperature.

5. Pour boiled sugar into the bottling bucket.

6. Carefully siphon beer into bottling bucket without splashing and introducing oxygen.

7. Gently stir the beer with the sanitized spoon to distribute sugar.

8. Take a sample for the specific gravity reading. Record reading from refractometer or hydrometer.
9. Attach tubing and bottling wand to the spigot.
10. Fill the bottles and place a cap on top.
11. Cap the bottles, placing them back into the cartons
12. Label the caps and store in a cool, dry place. Try a bottle 2 weeks after conditioning. If not ready yet, try again in about a week or two.

5. Assign roles. For Bathtub Brewery homebrewing, I handle the bottle sanitation in the dishwasher, priming sugar prep, filling the bottles, labeling the caps, stowing the cases and washing smaller items. Ray transfers the beer to the bottling bucket, sanitizes all the other equipment we use, caps the bottles, and does the bottle and fermenter cleanup. Once again, it helps to know who is doing what and stick to it!

Using these tips, Ray and I attack bottling with an assembly-line precision, all the while talking and singing along to our favorite tunes. Bottling day is never a tense, unpleasant experience for us, and it doesn’t need to be for anyone else!

Originally posted 2010-11-08 13:56:46.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

Luckily for me, Philadelphia and the surrounding areas are chock full of fantastic BYOB restaurants: Bibou, Cochon, Blackfish … you get the picture. From what I’ve heard, this is also the case in most metro areas. Most folks bring a nice bottle of vino and sit down to an excellent meal, however wine isn’t the only beverage you can bring along. Instead, bring a 22 oz or 375 mL bottle of your favorite craft beer (perhaps a bottle of Dogfish Head’s Red and White?) or even better, some homebrews.

In June 2009, my husband and I had the opportunity to do just that, at one of the best restaurants on the East Coast: Talula’s Table. We had been invited to share the farmhouse table with a collection of friends, and we knew we had some homebrews in 22 oz bottles that we could bring with us to share with the group.

To prepare for a BYOB evening, spend some time reviewing the restaurant’s menu and considering what you have cellared. A great resource on pairing beer and food is Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s book The Brewmaster’s Table. Finding an exact pairing will not always be cut and dry; however if know the beer’s flavor profile well enough, then go with your gut.

For that particular evening at Talula’s, I paired our Dry Humour Dry Irish Stout with the Wild King Salmon, Smokey New Potato Sauce and Red Trout Caviar, and it was a smashing success. I paired a total of four beers; if interested, read about the whole experience (and check out the food porn!)

Almost all BYOB restaurants should be able to accommodate your craft beer and/or homebrews, but be sure to give specific instructions as to temperature, glassware, and pouring (bottle conditioned vs. non). This will ensure the proper serving of your fermentable of choice, which is key to a great meal.

Related Posts:

• Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale
• In Pursuit of Ale—Where Philly’s Women Meet for Beer
• Cold Front — Ithaca Beer Warms Up to the Cold Nights Ahead
• Philly Beer Tour #1
• Homebrewing 101: A Look at Oatmeal Stouts

Originally posted 2010-11-04 12:05:32.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

I amused my husband by translating the French on the Unibroue bottle, “It means ‘something.’”

“That’s it?” he said.

“Yup.”

“Huh. The French.”

You don’t need four years of studying la belle langue Fran§ais to understand that Quebec’s Unibroue has a little somethin’ somethin’ up its sleeves with Quelque Chose. Described as a 50% dark ale, 50% brown ale brewed with cherries, this sweet-and-sour beer stands at 8% ABV. But you don’t notice it (trust me).

Quelque Chose pours a beautiful ruby red with no head, and according to the bottle, the beer has “very little carbonation.” The cherry notes are strong and lovely, but there are also some hints of caramel and plum, which add to the depth of its flavor.

Sharing a goblet of the cherry-drenched libation with my husband, he proclaimed, “This is a ‘start your girlfriend’ beer!” I agreed-for someone who might not know where to start with craft beer, Quelque Chose would be a good choice, but only if the drinker understood that this is a slightly sour beer. I think once that’s out in the open, a new-to-craft-beer gal could really get behind Quelque Chose.

For food pairings, Quelque Chose would be smashing with duck (you could even make a reduction of it to serve over top) or any other red meat, as well as a mild bleu, maybe even a creamy cheddar—the slightly sharp sourness could cut through the fat well.

While this isn’t the kind of beer you’d pair with dessert, it certainly can be used to make dessert. Check out the recipe for the Quelque Chose Raspberry Tart or Quelque Chose Crepes.

On Beer Advocate, Unibroue’s Quelque Chose has a rating of B+, but I argue it’s a solid A. This is most definitely a bottle I would pick up again.

Originally posted 2010-09-02 09:05:51.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

Before you even read this post, do yourself a favor and watch this video put together by Stone Brewing Co. about the collaboration between Greg (Stone), Sam (Dogfish Head) and Bill (Victory) to create Saison du BUFF.

I’ll wait for you here. No, seriously, watch it then come back.

