Redemption - West Coast IPA - Tasting Results/Review

Our third attempt at a West Coast IPA, and frustratingly, it continues to be a style that we're struggling to really nail and make a good example of. However, we think we've honed in on what has contributed to the poor result of this, and our previous attempts of a West Coast IPA.

Homebrew School: What Is Cold Crashing?

Cold Crashing is a really common term and process used by home brewers. No doubt if you're a new brewer you've probably come across the term in homebrew user groups and other articles and are wondering what it means.

How to Set the Perfect Kegerator Pressure for Serving Beer

Introduction

If you're new to kegging your beer, this will no doubt be one of the first questions you'll ask. There's a short answer and a long answer to this question, so let's jump in and discuss what the ideal pressure is to set on your CO2 regulator for serving beer from your kegerator system.

Homebrew School: How to Tell if Fermentation is Finished?

This is a common question for beginner homebrewers and it's a very important one to understand. As we well know, fermentation is the process undertaken by yeast that consumes sugars within the wort - and as a byproduct of this, carbon dioxide (CO2), alcohol and heat are generated, along with other flavours and compounds that give beer it's unique taste.

How to Warm your Homebrewing Fermenter

It's well known that temperature is a critical variable when it comes to fermentation - the magical process performed by brewing yeast that turn wort into beer. The process of fermentation is exothermic - a fancy word meaning it creates heat, so for most homebrewers the simple solution to control the temperature during fermentation is to purchase a new or second hand fridge that the fermenter can be placed into, and then controlled with a temperature controller like an Inkbird or RAPT device. The temperature controller will cycle the fridge on which will cool down the fermenter and fermenting wort inside as required.

AliExpress - Digital Refractometer for Homebrewing - Review

We were in the market for a digital refractometer, as we find regular floating hydrometers cumbersome and wasteful in terms of the amount of fluid required to take a sample. We came across this relatively cheap digital refractometer from AliExpress so we thought we'd give it a try. Read on to find out what it's like.

Homebrew School: Learn the Language of Homebrewing

Introduction

For those new to the brewing scene, some of the terminology can be daunting and confusing. In this post we'll break down some of the common words and phrases you'll come across at various points in your brewing journey into easy to understand terms.

Nukatap - Tear Down & Cleaning Guide

Most brewers are well aware of the importance of hygiene and sanitation when dealing with our carefully crafted products. Sometimes though it's the parts you cannot see and easily clean that are harboring some of the nasty stuff we try so diligently to avoid. That's what we discovered when we decided to tear down our taps from our kegerator for a thorough cleaning.

Duotight Integrated Ball Lock Disconnects - Hands on Review

KegLand recently released some Duotight integrated ball lock disconnects to their extensive range of fittings and disconnect options. Before this range of disconnects were available, Duotight integration with disconnects was accomplished by attaching a MFL (female) threaded Duotight fitting to a MFL (male) threaded gas or liquid disconnect. 

American Amber Ale - Recipe Creation Guide

Style Overview

An amber, hoppy, moderate-strength American craft beer with a caramel malty flavour. The balance can vary quite a bit, with some versions being fairly malt and others being aggressively hoppy. Hoppy and bitter versions should not have clashing flavours with the caramel malt profile.

Passivating our New 304ss Stainless Steel Homebrew Fermenter

In our previous blog post, we discussed the findings from our research into options and methods for passivating stainless steel. In this post, we wanted to document how we went with actually performing the passivation and a couple of things we learned along the way.

Vienna Vibes - Vienna Lager - BrewZilla Brew Day

Our latest brew day is for our Vienna Lager recipe which unfortunately didn't go entirely to plan, with our pH meter deciding to pack it in after taking our first sample. Read on to find out more about how it went down.

The Myth of the CO2 Blanket in Homebrewing: Fact or Fiction?

In the world of homebrewing, there are many techniques and tips that brewers swear by to ensure their beer turns out perfect. One such technique is the idea of a "CO2 blanket" protecting the beer from oxygen ingress and subsequent oxidation. But what exactly is a CO2 blanket, and does the science support this line of thinking?

