A while ago I was lucky enough to visit the Hook Norton Brewery and do a tour of their brewery. Wow - what a great brewery and so much history inside that building. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a modern industrial brewery and more like a working museum where brewing just never stopped. It feels super authentic - the smells, the worn steps, and the sense that generations of brewers have been doing things much the same way for well over a century.

At the time of the tour I planned to take notes and give you a detailed blog post, but instead I took lots of pictures and recorded very little details! I hope you enjoy some of the photos from the tour.

Inside a Traditional Tower Brewery

The traditional tower brewery design really stands out from other breweries that I have visited. Beer is moved by gravity rather than pumps, which gives the whole place a calm, unhurried feel.

The old steam engine always seems to steal the show - not just because it is impressive, but because it is still part of the brewery’s identity rather than a forgotten relic.

Leaving the brewery left me with a huge respect for how Hook Norton has managed to stay independent while holding onto its traditions. Whether it is the Shire horses, the historic kit, or simply the atmosphere of the place, it reminds me that brewing is as much about people and place as it is about beer. For anyone who loves traditional British brewing, it is clearly a special place to visit. Book a tour on their website using the following link.

It feels a bit wild to be writing another yearly highlights post - I've been brewing for nearly nine years now! As has become my Christmas tradition, here are some of the stand‑out batches, lessons learned, and new experiments that defined my brewing year.

Favourite Batch

My favourite batch this year has to be a Doppelbock that I've now brewed twice this year. Amongst my mates, it was a clear favourite and people kept on coming back for more. The keg kicked so fast that I just had to brew it again!

The other great thing about it was that it was a perfect winter warmer clocking in at around 6.6% ABV. Brewed with Munich malts, Maris Otter, Vienna and Honey - it's a rich, malty glass of pure delight. It was also my first foray into using Novalager yeast from Lallemand. The idea with this yeast is that you can ferment it slightly warmer than traditional lager yeasts with no off flavours and a faster turn around time. I was definitely impressed so far.

Most Fun New Style/Recipe to Try

The beer that I had the most fun brewing this year was my Saison brewed with Fonio grains. This ancient West African grain is not only sustainable and fast-growing, but it also doesn’t require milling and is said to impart Sauvignon Blanc-like flavours - crisp, fruity, and slightly herbal. What surprised me most was how easy it was to work with. No milling, quick gelatinisation, and it contributed a beautiful golden colour.

If you'd like to learn more about this beer, please head over to this link.

Best Technique Added to Repertoire

While it's not exactly beer, this year I have been experimenting with making wine. Fortunately, most of the equipment required is the same as brewing and I've also found that a lot of the techniques are similar. Wine yeast seems to behave in a different way to beer (to me at least!) and the whole process takes a lot more patience. The fermentation and conditioning times are months vs weeks.

This year I made a Chardonnay which turned out amazing - I was not expecting it to be so good! As I write this, I also have a red wine in the fermenter that I plan to bottle in 2026. Wine has taught me patience in a way beer rarely does.

Best Ingredients Added to Repertoire

One ingredient that really stood out for me this year was fonio. I’d experimented with it in my Saison, but working with it more closely really opened my eyes to how unique this ancient grain can be in brewing.

What surprised me most was how efficiently it behaved in the mash and how much character it brought to the wort. Fonio contributed a beautiful golden colour, a light grainy sweetness, and a gentle, almost wine-like fruitiness that I wasn’t expecting. For something so tiny and easy to handle, it added a ton of depth and personality to the final beer.

It’s definitely an ingredient I’ll be brewing with again, and I’m already thinking about how it might pair with other expressive yeasts or hop varieties in future recipes.

Favourite Book(s)

I read a handful of brewing books this year, but if I’m honest, none of them stood out enough to claim the “favourite” spot. What did surprise me, though, was how much value I found outside of traditional books.

One resource that really made an impact was the Quality-Focused Pro Brewers Podcast by Hendo. It’s not your typical homebrewing content - Hendo dives deep into the technical and quality‑control side of professional brewing. Topics like dissolved oxygen, yeast health, sensory evaluation, and process control are covered in a way that’s both approachable and packed with practical takeaways.

I’ve learned a ton from listening this year, and it’s genuinely helped me level up my understanding of brewing quality. If you’re the kind of brewer who likes going beyond “just follow the recipe,” I’d definitely recommend giving it a listen.

Overall Stats

This year I managed to brew 15 times which is slightly up from last year. My focus on brewing has been on quality this year and to be honest, I haven't branched out much into styles that I am not familiar with. Most of my focus has been on perfecting or dialling in styles that I have brewed before.

For 2026, I am also planning on entering a few more brewing competitions. I've entered in the past without ever winning - who knows, 2026 might be my year 😆

Cheers to brewing in 2025 and I hope you have a great 2026 🍻

After listening to a fascinating episode of the Craft Beer & Brewing podcast featuring Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery) and Vinnie Cilurzo (Russian River), I was inspired to experiment with a unique ingredient: fonio. This ancient West African grain is not only sustainable and fast-growing, but it also doesn’t require milling and is said to impart Sauvignon Blanc-like flavours - crisp, fruity, and slightly herbal.

As someone who loves trying new ingredients in brewing, Fonio immediately caught my attention. To my surprise, it was easy to source here in the U.K., with several online retailers offering it. In this article, I share my experience brewing a Belgian-style Saison using Fonio, along with some insights and lessons learned along the way.

The Recipe

Let's get brewing! The recipe below is suited for my Grainfather G30, but it can be scaled to suit your needs depending on your setup.

Batch Size: 5 gal
ABV: 5.5%
Boil Time: 60 mins
OG: 1.050
FG: 1.009
IBUs: 24

Malt Bill

Hops

Yeast

Let's get brewing

On brew day, I fired up my Grainfather and aimed for a strike temperature of 65°C. I started by adding the Pale Malt grains to the mash tun, holding back the fonio initially. Since the Grainfather recirculates the mash liquor, I was concerned that the tiny Fonio grains might block the pump. Once the base malt was in, I gently layered the Fonio on top.

