When I'm not brewing beer...

all sorts of fun things to do in Wisconsin in winter. This winter hasn't been great for snow but we make the best of it..

Stuff you might like...

So the widget you see the the right of this post is one that I can change and control. So what I'm going to do is put my favorite products in there. This will be a rotating sort of thing, where I am always putting the good deals and best rated products in there. Basically the links you see are the things I would use and do use myself.

American Ale II yeast is one of the most popular yeast strains for ales, and one that people love for its tight, compact yeast cakes.

The starter kit you see is everything you need to make starters, and its no use talking about them so much if I don't provide you with the means to make one yourself.

Palmer's "how to brew" book is a great resource for any home brewer, and was my first home reference for beer brewing.

And although I show you how to cool your wort to pitching temps in 10 minutes, wort chillers can cool down your wort pretty quick too and with a bit less work. Personally I'd rather save some cash and put in a little elbow grease, but I give you a good wort chiller in case you aren't like me.

Enjoy!

Chilling your wort in 10 minutes

One of the biggest improvements in my brewing came when I learned about the importance of getting a good "cold break". A "cold break" is when you cool down the wort very quickly and precipitate proteins out of solution. Getting a good could break can be tricky, but good 'ole Wisconsin winters can really help cool down your beer. If a beer is cooled to pitching temps slowly, these protein will remain in suspension in the beer, causing it to look hazy when chilled. Chill haze is a cosmetic issue, not something you can taste or perceive other than visually, however many brewers like to have clear beer. Can you blame them?
Check out this video and find out just how easy it is to cool your beer quickly. And if there are questions or things you'd like to know more about, please ask away!
As always, this beer video was filmed and shot in location in beer heaven, Wisconsin!

How to Make a Yeast Starter for your Beer

Making a yeast starter can do a lot of good things for your beer. The biggest benefit you get from a starter is proper pitching rates. If you pitch the proper amount of healthy yeast you will make a higher quality product than otherwise.
Saving yeast combined with making yeast starters can pretty much replace buying smack packs after a while. I'm not sure what prices are around you, but that means I am saving $7 a batch, and around $30 a month. For me, the savings alone are worth it. Not to mention if you have the capability, then why not?

Washing Yeast

Can you really save yeast for 3+ future batches from a single yeast cake?

Yes you can, and I will show you how.

Below you can find my short video tutorial that will tell you what you need to know about washing and saving your own yeast. This has saved me lots of money already and was something that I should have learned a lot sooner!