Dry Yeast Rehydration: Essential Brewing Tips and Expert Opinions

There are a number of processes and factors to consider when brewing your own beer. Everyone wants to make the best beer they possibly can, but often want to keep things as simple as possible in the process of doing so. A common question that brewers will ask themselves is "Do I need to rehydrate my dry yeast before pitching it into my wort?"

FermZilla - Hints, Tips and Tricks

Looking at purchasing, or have recently purchased one of KegLand's popular FermZilla PET fermenters? Here's a quick list of some helpful hints, tips and tricks from our time using one.

Vienna Vibes - Vienna Lager - All Grain Recipe

We've made a number of light lagers recently, so in order to continue our quest of continuously trying new and interesting beer styles, we've turned our attention to brewing a Vienna Lager. With more malt character than a regular light lager, the Vienna lager strikes a delicious balance between maltiness and bitterness.

CellarScience - Homebrewing Dry Yeast Overview

In a recent YouTube video, KegLand had a quick demonstration and run through of the relatively new range of yeasts from CellarScience. This certainly piqued our interest as we're excited by new yeast varieties, particularly dry yeast, as they potentially open up whole new flavour and recipe options to create and hone our favourite beers. In this post, we're going to dig in to see what this Cellar Science yeast is all about.

Our YouTube Interview with Nico from Keg King

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Nico from Keg King about their innovative homebrewing products. Here's a quick rundown of our discussion as well as an embedded link to the YouTube video.

Soft Crashing your Homebrew

What is a Soft Crash?

"Soft Crashing" is a relatively new concept that we first heard about when reading up on Lallemand's Verdant IPA yeast. James Heffron from Verdant Brewing Co mentioned that it's something they implement as part of their fermentation schedule to try and avoid hop creep - a phenomenon that causes over attenuation during fermentation as a result of (usually large) dry hops increasing the amount of fermentable sugars within your wort as a result of enzymatic changes from hops breaking down long chain unfermentable dextrins and making them fermentable.

How to Passivate Stainless Steel Homebrewing Equipment

We recently purchased a new stainless steel fermenter. Cheeky Peak Brewery, the manufacturer, recommend passivation of their equipment before first use. This got us wondering about what passivation actually is and why we need to do it, so in this article we'll be outlining our findings.

KegLand Digital Illuminated Mini Gauge - Review

These mini gauges are a upgrade part for KegLand's range of inline regulators and spunding valves. Check out our in depth review to see how they perform and if they're a worthwhile upgrade.

How to Dry Hop in a FermZilla All Rounder

The FermZilla All Rounder is a relatively simple, yet versatile pressure capable plastic fermenter. It's popularity is largely due to it's simple design, especially in comparison to it's more complicated brother, the FermZilla Conical.

American Pale Ale - All Grain Homebrew Recipe Creation Guide

American Pale Ale would have to be one of the most craft popular beer styles, and in this post we'll be taking a deep dive into what makes them, and what you need to include in your own homebrew recipe to make your best version of the style.

KegLand BrewZilla 3.1.1 - Review

After several years of ownership of our KegLand BrewZilla 3.1.1, we wanted to do an in-depth review of our experience with the 3.1.1 version after a number of successful brew days. Read on to find out everything you need to know about one of the worlds most popular all-in-one electric brewing systems.

How to Pressurize and Purge Kegs Using CO2 from Fermentation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Once you dive into the world of pressure fermentation, it opens the doors to loads of options and possibilities for achieving things when brewing and fermenting. In this post we're going to look at how you can pressurize and purge your kegs with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas created during fermentation, saving you from wasting precious CO2 from your gas bottle.

KegLand Duotight Push In Fittings - Review

Duotight is a range of push in fittings for gas and liquid connections often used in homebrewing keg/draught system setups such as kegerators for connecting beer and CO2 gas lines to and from regulators, kegs, taps and other bits of equipment. The range was first released by KegLand in 2018, with a design update/revision in 2020.