If you’ve never seen Fonio before, the grains are incredibly small - almost like brown sugar or quinoa. You can see from the image below just how fine they are.

During the mash, I noticed an unusually high amount of foam - far more than I typically see. It didn’t seem to affect the original gravity (OG) or fermentation, but it was definitely a standout observation.

Once the mash was complete, I added the bittering charge of Magnum hops and started the boil. After the 60 minutes of boil time was complete, I added the hops to the whirlpool at around 80-90 degrees for around 20 mins before cooling the wort with my counterflow chiller.

Once the wort was at pitching temperature, I pitched the yeast starter. Before racking to my fermenter, I took a reading of the original gravity (OG) which came in at just over 1.050 - right on target.

The waiting game

With the airlock bubbling away, I patiently waited for my brew to be ready.

I have been using my Tilt Hydrometer to track the progress of my brews lately. The chart below gives you an idea of the fermentation chart for this beer. In the image below, the red line represents the gravity and the blue line is the temperature.

I pitched the wort onto a healthy yeast slurry from a previous brew, and fermentation took off quickly. The beer was fully fermented in just six days, which is fairly typical for a Saison, especially with an active yeast culture.

Once fermentation was complete, I soft-crashed the beer to help settle any remaining yeast and trub, then moved on to packaging. For this batch, I decided to can condition rather than force carbonate with CO₂. This method not only aligns with the traditional farmhouse approach but also allows the yeast to naturally carbonate the beer in the can - adding a touch of authenticity to the final product.

Tasting

Appearance - A lovely golden straw coloured beer with a slight haze to it. I wasn't sure what to expect, but its beautiful. A fluffy head that lingers as expected. I aptly named this beer "Golden Fonio".

Aroma -  The nose is bready, with gentle phenolic spice and a touch of tropical fruit. I suspect the Rakau hops in the whirlpool contributed to the fruity character, alongside the unique qualities of the Fonio grain.

Taste - This beer delivers flavours of stone fruit, pear, and a slightly honeyed sweetness. It finishes relatively dry, yet retains a subtle sweetness that balances beautifully with the crisp bitterness. It’s fresh, clean, and incredibly drinkable - an absolute crusher!

I’m genuinely pleased with how this beer turned out. Brewing with Fonio was a bit of a leap into the unknown, but I’ll definitely be using it again. I can imagine it working wonderfully in a rustic lager.

Summary

Fonio isn’t just a fascinating grain to brew with - it’s also a sustainably grown crop that requires no irrigation, fertilizer, pesticides, or fungicides. It can even make land considered “non-arable” productive. Brewing is an energy-intensive process that can be tough on the environment, so any small steps we can take as brewers to reduce our impact are worth exploring - especially when they result in great tasting beer.

If I had to point out one drawback, it would be the cost. Fonio is currently more expensive than barley malt here in the U.K., but I’m hopeful that as interest grows, the price will become more accessible.

If you use Brewfather as your brewing software of choice, I've also made the recipe publicly available for you to try yourself.

Traditional brewing grains like barley and wheat have long dominated the homebrewing world, but a growing number of brewers are turning to non-traditional grains to add complexity, character, and uniqueness to their beers. In this article, we’ll explore the use of rye, spelt, and oats—three grains that offer distinct flavours and brewing challenges. Whether you're looking to spice up your next IPA or add creaminess to a stout, these grains can elevate your brewing game.

Why Use Non-Traditional Grains in Homebrewing?

Non-traditional grains bring a variety of benefits to the brewing process:

• Flavour Diversity: Each grain contributes unique taste notes—spiciness from rye, nuttiness from spelt, and smoothness from oats.
• Historical Significance: Many of these grains have been used in brewing for centuries, especially in European farmhouse styles.
• Texture and Mouthfeel: Oats, for example, are known for enhancing body and creaminess.
• Sustainability and Local Sourcing: These grains are often grown locally and can be a more sustainable choice.

Rye, Spelt, and Oats: Flavour Profiles and Brewing Tips

• Flavour: Dry, spicy, earthy.
• Brewing Notes: Rye contains high levels of beta-glucans, which can make lautering difficult. It’s best used in moderation or with rice hulls to aid filtration.
• Recommended Styles: Rye IPA, Roggenbier, Rye Pale Ale.

• Flavour: Nutty, slightly sweet, rustic.
• Brewing Notes: As an ancient grain, spelt has a lower yield and higher protein content. It can contribute haze and a fuller mouthfeel.
• Recommended Styles: Saison, Belgian-style ales, farmhouse beers.

• Flavour: Neutral to slightly nutty, creamy texture.
• Brewing Notes: Oats are high in proteins and beta-glucans, which can cause haze and lautering issues. They’re excellent for boosting mouthfeel.
• Recommended Styles: Oatmeal Stout, NEIPA, Cream Ale.

Recipe Formulation Tips

When incorporating non-traditional grains like rye, spelt, and oats into your homebrew recipes, it's important to consider how each one affects the overall grain bill and brewing process.

• Rye typically works well at 5-20% of the total grist, adding a dry, spicy character.
• Spelt can be used more generously, ranging from 10-30%, and contributes a nutty, rustic flavour.
• Oats, especially flaked oats, are commonly used at 5-20% to enhance body and mouthfeel, particularly in styles like NEIPAs and stouts.

To ensure a smooth brew day, consider adjusting your mash schedule. A protein rest at around 50-55°C can help break down proteins and improve lautering, especially when using grains high in beta-glucans like rye and oats. These grains may also require a strong base malt to support enzymatic conversion, as they can lack the necessary enzymes on their own.

