basic brewing

Adam Ross of Twin Span Brewing, homebrewer Scott Housel, and author Chris Colby taste two beers James brewed to meet his Mash Your Luck challenge: a starter Pilsner and a huge, dark beer with south-of-the-border influences.

Four professional brewers from across the United States answer listener questions about going pro in today's craft beer world.

Members of the Inland Empire Homebrew Club pit six delicious beers against each other in the first ever Mash Your Luck competition.

Steve takes the Mash Your Luck challenge and uses burnt honey to bring dark color and flavor to this big, delicious beer.

In the second part of a conversation on Steve Wilkes' porch, we talk to native Bavarian Detlef Koertge about his homebrewing and more on German beer culture. Steve's son, Chase, also chats about beers in NYC.

We sit on Steve Wilkes' porch to have beers and conversation with Detlef Koertge, a homebrewer with roots in Bavaria.

James and Steve taste the beer James brewed from characteristics randomly chosen from the Mash Your Luck Challenge. It's different, but tasty.

Matt Giovanisci of Brew Cabin and Josh Secaur of Gambit Brewing help James compare his two Honey IPAs, and the group brainstorm on a recipe for Matt's holiday beer.

Chris Colby, author of the Homebrew Recipe Bible and Methods of Modern Homebrewing, helps James formulate a giant lager with advanced brewing techniques.

Steve avoids a brewing disaster by modifying a recipe through a challenging fermentation and produces a delicious honey-based beer.

James shares his Mash Your Luck "Malt Liquor" with Chris Colby, Adam Ross, and Scott Housel. He rolls the dice again for another challenging beer.

Homebrewer Scott Housel shares his tart and smoky interpretation of a delicious Historical German beer.

James uses the heat of his summer porch and local honey along with a bunch of Centennial hops to brew up a deliciously drinkable Kveik beer.

Matt Giovanisci of Brew Cabin and Josh Secaur of Gambit Brewing join James to taste his Honey IPA and to plan the next version. Matt also takes the Mash Your Luck challenge.

Adam Ross of Twin Span Brewing shares four beers brewed with terpenes – three with hop terpenes, and one with terpenes from hops' wacky cousin. Scott Housel helps James sample.

James is joined by Adam Ross of Twin Span Brewing, Scott Housel, and Steve Wilkes as they taste Steve's Mash Your Luck braggot.

Sean Terrill of Two Mile Brewing Company in Leadville, Colorado, talks about serving tourists at the highest altitude brewery in the country and takes his chances at Mash Your Luck.

Scott Housel asks James, along with Adam Ross and Austin Wadkins of Twin Span Brewing, for advice on brewing two fun and obscure beers. 

Peter Symons, author of True Blue Brews - The Origins of Australian Beer, seeks a looser definition of "lager."

Jason Dunn and Doug Walker from the Inland Empire Brewers homebrew club in California let fate choose the parameters for an upcoming competition.

From Finland, Mika Laitinen, author of Viking Age Brew, tells us how to skip the boil to brew a delicious hoppy beer using historic techniques.

James and Steve sample beers with head brewer Jamie Conway, now of Social Project Brewing, and brewery founder Chris Spence.

James shares a Belgian-inspired Golden Ale that he flavored with Lemondrop hops using a hop stand after the boil.

James and Steve sample an experiment of a 15-Minute Saison recipe comparing T-58 and Belle Saison dry yeasts.

In this second part of a two-parter, Casey Letellier, currently brewing at West Mountain Brewing Company, talks about his plans to open his own – Ivory Bill Brewing.