…

Okay, good. So first off, I LOVE these guys and what they (and many other brewers) are doing for craft beer. They’re showing the Big 3, as well as many other corporations in the U.S., that collaboration is a good thing. Are they still each others competition? Of course. But they’re also each others allies, and together, through collaboration, they make the beer scene a better place for all of us craft beer drinkers. High five!

Ahem, that said, let’s talk about the beer: Saison du BUFF (Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor). Brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme 3 times: once at Stone (released in May 2010), at Victory (released in August 2010) and Dogfish Head (also released in August 2010). Each brewery’s take on the beer has its own unique bottle label, done in the style of that brewery.

I had a chance to pick up Dogfish Head’s rendition recently to give it a whirl. Poured into a snifter, the beer pours a bright golden hue with a light, fluffy head. The aroma is very typical of the Saison style—very spicy with hints of citrus. But giving it a few more sniffs, I could pick up some really wonderful herbal notes. There wasn’t one herb that stuck out more than another, but fragrance was lovely and balanced.

Upon first sip, I got a lot of carbonation bite, most likely because the beer was too cold. So, I let it come up in temperature before trying it again, which is what you want to do with any overly-chilled beer (your tongue won’t pick up on the myriad flavors a beer has if its too cold). After 10-15 minutes I was rewarded with a flavor that matched its aroma to a T—nice and dry, spice and herbal notes, with hints of citrus. At 6.8%, DFH’s version of Saison du BUFF might not be considered a traditional session beer, but I have definitely had another.

Look for Saison du BUFF—I know in the Philly/NJ/DE area that DFH’s and Victory’s versions can be found, but I have yet to find Stone’s. If someone would like to send it to me, I’ll gladly accept and share my findings!

Originally posted 2010-09-30 09:13:59.

Posted By: Melissa Ward

Photo courtesy of Maggie Hoffman- our favorite Lady of Craft Beer at Serious Eats!

Today, Jan. 24, the beer can celebrates its 75th birthday. Back when the beer can came onto the scene, it was labeled as “just a fad.” Luckily it’s not.

Instead, the use of aluminum cans makes many of our favorite craft beers more eco-friendly and portable (have you ever tried putting a couple of beer bottles in your pack for a 6-mile hike? I didn’t think so).

Here are some quick beer can facts from the folks at Oskar Blues, a Colorado brewery that proudly cans its award-winning beers:

• Modern aluminum cans and lids are lined with a water-based coating, which keeps beer and metal from touching and exchanging flavor.
• Aluminum cans keep beer fresher by fully eliminating the damages of light and oxygen.
• Cans are the most easily and frequently recycled beverage package in the world. A recycled aluminum can generates 95 percent less pollution than one made from scratch, and requires 96 percent less energy.
• One recycled can saves the energy equivalent of 6 ounces of gas.

Specifically for OB, lightweight aluminum cans enable the brewery to reduce its fuel costs and carbon footprint for shipped beer by 35 percent.

Photo courtesy of Maggie Hoffman, our fav Lady of Craft Beer at Serious Eats!

So to celebrate the beer can’s birthday, grab a can of your favorite craft beer. Here are a few of mine:

Oskar Blue’s Ten Fidy
Sly Fox’s Phoenix Pale Ale
21st Amendment Fireside Chat

What’s your favorite canned craft beer?

Related Posts:

• Beki’s Pumpkin Draught
• Cold Front — Ithaca Beer Warms Up to the Cold Nights Ahead
• Interview with Randy Mosher about Women and Beer (Guest post by Ingrid Calderoni)
• Homebrewing 101: A Look at Oatmeal Stouts
• Beer Apps for Techno Geeks

Posted By: Melissa Ward

It’s that time of year again, where we all resolve to lose 10 pounds, wake up a half an hour earlier each morning, stop chewing our nails and eat more fiber. But why not resolve to do something fun? Something you might actually stick to?

Your New Year’s resolution should be to give homebrewing a try. It’s only as difficult as you make it, and you can do it as little (once a year) or as much (8 times a month) as you want. You can work with kits or write your own recipes. Honestly, there’s no reason you couldn’t be brewing your own beer.

Here, I’ll even get you started: Check out the following websites for some useful homebrewing information:
American Homebrewers Association
AHA’s Recommended Reading List
Homebrewopedia
Pitched for the Very First Time: Beginner’s Homebrewing by Beginning Homebrewers

If you’re already a homebrewer, do you have any Brew Year’s Resolutions? Back in January 2009, my husband Ray and I made some Brew Year’s Resolutions as part of the monthly Fermentation Friday write-up. My goal was to nail some straightforward styles, as well as brew as many styles as possible, whereas Ray wanted to get funky and adventurous with his recipes. At the close of 2009, I saw that Bathtub Brewery had accomplished its Brew Year’s Resolutions, and that accomplishment was pretty damn sweet.

Related Posts:

• Vicki Stowe- Brewmaster (Part 8)
• Homebrews & Craft Beer — The Gifts That Keep on Giving
• Holiday Gifts for Home Brewers (Or Those Who Want to Start)
• Cold Front — Ithaca Beer Warms Up to the Cold Nights Ahead
• Homebrewing 101: A Look at Oatmeal Stouts