For brewers looking to experiment with flavour combinations, blending these grains can yield exciting results. Rye and oats together offer a spicy yet smooth profile, while spelt and oats create a creamy, rustic character ideal for farmhouse-style ales. With thoughtful formulation, these grains can add depth and distinction to your next brew.

Common Brewing Challenges and How to Solve Them

Using non-traditional grains introduces some hurdles:

• Lautering Issues: High beta-glucan content can cause stuck sparges. Use rice hulls and consider a longer mash.
• Protein Haze: Expect haze, especially with oats and spelt. This can be desirable in styles like NEIPAs.
• Water Chemistry: Adjust calcium and sulphate levels to balance mouthfeel and accentuate flavours.

Conclusion

Non-traditional grains like rye, spelt, and oats offer exciting opportunities for homebrewers to experiment and innovate. While they come with unique challenges, the rewards in flavour and texture are well worth the effort. Whether you're crafting a bold IPA or a rustic Saison, these grains can help you push the boundaries of your brewing creativity.

Homebrewing is a fun and rewarding hobby, but I often find myself thinking about the environmental impact it can have. From water usage to energy consumption, there are plenty of ways homebrewing can unintentionally contribute to waste and pollution. The good news is, there are also plenty of practical, achievable ways to make your brewing more sustainable.

In this article, I’m sharing my tips for making your homebrewing more eco-friendly—ideas that are realistic for the average homebrewer. I don’t have a big house, a solar-powered setup, or a nearby farm with pigs to feed my spent grain to. And let’s be honest, there’s only so much bread or dog treats you can make before it gets old. Sustainability, to me, is about creating repeatable habits that make a difference over time—not just one-off changes that are hard to maintain.

What surprised me most while writing this is that many of these environmentally friendly practices don’t just help the planet—they can also save you money. Win-win.

Use Locally-Sourced Ingredients

An easy change that you can make as a homebrewer is to use locally-sourced ingredients. For example, here in the U.K. we have some amazing maltsters and often the malted grains don't have to travel far to get to us homebrewers.

The best part about this is that it not only supports local businesses, but it also reduces the environmental impact of shipping ingredients long distances or even overseas. Look for local farms and breweries that offer ingredients and brewing supplies. It also lessens our carbon footprint since the ingredients have far fewer miles to travel to reach us.

I realise this isn't always practical - sometimes you just want to brew a Hazy IPA with banging US and New Zealand hops, and that's totally okay! That said, many other beer recipes can substitute and use local ingredients - think of Saison's, lagers, etc. Many of these styles can be brewed with ingredients that reflect the terroir of your country instead of the exact ingredients that need to be flown in from Europe.

Reuse Yeast

Rather than buying new yeast for each batch of beer, consider reusing yeast from previous batches. This not only reduces waste, but it can also save you money.

I've been doing this for a few years now and it is a game changer. If you aren't familiar with how to do this, there are some amazing videos online that will walk you through the process.

With the correct sanitisation and handling procedures, you can reuse your yeast again and again. To give you an idea of how much, it's worth considering that Harvey's Brewery located in Lewes, UK has reused the same yeast for over 50 years!

Reuse your water

My brewhouse is a Grainfather G30 and I use the counterflow chiller that comes with it. I love this piece of kit - during the winter months I can cool my wort to pitching temp in no time. That said, I still use a lot of water during this process!

To cut down on waste, I try to save the warm water that comes out during chilling, especially if I know I’ll be brewing again soon. It’s perfect for heating up strike water for the next batch. If that’s not an option, you could repurpose it for cleaning up after your brew day—or even use it to water the garden. It’s a small change, but finding ways to reuse water wherever possible can make a big difference over time.

Brew with the seasons

One of the most innovative yet underappreciated approaches to sustainable brewing lies in aligning yeast selection with the natural rhythms of the seasons. By choosing yeast strains that thrive in ambient temperatures, brewers can significantly reduce the energy required for heating or cooling fermentation environments. For instance, during the warmer summer months, traditional Kveik yeast offers a perfect solution. Known for its ability to ferment cleanly at temperatures as high as 35–40°C (95–104°F), Kveik eliminates the need for active cooling, making it ideal for summer brewing. Its fast fermentation time and high alcohol tolerance also contribute to overall efficiency.

Conversely, in the colder months, brewers can take advantage of naturally lower temperatures by using lager yeasts such as Saccharomyces pastorianus, which prefer fermentation ranges between 7–13°C (45–55°F). This reduces the need for artificial heating and aligns perfectly with winter conditions. Additionally, Brettanomyces strains, often used in farmhouse ales and Saison's, can tolerate a wide range of temperatures and are well-suited for transitional seasons like spring and autumn.

By embracing this seasonal approach, brewers not only reduce their carbon footprint but also reconnect with traditional, terroir-driven brewing methods that celebrate the natural ebb and flow of the year.

Compost Your Spent Grain

If you search online for "things to do with spent grain," you'll often come across ideas like dog treats, bread, or crackers. And while those are great ways to repurpose grain, there's only so many times you can bake the same batch of grain-based snacks before it starts to feel a bit repetitive. The reality is, most homebrewers and even small-scale breweries produce far more spent grain than they can reasonably cook with.

A simple and highly sustainable alternative is composting. Spent grain is rich in nitrogen, making it an excellent addition to compost piles where it balances out carbon-heavy materials like leaves, cardboard, or wood chips. Once broken down, it becomes a nutrient-rich compost that can be used to fertilize your garden, houseplants, or even community green spaces. Not only does this reduce the amount of waste heading to landfill, but it also supports healthier soil ecosystems and promotes circular brewing practices. It’s a low-effort, high-impact way to close the loop on your brewing process.

Buy in Bulk

We've discussed using local ingredients to reduce your carbon footprint, and it might be worth considering buying your grains and hops in bulk. For example, some homebrewing stores allow you to buy a 25kg sack of grain. Its a great way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time. Here in the UK, I save a decent amount if I buy a sack of grain instead of ordering multiple smaller amounts at a time.