Understanding Hop Creep: Causes, Effects, and Prevention

Introduction to Hop Creep

Hop creep is a phenomenon that refers to beer becoming over-attenuated due to additional diastase enzymes being introduced to the wort/beer when quantities of hops are added for dry hopping. These enzymes can cause the conversion of long-chain unfermentable dextrin's into fermentable sugars. 

Lallemand Verdant IPA - Yeast Overview

LalBrew® Verdant IPA was specially selected in collaboration with Verdant Brewing Co. (UK) for its ability to produce a variety of hop-forward and malty beers. Prominent notes of apricot and undertones of tropical fruit and citrus merge seamlessly with hop aromas. With medium-high attenuation, LalBrew® Verdant IPA leaves a soft and balanced malt profile with slightly more body than a typical American IPA yeast strain. This highly versatile strain is well suited for a variety of beer styles including NEIPA, English IPA, American Pale, English Bitter, Sweet Stout and Sours.

Homebrew School: Understanding Floating Hydrometers

Hydrometers are a simple but incredibly important piece of equipment for professional brewers and homebrewers alike. They are used to measure the specific gravity of a fluid, which gives a reading on the density of that fluid. In this Homebrew School lesson, we'll take a look at why hydrometers are important and how to easily test their accuracy to ensure you're getting the most out of yours.

DIY Kegerator: How to Convert Your Old Fridge into a Beer Dispenser

When starting out, most homebrewers opt to package their finished beers into bottles. It's almost inevitable that at some point down the track, most will start looking into options for kegging their beer - to save time and the hassle of endlessly cleaning bottles.

How to Fix a Stuck Sparge or Mash on a BrewZilla

If you're using a single vessel brewing system like the BrewZilla and like incorporating ingredients like wheat and oats into your grain bill, there's a good chance you're going to experience a stuck mash or a stuck sparge. In this article, we'll take a look at exactly what these are, and what you can do to save your brew day if it happens to you.

Homebrew School: What is a SMaSH beer?

SMaSH beers are a fantastic way for homebrewers to explore the unique characteristics of individual malts and hops. This brewing method simplifies the recipe, allowing the true flavors of the ingredients to shine.

Do You Still Need to Do a 60-Minute Boil When Brewing Beer?

Most homebrew recipes, books, and other literature reference a 60-minute boil time. For decades, this has been the standard boil time. However, we're seeing an increasing number of recipes calling for shorter boil times, typically 30 minutes. This prompted us to dive deeper into this topic: what are the pros and cons of shorter or longer boil times, and do we still need to do a 60-minute boil when brewing beer?

NEIPA/Hazy IPA - Recipe Creation Guide

NEIPA's and Hazy IPA's are undoubtedly one of the most popular styles of craft beer at the moment. Consumers are craving heavily hopped beers more than ever before, but don't necessarily want the assertive bitterness that is typically associated with loads of hops being thrown into a beer.
In this guide we'll go over all aspects of recipe creation to make your best NEIPA/Hazy IPA

Homebrew School: What are Flaked Grains?

Flaked grains are a common and versatile ingredient used in the world of homebrewing. They offer unique characteristics that can help to enhance the body, flavour and mouthfeel of your beer. Let's take a look at what they are, how they're made and what makes them different to the more commonly used malted grains.

How to Fit Straps to your FermZilla Pressure Fermenter

These straps are a simple and effective way of tethering your FermZilla to the included metal stand. This makes it much easier to move the FermZilla by picking it up by the handles and having the base move with it. 

Scaling Brewfather Recipes for Your BrewZilla Brewing System

In a previous post we covered how to select and setup the BrewZilla equipment profile within Brewfather. But did you know that you can then use this equipment profile to automatically scale any recipe found within Brewfather to suit your BrewZilla?

What is an IPA? A Comprehensive Guide to India Pale Ales

The beloved IPA has taken the craft beer world by storm, captivating enthusiasts with its bold flavors and rich history. In this article, we'll explore the origins of IPAs, the unique characteristics that define them, and the various sub-styles that have emerged over the years. Whether you're a seasoned IPA aficionado or new to the world of craft beer, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about this iconic style. 

