The Brülosophy Show: Pre-Prohibition Lager | Short & Shoddy

Pre-prohibition lager harkens back to the late 1800s, crafted by German immigrants who brought their European-style brewing techniques to America and adapted them using local ingredients such as 6-row barley and corn. Brülosophy contributor Will Lovell has put his unique spin on this beer with a Short & Shoddy approach where he employed an abbreviated mash and boil. Can such a quick process truly do justice to this historical beer style? To answer that, we invited 25 participants to taste and rate Will’s creation!

Product Review | Delta Brewing Systems All-In-One (AIO) 110v Electric Brewing System

Author: Will Lovell

When I first made the switch to all grain, I went with the batch sparge approach using a converted cooler MLT, a separate stainless kettle, and propane burner. While arguably less complicated than a 3-vessel continuous sparge setup, I found it left much to be desired – an open flame with kiddos running around seemed like a recipe for disaster!

I’d become aware of electric brewing systems pretty early on in my homebrewing journey, but most were either hodgepodged together and quite convoluted or too cost prohibitive to get into. Moreover, I don’t have access to a  220v circuit and wasn’t interested in paying to have it added to my house. Thankfully, as interest in electric homebrewing began to grow, so too did options that were much more approachable, offering compact systems that could be effectively run off of a standard 110v circuit.

Based out of Chicago, IL, Delta Brewing Systems began selling a handful of quality homebrewing products in 2019 and has steadily increased their offerings. In addition to their stainless kettles, 8 gallon/30 liter FermTank, and convenient BrewTable, Delta Brewing Systems was quick to jump into the electric game with their 110v 10 gallon/38 liter All-In-One (AIO) system.

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The Brülosophy Show: Brewing Beer In The APPLE VISION PRO

Can the fancy Apple Vision Pro be a useful tool in brewing beer? To find out, we don a Vision Pro for an entire brew day, relying on spatial computing at every opportunity to whip up a German Pils, which we then taste to see if this virtual experience can create a virtually flawless beer.

exBEERiment | Grain Comparison: Flaked vs. Malted Corn In A Cold IPA

Author: Jordan Folks

Barley is the cereal grain most associated with brewing, and while the malted sort is the commonly used, various other types of barley exist as well. However, there are other grains often used to make beer, a popular one being corn, which is said to increase strength while contributing little in the way of aroma, flavor, or mouthfeel. Similar to barley, corn also comes in various forms include flaked and malted.

As the name suggests, flaked corn, or flaked maize as some refer to it, is produced by steaming corn and running it through hot rollers such that it is gelatinized, thus negating the need for a cereal mash. Malted corn, on the other hand, goes through the same germination and drying process as malted barley, which activates the endogenous alpha- and beta-amylase enzymes that ultimately convert starches to sugar during the mash.

The vast majority of the beers I brew are made without adjuncts, in fact I can’t recall a batch I’ve made with any type of corn product. Similarly, I’ve developed an affinity for Cold IPA based largely only versions other people have brewed. As a style that’s known to include a decent portion of corn, I recently began to wonder how the characteristics contributed by flaked corn would compare to a malted version in a Cold IPA and designed an xBmt to test it out.

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The Brülosophy Show: Gelatin vs. Biofine Clear vs. Clarity Ferm | BRÜniversity

Clarity is viewed as an asset in my styles of beer, an indication of quality process and the brewer’s attention to detail. While bigger brewers have access to expensive mechanical filters, homebrewers often rely on simpler chemical options including gelatin, Biofine Clear, and Clarity Ferm. How effective is each at clarifying beer? That’s exactly what we’re looking at today!

The Hop Chronicles | Pacific Jade (2022) Pale Ale

Author: Martin Keen

Hailing from New Zealand where it was released by the HortResearch program in 2004, Pacific Jade is a hop variety that’s known to impart beer with bold herbal, fresh citrus, and black pepper notes. Given its high alpha acid content, Pacific Jade can be used in smaller amounts early in the process to contribute a soft bitterness in less pungent styles, while many have found favor with the complex characteristics associated with later additions.

Alpha: 12 – 14%
Beta: 7 – 8%
Cohumulone: ​​22 – 26% of alpha acids
Total Oil: 0.6 – 1.0 mL/100g
Myrcene: 31 – 35%
Humulene: 31 – 35%
Caryophyllene: 8 – 12%
Farnesene: < 1%
Linalool: < 1%
Geraniol: < 1%
ß-Pinene: < 1%
Parentage: cross of First Choice and a Saaz male

Having used a handful of other Kiwi hops over the years, I was excited to get my hands on some Pacific Jade, particularly considering the unique descriptors. Given my lack of experience with this variety, I decided to brew a single-hop Pale Ale and serve it to tasters for a less biased evaluation.

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The Brülosophy Show: Top 5 Hops To Achieve ORANGE Characteristics In Beer

Many beer styles possess a noticeably rich and zesty orange note despite containing no actual fruit, as those characteristics are derived solely from the hops used in the recipe. We explore 5 hops that are known to contribute orange character to beer and go over blind taster data for each variety. Which one will reign supreme?

exBEERiment | Yeast Pitch Rate: Impact Underpitching Has On A Hard Cider

Author: Steve Thanos

A common trope among beer brewers is that it’s crucial to pitch an adequate amount of yeast into wort in order to avoid off-flavors and ensure a quality batch. So important is yeast pitch rate, that myriad calculators exist to help brewers determine the precise number of cells that should be pitched based on wort constitution. Curiously, when it comes to cider making, the information regarding yeast pitch rate appears to be lacking in comparison.

According to White Labs, “inoculation rates correlate with how fast the fermentations take place,” and they further recommend opting for a lower pitch rate as a way of preserving fruit aroma. To note, there’s no mention of off-flavors associated with underpitching, in fact some believe it leads to a higher quality end product, the only downside being a slightly longer fermentation. Then again, there are some anecdotal claims that underpitching may lead to increased levels of diacetyl, acetaldehyde, and lower attenuation.

I enjoy brewing the occasional cider as a refreshing alternative to beer, and while I’ve had success pitching single pouches of yeast, I couldn’t help but wonder how pitch rate impacts the ultimate character of hard cider. With some fresh yeast on-hand, I designed an xBmt to see for myself!

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The Brülosophy Show: Gravity’s Gamble Irish Extra Stout | Short & Shoddy

Irish Extra Stout is a delicious play on the traditional Irish Stout that packs a slightly stronger punch and more overall flavor. While not necessarily known for being difficult to make, we brewed one up using a handful of corner-cutting methods including not measuring out the grains, then served it to blind tasters for evaluation.