The Brulosophy team wrote a brilliant article entitled The Beauty of Bulk and covers some of the useful things you need to know when buying in bulk.

One of the best things about keeping bulk ingredients on hand is the fact that you can brew whenever you want— no waiting for ingredients to arrive, fewer shipping fees and more environmentally friendly - I'll take that!

Choose Organic Ingredients (or grow your own)

Organic ingredients are grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, which means they’re gentler on the environment and better for long-term soil health. By choosing organic malts, hops, and other brewing ingredients, you're supporting more sustainable farming practices and helping reduce the amount of harmful chemicals that end up in our soil and waterways.

These days, it’s easier than ever to find organic options—many homebrew stores now stock them, and there are plenty of online retailers that do too. And if you’re up for a bit of a challenge (and some fun), why not try growing your own hops? If you’ve got a bit of garden space and some patience, hops are surprisingly hardy and rewarding to grow. Plus, there’s something incredibly satisfying about brewing a beer with ingredients you’ve grown yourself.

If you'd like to learn more, I wrote an article on this blog about it.

By following these tips, you can make your homebrewing more sustainable and eco-friendly. With a little effort and creativity, you can reduce your environmental impact and brew great beer at the same time. Cheers to that 🍻

I love a good Hazy IPA. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but a well-brewed one tastes delicious too. If you've ever brewed one before, there is nothing more frustrating than it dropping completely clear after a few weeks in the keg or can. You can't exactly call it a hazy beer if its not hazy!

As a brewer, I have always been interesting in brewing Hazy IPAs with stable haze. That is, haze that sticks around for months on end. I've always wondered whether using kettle finings such as Whirlfloc towards the end of the boil will negatively affect the haze stability of my Hazy beers. Using my own logic, the idea behind haze is to ensure that you have enough protein / polyphenols in your wort that will help create haze. Surely removing it during the boil will remove the haze in your hazy beer? Well, it turns out this isn't exactly true.

There is a lot of conflicting information on the web. If you look on Reddit, different pro brewers have different opinions on whether or not you should use Whirlfoc when brewing a Hazy IPA.

However, I recently came across the Omega Yeast brewing blog - Top Crop. The team at Omega Yeast have done a lot of research into Haze and some of the best practices around it.

I reached out to the Omega Yeast team to ask them  about using Whirlfloc and this is the response that I got back.

Summary

No need to wonder anymore - this science based testing has been done for us. It turns out that you can use Whirfloc and it won't affect your haze stability. Great news!

Happy hazy brewing!

It's been a while since I've written a highlight of the year blog post. Over the past few years, my brewing has bean a bit on and off due to moving house and some disruptions, but I'm glad to say that I was back and brewing again in 2024.

Favourite Batch

The first batch I brewed this year was also my favourite one, and it felt so good to be brewing again after a long hiatus. My favourite batch was my Elderflower Saison.

I've brewed this recipe before, but there is something really cool about using local ingredients (as much as possible). For this batch, I picked Elderflowers with my daughter and used them in this batch. There is also a local beekeeper here in Devon that produces some amazing honey, and I used that in this beer too. Apart from the yeast, almost everything I used in this beer was produced here in England!

If you are interested in brewing this yourself, please follow this link for my Elderflower Saison recipe.

Least Favourite Batch

I'm super pleased with how most of my brews turned out in 2024, but if there is one that stands out in my mind, it it a Red Ale that I brewed most recently.

I was heavy-handed on the bittering hops and the chocolate / roasted notes just didn't work together with the hoppiness of the beer. The best thing about this hobby is that it's all a learning curve, and we can do better next time!

Most Fun New Style/Recipe to Try

In 2024, I finally got to brew cider with proper cider apples. A local friend of mine has two apple trees in his garden that have really good apples for making cider.

It was a long morning of picking, crushing, and pressing the apples, but in the end, we were rewarded with 60 liters of juice. The kids even got involved!

I'm happy to say that it turned out really well. We had to back-sweeten the cider as it was a bit dry, but once that was done, it was tasting perfect!

Best Technique Added to Repertoire

Cold Crashing! I know this is quite a basic technique, but I've never had the ability to properly cold crash due to equipment constraints. This year I invested in a Grainfather Conical fermenter and a Glycol chiller. It was an expensive purchase, but definitely worth the money.

The Grainfather Conical also has a very useful port that allows you to collect yeast and remove hops after dry hop.

Best Ingredients Added to Repertoire

I have been enjoying using a small amount of Chit Malt in almost all of my brews this past year. Its known to enhance foam stability, improve mouthfeel and can be used in many different styles of beers.

Favourite Book(s)

My favourite book this year would definitely have to have been Modern Lager by Jack Hendler & Joe Conolly.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found that it provided practical insights and detailed discussions on fermentation, decoction mashing, and carbonation, making it a valuable resource for home brewers.

If you are interested in this book, check out this link for more details.

While it doesn't necessarily fall into the book category, I have also been listening to the Craft Beer & Brewing podcasts which are very interesting. It involves pro brewers and dives into different topics on every episode. I have found it invaluable as a learning resource!

Lessons Learnt

• Water chemistry - The water at my new house is a lot softer than I was used to in London. This has meant that its a little easier to brew with, but sometimes too many salts can affect the final taste negatively.
• Canning - In 2024, I invested in a canning machine. I have loved it so far, there is something quite special about opening a can of your own beer. I have also been experimenting with can conditioning.

Overall Stats

This year I managed to brew 13 times. While its definitely not the most I've brewed compared to previous years, I would say that the quality of what I have produced has been higher. I'll cheers to that!

Cheers to brewing in 2025 🍻

I am always keen to experiment with new hops and expand my knowledge of what they can bring to my beers. Nectaron hops have been around for a while now, but I managed to get my hands on some recently and was eager to experiment with them.