Say Goodbye to Foamy Pours: Fixing Over-Carbonated Kegs

In our previous blog post we ran through some different methods of force carbonating your beer, where some of the methods involve a risk of over-carbonating the beer inside. If you've ever poured a beer and ended up with a glass full of foam, it's quite possible the cause is over carbonation. Here's a guide you can use to correct this if it happens to you.

Flamin Galah Brewing Co - (Award Winning) Hazy Pale Ale Recipe

In a recent YouTube video, Flamin Galah Brewing Co ran through a double brew day of their award winning Hazy Pale Ale, and were kind enough to share the recipe in the description of the video as well. We've gone ahead and created a scaled down version of the recipe which we'll include below along with a breakdown of key parts of the recipe and a link to the recipe on Brewfather.

Force Carbonating a Keg: A Homebrewer's Guide

Kegging beer into cornelius (corny) kegs is great - much less mucking around compared to bottling, but once your beer has finished fermenting and transferred to a keg, you will need to carbonate it to get the required amount of "fizz" into your beer. 

Understanding Malted Grain Colors: EBC and Lovibond

When it comes to homebrewing, the color of your malted grains plays a crucial role in determining the final appearance and flavor of your beer. Two common scales used to measure and describe these colors are the European Brewing Convention (EBC) and Lovibond. In this blog post, we'll dive into what these scales mean, how they differ, and how you can convert between them.

Water Chemistry Adjustments using Brewfather

In our previous blog post, we gave an introduction into the world brewing water chemistry and how some of the key elements can impact on your brewing and final beer product. In this post, we'll be covering how to take the information you already have about your brewing water, and enter it into Brewfather to get the details on how to adjust your water profile for your desired beer style.

Kegerators vs Keezers: Which is Best for Your Homebrewing Setup?

When it comes to homebrewing, one of the most exciting decisions you'll make is how to store and serve your beer. Two popular options are kegerators and keezers. Both have their unique advantages and can significantly enhance your homebrewing experience. In this article, we'll dive into the differences between kegerators and keezers, helping you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.

Homebrewing Water Chemistry: An Introduction

Ever wondered why your homebrew doesn't quite match up to your favorite craft beer? The secret might be in the water! Water is the most significant ingredient in beer, yet it's often overlooked by home brewers. This post aims to break down some of the daunting and overwhelming concepts of water chemistry, making them easier to understand and giving you the confidence to begin adjusting your own brewing water.

Dry Hopping Your Homebrew: A Comprehensive Guide

Dry hopping is a crucial technique in homebrewing that can significantly enhance the aroma and flavor of your beer. In this post, we'll explore what dry hopping is, why it's used, various dry hopping methods, and recommended dry hopping rates for popular beer styles. Let's dive in!

Pressure Fermenting 101: Faster, Cleaner, and Better Beer

Pressure fermenting is a relatively new concept in the world of homebrewing. As the name suggests, it's a process that involves having your fermentation occur in a sealed vessel that is capable of holding pressure. These can be made of stainless steel, or in some cases, even specialised plastic.

How to Set and Adjust a Spunding Valve for Pressure Fermentations

Spunding valves are a relatively simple but crucial bit of equipment when dealing with pressure fermentation. A spunding valve allows you to set a predefined level of pressure within your pressure fermenter which the valve will maintain by venting or releasing any pressure above this predefined level.

How to Improve Mash Efficiency with Your BrewZilla System

A big factor for many brewers is the efficiency they're able to get from their equipment. Efficiency refers to how much sugar they're able to extract from the malts or grains in their recipe - and the more you can extract, the better (and stronger) your beer will be. In this post we'll look at some methods you can use to ensure you're getting maximum efficiency from your BrewZilla all-in-one brewing system.

FermZilla - All Rounder - Leak Troubleshooting Guide

The Kegland FermZilla is a great bit of kit that can be used for pressure fermenting. When fermenting under pressure though, it's important that the vessel does not have any leaks. Thankfully, the All Rounder model is quite simple in it's design, so there's really only a few places that leaks can come from, so troubleshooting it really isn't all that hard. Is your FermZilla leaking or not holding pressure?