Not All Scotch Is Whisky: A Malt-Lover’s Guide to Scotch Ale

Not All Scotch Is Whisky: A Malt-Lover’s Guide to Scotch Ale “You see the word Scotch on a beer label and your brain does a little flip,” I joked on the podcast. Many of us picture whisky, peat, fire and kilts. What you’re actually holding is a malt‑rich beer that never saw a barrel and doesn’t care about hops. That mix‑up is part of the charm. Scotch Ale, or Wee Heavy if you want to sound like you’ve been to a...

Crack the Code: Malt COA’s

If you’ve ever looked at a malt COA and thought, “Cool… but what am I supposed to do with this?”, you’re not alone. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) can look like technical overload—but it’s actually one of the most useful tools in your brewing kit. This page is your resource hub for making sense of the COA and using it to brew better beer, consistently. 🎧 Start Here: Listen to the Episode In our latest podcast episode, “Crack the Code:...

Summer Brewing: How to Master Warm-Weather Fermentation

Let’s say it out loud- nobody wants a banana-flavored IPA. I won’t allow it. If you’re brewing a Hefeweizen, a little isoamyl acetate can be charming, even expected. But that compound is the harbinger of doom for the rest of us, especially when your summer brewing setup lacks tight temperature control. The average brewer’s greatest fear? Opening the fermenter to a wave of fruity betrayal. It’s the stuff of nightmares. You start out dreaming of a crisp Kölsch or bright...

Backyard Legends

It was the kind of summer day that begged for a barbecue—the sun blazing, the lawn freshly mowed, and the scent of lighter fluid already in the air. I had everything prepped: burgers, brats, potato salad, even a watermelon chilling in the cooler. But the real star of the day wasn’t on the grill. It was in the keg. A cream ale. Light, crisp, golden. Clean as a whistle and smoother than my cousin Jason’s pickup lines. It had been...

BEER CLARITY: WHAT’S CLOUDING YOUR HOMEBREW?

A little beer clarity on haze in beer… You crack open your latest homebrew, pour it into a pint glass, and hold it up to the light—and it looks like a snow globe. Cloudy with a chance of yeast. Is it a murky mess or something else? Some folks love the look of a hazy brew. Others panic like their batch has just failed a chemistry final. So what gives? Is haze the enemy of good beer, or is it...