According to the NZHops website, Nectaron is a sister hop to Waimea and has both North American and European (Saaz) ancestry. It lists the flavour and aroma profile as the following:

I've always found that when you brew with a hop it doesn't always line up exactly with what a website tells you - it's best to experiment for yourself!

The Recipe

Let's get brewing! The recipe below is suited for my Grainfather G30, but it can be scaled to suit your needs depending on your setup.

Batch Size: 5 gal
ABV: 5.6%
Boil Time: 60 mins
OG: 1.050
FG: 1.007
IBUs: 36

Malt Bill

Hops

Dry Hop

Yeast

Let's get brewing

The night before I was due to brew, I measured out my water and filtered it to remove any chlorine, chloramine and other impurities. I also dosed the water with a sprinkle of Sodium Metabisulphate as an extra precaution. If you'd like to learn more about how I prepare my water for brewing, I recommend reading this article below that I've previously written.

How I prepare my water for Homebrewing

In this article, I wanted to share with you some of the ways that I prepare my local water for homebrewing. I live in Surrey in the U.K. Our water isn’t too bad, but much like London water it is quite hard and more suited to styles like Porters and Stouts.

HUMEBREWDean Hume

As always, my chores before a brew day also involve cleaning and sanitising as much as I'm going to need.

The following afternoon I fired up the Grainfather and aimed for a strike temperature of 65 C and added the grains. I also added a touch of Wheat Malt to the grains to help with head (foam) retention.

Once the mash was complete, I added the bittering charge of Magnum hops and started the boil. After the 60 minutes of boil time was complete, I added the hops to the whirlpool at around 80-90 degrees for around 20 mins before cooling the wort with my chiller.

Once the wort was at pitching temperature, I pitched the yeast starter. Before racking to my fermenter, I took a reading of the original gravity (OG) which came in at just over 1.050.

The waiting game

With the airlock bubbling away, I patiently waited for my brew to be ready.

I have been using my Tilt Hydrometer to track the progress of my brews lately. The chart below gives you an idea of the fermentation chart for this beer. In the image below, the red line represents the gravity and the blue line is the temperature.

The beer was almost complete after 6-7 days, but as I was away from home for work, I let it go a little longer in the fermenter.

Once fermentation was complete, I soft crashed the beer and then transferred to a keg and pressurised before waiting another few days before tasting.

Summary

Appearance - A lovely golden straw coloured beer with a slight haze to it. Just what I was aiming for. A fluffy head that lingers as expected.

Aroma -  Mango and Tropical fruit. The aroma of this beer isn't punchy and in your face as I was expecting, however the aroma carries through very nicely and you definitely know that there are fruity hops in this beer.

Taste - Orange, Satsumas, and Passionfruit. When I taste this beer, it instantly reminds me of oranges and satsumas. Its fresh and crisp with an easy drinking layer of bitterness. An absolute crusher!

This is a great beer and the Nectaron hops are totally capable of standing out on their own. Nectaron brings a very light tropical bitterness that balances out nicely and I could see these hops being used in many other styles of beer including Wheat Ales, Hazies and Saisons. I am happy with this beer and would definitely brew it again!

If you use Brewfather as your brewing software of choice, I've also made the recipe publicly available for you to try yourself.

A few years ago, I embarked on an exciting beer brewing journey by starting a Solera project. The concept of a beer solera involves the continuous blending of old and new batches of beer, resulting in an ever evolving flavour profile. The process of using a solera method in beer brewing has become the term used for filling a single fermenter with a beer, and every 6-12 months taking one third or half of the beer out for packaging (and perhaps sometimes as much as 70% is taken out). My goal was to create a Lambic-style sour beer that would age gracefully over the years.

Unfortunately, due to an upcoming cross-country move within the UK, and the risk of damaging the fermenter, I made the difficult decision to conclude the solera project. As I reflect on these past few years of brewing, I want to share some valuable insights and lessons learned along the way.

Solera Year 1

When envisioning a solera, one might imagine a rustic wooden barrel tucked away in a corner of my garage. However, in my case, I utilized a 10-gallon glass fermenter to begin the project. On a bright sunny day, I brewed the initial batch of wort, filling the fermenter and pitching Wyeast 5526 Lambic yeast.

After six months of fermentation, I introduced French Oak spirals infused with South African Chenin Blanc wine, allowing the beer to rest for another six months.

When the first year came to a close, I bottled the initial batch and allowed it to mature for a few more months before sampling. While I was generally pleased with the results, the beer was not as sour as I had anticipated, likely due to an excess of hops added during the boil. I learned that an excessive number of IBUs inhibits the growth of souring organisms.

Solera Year 2

After savoring the first year's sample, it was time to top up the solera with fresh wort. In this instance, I brewed a simple batch consisting of 60% Pale Malt and 40% Wheat Malt, with minimal IBUs to encourage increased sourness.

This time, I aged the beer on American Oak soaked in Sherry for several months, imparting distinct cherry pie Brett aromas alongside oak and sherry notes. The beer turned out exceptional, bordering on being almost too sour for my personal preference. I look forward to witnessing how the acidity softens over the coming years, especially when comparing it to subsequent batches. To replenish the solera, I introduced an already fermented Saison beer that utilized Lallemand Belle Saison yeast.

Solera Year 3

This is the final year of the Solera.

I found that the base beer in the Solera started to get too sour for my liking. To address this, I blended it with a younger Brett beer that lacked sourness, which I had been fermenting separately.

The blend consisted of 80% solera beer and 20% younger Brett beer, resulting in a satisfying balance. Although I haven't had the opportunity to taste this particular beer at the time of writing, early blending experiments proved promising. Additionally, I have been experimenting with dry-hopping my sour/wild beers and have achieved excellent results. For this batch, I dry-hopped with Comet hops, enhancing citrusy and grapefruit aromas and flavors.

Things to consider

When creating a Solera, there are a few things that you might want to consider. These tips are from my own learnings and your mileage may differ!

• Adjust the wort/beer: Customize each top-up by changing the wort or beer to fine-tune the flavour of the solera.
• Impact of IBUs: Keep in mind that IBUs can influence the level of sourness in your beer. Higher IBUs inhibit sour producing bacteria, resulting in a less sour batch, while lower IBUs allow for increased sourness.
• Yeast maintenance: While pulling each batch, make it a practice to siphon off a small portion of the yeast settled at the bottom of the solera vessel to prevent yeast autolysis, which can occur over time.
• Documentation and tasting: Maintain meticulous records of each addition, including quantities, ingredients, and relevant details. Regularly sample the solera beer to track flavor development and make adjustments as necessary.
• Patience is key: Solera projects take time to develop complexity and character. Be prepared to wait months or even years for the flavors to mature and harmonize. The longer the solera runs, the more intricate and refined the beer will become.

Summary

Starting your own Solera is a rewarding experience. With a little patience, it offers a consistent source of outstanding beer, whether it be a sour, stout, porter, or barleywine. Observing the solera's evolution over time and witnessing how subtle tweaks affect the overall flavour is truly fascinating.

Although I will approach future solera projects with some changes in mind, such as exploring different beer styles and prolonging the process, I wholeheartedly recommend the experience to any brewer interested in Brett, sour, or wild beers.

Not only is it a valuable learning experience, but it also provides a regular supply of exceptional beer. I guess this is the end of a ..... Sol(era)......

When I first started out on my brewing journey, I bought a Brooklyn Brew Shop Punk IPA kit. I'd love to say that my first batch turned out well, but honestly, it didn't taste great at all. Over time I started to produce better beers, and for a few years after that I used a mis-match collection of pots and pans for brewing.

Eventually, I decided to invest in a Grainfather G30 and it has certainly made brewing more fun.

I am always interested in making small tweaks and improvements to my brewing process and I recently brewed a Lager using the decoction mashing method. If you've not heard of decoction mashing before, it involves removing a portion of the mash, boiling it and returning it to the main mash. This might sound tricky, but it can produce a beer with a more complex and robust malt profile in the beer.

Due to the Grainfather being an all-in-one brewing system, it needs a little bit of tweaking during brew day to make decoction mashing a little easier. Don't worry - the whole process is a lot easier than you think! In this article, I'll show you how to decoction mash in a Grainfather brewing system.

How to Decoction Mash in a Grainfather

The following is a pretty loose guide to decoction mashing, and of course you can adapt this to suit your own needs. In order to perform a decoction mash on a Grainfather, you will need:

• A Grainfather G30 (obviously!)
• A separate pot - which should be enough to hold 1/3 of the mash. For example, if your grains equal 5 kilograms, then it would be around 1.6 kgs including water.
• A ladle
• A source of heat to boil the mash in the pot

To perform a decoction mash in a Grainfather, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Fill the Grainfather with the desired amount of water in your recipe.
2. Add your milled grains to the Grainfather and stir to ensure there are no clumps.
3. Start the mash and allow it to rest at 50°C (122°F) for around 20-30 minutes, until the temperature stabilizes. This is known as a protein rest.
4. Stop the mash from recirculating on the Grainfather controller. This is important because in the next step, you are going to open the lid.
5. Remove a portion of the mash using a ladle or a Grainfather mash paddle. The amount you remove depends on the beer style you are brewing and your personal preference. Generally, you should remove about one-third of the total mash volume.
6. Transfer the portion of the mash to a separate pot and heat it to boiling. That's right, you want to see it bubbling away. You can do this on a stovetop or with a separate heat source.
7. While the smaller pot is boiling away, you can close the lid and restart the mash recirculation on the Grainfather again.
8. Boil the portion of the removed mash for around 20-30 minutes, depending on the beer style you are brewing.
9. Stop the mash recirculation on the Grainfather controller and return the boiled portion of the mash to the Grainfather and stir it into the remaining mash. You should now have all of the grains back in the Grainfather.
10. You are also going to want to increase the temperature in the Grainfather to around 65°C (150°F) now depending on your recipe and beer style. Allow the mash to recirculate for the remainder of the mash schedule, usually around 60-90 minutes, until it has fully converted into sugar.
11. Proceed with a mash out step at around 75°C (167°F) .
12. Once the mash is complete, sparge the grains with hot water to extract as much sugar as possible.
13. Proceed with the boil and whirlpool as you normally would.

In this article, I've chosen to run through a single decoction mash which is a good place to start and keep things simple. However, if you are looking to experiment further there are other techniques such as a double decoction or triple decoction.

Is Decoction Mashing Worth It?

Decoction mashing is a time-consuming process that requires additional equipment and effort. The truth is that it will unfortunately add a bit of time to your brew day.

However, many homebrewers believe that the added complexity and depth of flavor make it worth the extra effort. Personally, I tried a decoction mash and was very pleased with it. When I poured my first decoction mashed lager, it was exploding with malty flavours and a thick, white fluffy head. It is also said that decoction mashing contributes to clarity, body and head retention.

If you are looking to brew a traditional beer style or experiment with different techniques, decoction mashing is definitely worth trying.

How Long Does It Take to Boil a Decoction?

The amount of time it takes to boil a decoction depends on the amount of grain being boiled and the desired end result. Generally, you should boil the decoction for around 20-30 minutes. However, some brewers may choose to boil the decoction for a longer period of time to achieve a more complex malt profile.

Summary

Decoction mashing is a technique that can take your homebrew to the next level. While it requires extra equipment and effort, many homebrewers believe that the added complexity and depth of flavor is worth it. With the Grainfather, you can easily experiment with this traditional brewing method and create unique and delicious beers. We hope this guide has helped you understand how to decoction mash in a Grainfather and inspired you to try it out for yourself. Happy brewing!

Many of you may have heard of ChatGPT. Over the past few weeks and months, its been all over news articles on the web.  If you've not heard of it before, it is a chatbot that you can ask questions and it will respond with articulate answers across many domains of knowledge.

I wanted to test it out and what better way than to do so than with a homebrew recipe! I asked it to produce a recipe for a 25 liter Hazy Pale Ale and this is what it came up with.

Ingredients

• 19 liters of water
• 3.6 kg of pale malt
• 0.9 kg of wheat malt
• 0.45 kg of oats malt
• 60 g of Mosaic hops (60 minutes)
• 30 g of Mosaic hops (15 minutes)
• 30 g of Citra hops (0 minutes)
• 10 g of Citra hops (dry hop for 3 days)
• 1 sachet of American Ale yeast (Wyeast 1056 or Safale US-05)

Timings

• Mash at 67°C for 60 minutes
• Boil for 60 minutes
• Ferment for 7 to 10 days at 20°C
• Dry hop for 3 days
• Condition for at least 7 days before carbonating and bottling or kegging

Instructions

1. Heat 19 liters of water to 67°C in your brew kettle.
2. Add the grains (pale malt, wheat malt, and oats malt) and stir thoroughly.
3. Hold the mash temperature at 67°C for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Sparge with hot water (75-78°C) to collect the sweet wort in your boil kettle.
5. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated in the ingredient list.
6. Chill the wort to 20°C as quickly as possible and transfer it to a fermenter.
7. Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast.
8. Ferment at 20°C for 7 to 10 days, until the specific gravity reaches 1.014 or less.
9. Add the dry hops to the fermenter and let it sit for 3 days.
10. Transfer the beer to a conditioning tank, add priming sugar if bottling, and let it condition for at least 7 days.
11. Carbonate and bottle or keg the beer. Enjoy!

Note: This recipe is just a guideline and can be adjusted to suit your personal taste or equipment. You can also use different hops or yeast strains to experiment with different flavors.

Summary

I have to be honest, I am super impressed. Given that ChatGPT is using only AI, the instructions are pretty detailed. It also includes a Citra and Mosaic combination that a lot of commercial hazy beers use these days. The ChatGPT result doesn't include the gravity calculations and final ABV, but given the parameters that I asked it for, I think it did a pretty good job.

If I had to find fault though, I would say that the hop quantities aren't quite right. 60 grams of Mosaic hops for a 60 min boil is too high - the IBUs come in at 156! I'd also say that 10 grams of Citra at dry hop is too low for this style. I'd love to attempt to brew this recipe, but I think it would need some tweaks first.

For those that are interested, I added this ChatGPT homebrew recipe to Brewfather and it is available to download here if you'd like to see the finer details.

I've been brewing for a few years now, and while I have a pretty good handle on how different temperatures can affect the wort you produce during the brewing process, I often have to remind myself.

When it comes to my own learning, I often find that the best way to learn is to write things down and try to explain it myself - so here goes!

In this article, we will explore how mash temperatures affect the brewing process, the impact of temperature on the conversion of starches into sugars, and the effects of temperature on the finished beer.

Mash Temperature

As every brewer knows, you need to make wort in order to produce a wonderful glass of beer. One of the first steps in the process is mashing, which involves mixing malt with hot water to activate the enzymes that convert the starches into sugars. The temperature of the mash water determines the level of enzymatic activity and therefore has a significant impact on the final beer. Different beer styles require different temperature ranges to achieve the desired results, with common temperature ranges ranging from 63°C to 68°C (148°F to 158°F).

To get a better feel for what that might look like, let's take a look at the image below.

I first came across this image in a presentation at BrewCon London 2021. While it's a simple diagram, it paints a pretty good picture of what happens when you mash your brew at different temperatures.

At 63°C mash temperature:

• β-amylase activity is high
• Low extract efficiency
• High wort fermentability
• Expect a lower final finishing gravity

At 65°C mash temperature:

• β-amylase activity begins to decline
• α-amylase activity starting
• Medium extract efficiency
• Average wort fermentability

At 68°C mash temperature

• β-amylase almost inactive
• α-amlyase active
• Good extract efficiency
• Low wort fermentability
• Expect a higher final finishing gravity

Using these details, we can determine that a lower mash temperature range should result in a beer with a lighter body, and a crisper, dry finish. On the other hand, beer styles such as stouts and porters might require a mash temperature of 67°C to 70°C (154°F to 158°F). This higher temperature range results in a beer with a full body, and a rich, sweet finish.

In addition to affecting the body of the beer, mash temperature also affects the beer's fermentability. The temperature range in which the enzymes are active determines the types of sugars produced, with higher temperatures resulting in a greater proportion of fermentable sugars. This means that beers mashed at higher temperatures will have a good extract efficiency and a higher final finishing gravity, while beers mashed at lower temperatures will have a lower extract efficiency and a lower final finishing gravity. Of course, yeast selection comes into play with alcohol content and final gravity, but this gives you a guide for wort fermentability.

Finally, mash temperature also affects the body and mouthfeel of the beer. Beers mashed at lower temperatures will have a lighter body and a thinner mouthfeel, while beers mashed at higher temperatures will have a full body and a thicker mouthfeel. This is due to the conversion of starches into sugars and the level of body-building compounds, such as protein and dextrins, produced during the mashing process.

Enzymes - Alpha and Beta Amylase

What about Alpha and Beta Amlyase (α-amlyase & β-amylase)? Both of these are enzymes that are naturally produced in malted barley during the malting process. They are important because they break down longer starch molecules into simpler sugar molecules that can be consumed by yeast during fermentation.

At each end of the mash temperature spectrum they play a different role. Beta amylase is arguably the main producer of fermentable sugars whilst Alpha amlyase can create unfermentable dextrins as well as shorter fermentables like maltose.

It's also worth noting that sparging with liquor below 78°C (172°F) or sparging for too long will increase fermentability as the α-amylase will not be inactivated. This is why sparging at the correct temperature is an important step in the mashing process.

Summary

The mash temperature plays a crucial role in the beer brewing process, affecting the body, its fermentability, flavor, and mouthfeel. Different beer styles require different temperature ranges to achieve the desired results.

As a result, it is important for brewers to carefully control the mash temperature to produce the desired beer, and to experiment with different temperatures to create new and unique beer styles.

There is a lot more involved when it comes to mashing that I haven't covered in this article. It is a really deep topic! If you'd like to deep dive into the process, I recommend reading this excellent article on the Crisp Malt website entitled "The Crisp Guide to Mashing".

Ever since I brewed my first New England IPA (or Hazy Beer), I've been on a quest to achieve the perfect haze that not only looks good, but sticks around too. Far too often, I've brewed a hazy beer that drops clear after a few months in the keg. I've also previously blogged about the different techniques that professional brewers use to lock in haze stability in their beers.

I recently came across a product from Totally Natural Solutions called HopGain® Haze which is hop extract that you dose into a finished beer to add long lasting haze. According to the website, the product:

• Imparts no flavour, aroma or bitterness.
• Produces stable, natural hop haze
• Can be added to bright beer
• Provides a tuneable haze for a range of beer styles

In this article, I'll take you through an American Wheat Ale that I brewed and then dosed with HopGain® Haze. This recipe is loosely based on the Modern Times Fortunate Islands beer (and the homebrew recipe from the Mad Fermentationist).

The Recipe (BIAB)

Let's get brewing! The recipe below is for the all-grain Brew in a Bag method, but it can be scaled to suit your needs depending on your setup.

Batch Size: 5 gal
ABV: 4.9%
Boil Time: 60 mins
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.011
IBUs: 36

Malt Bill

Hops

Dry Hop

Yeast

Let's get brewing

The night before I was due to brew, I measured out my water and filtered it to remove any chlorine, chloramine and other impurities. I also dosed the water with a sprinkle of Sodium Metabisulphate as an extra precaution. If you'd like to learn more about how I prepare my water for brewing, I recommend reading this article below that I've previously written.

How I prepare my water for Homebrewing

In this article, I wanted to share with you some of the ways that I prepare my local water for homebrewing. I live in Surrey in the U.K. Our water isn’t too bad, but much like London water it is quite hard and more suited to styles like Porters and Stouts.

HUMEBREWDean Hume

As always, my chores before a brew day also involve cleaning and sanitising as much as I'm going to need.

The following afternoon I fired up the Grainfather and aimed for a strike temperature of 67 C and added the grains.  Once the mash was complete, I added the bittering charge of Magnum hops and started the boil. With 30 minutes to go in the boil, I added the Citra hops. After the 60 minutes of boil time was complete, I added the Rakau hops to the whirlpool at around 80-90 degrees for around 20 mins before cooling the wort with my chiller.

Once the wort was at pitching temperature, I pitched the yeast starter. Before racking to my fermenter, I took a reading of the original gravity (OG) which came in at just over 1.048.

The waiting game

With the airlock bubbling away, I patiently waited for my brew to be ready. On day 12, I dry hopped with Citra and Amarillo hops.

Once fermentation was complete, I cold crashed the beer overnight and then transferred to a keg and dosed with the whole 20 ml glass vial from Totally Natural Solutions. I then pressurized the keg and waited another few days before tasting.

Summary

Appearance - A pale wheat beer with a definite haze.  There is also a mousse-like, fluffy head that lingers long after being poured.

Aroma - A lovely tropical aroma that is slightly subdued - it smells like a fruit salad.

Taste - A decent amount of bitterness followed by a slight sweetness. Very happy with the flavour and I get notes of mango, passionfruit and a bit of candied lemon. I am really enjoying using Rakau hops in my beers lately. This beer is very quaffable!

I tested the beer over a period of a few months and I am very happy with the results. The haze stuck around (and is still sticking around at the time of writing this) and the beer tasted great too!

One of the great things about HopGain® Haze is that you can use it to "tune" the haziness of your beer. For example, if you are brewing a Witbier and need some light haziness that sticks around, add a bit less of the liquid. If you need more haze, simply add more. HopGain® Haze will improve beer consistency, reduce microbial risk and reduce beer loss through absorption.

Would I recommend HopGain® Haze from Totally Natural Solutions? Absolutely!

Have you ever brewed a beer and noticed that it didn't quite seem like it was "balanced"? Maybe it tasted too sweet, or even too bitter. Believe it or not, there is a useful tool called the BU/GU ratio that can help you with this.

The BU/GU Ratio of a beer stands for bitterness units (IBUs) divided by the gravity units. As a brewer, it helps you determine the amount of bitterness balanced with the sweetness of your beer. The higher the BU/GU ratio, the higher the bitterness. Conversely, the lower the ratio, the lower the bitterness (and higher the sweetness).

In terms of a ratio, you should ideally be aiming for :

• 0.25-0.35 for wheats
• 0.4-0.8 for the most ales
• and greater than 1.0 for IPAs.

The graph below gives you an indication of the range of IBUs to gravity units that you should be aiming for. Green is obviously better, with red being less desirable.

It's worth noting that these aren't strict rules that you should brew every beer by! Rather use the BU/GU ratio as a guideline when brewing your beers. It will help you get your beer in the correct ballpark for the given style you are trying to achieve.

Brewfather is my choice of brewing software - I love the flexibility that it gives me and its simple interface. If you look closely on the style charts that come with Brewfather, you'll notice that it already has the BU/GU ratio built in. It's a handy way of balancing your beer when building a recipe!

I hope you've found this article helpful - happy brewing!