Review: My First Year of Home Brewing

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It was April 2009 when I first began brewing beer at home. What follows is a list of every batch since then and some brief notes on each. It was a great year. Not every beer was amazing, but some were very impressive, especially for a new guy. As you can see, I jumped around ... [Read more]

Rainy Day IPA Batch Update

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Took a sample of the IPA last night. It was just as I had hoped – 1.01 FG- yielding a 5.0% ABV. The color shocked me, in a good way. A bright, pale orange color that really caught me off guard. The taste was great also, very hoppy. Going to be a hoppy pale ale, ... [Read more]

Home Brewing Batch Update: Amberhop

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A buddy of mine and I kegged the Amberhop last Thursday. I set the regulator to 30 PSI and let it sit for about 3 whole days. Yesterday, amidst a painfully long day of serious yard work, I decided I had earned a pint of my long await recent batch. I went down the basement, ... [Read more]

Red Ale #5

Homebrew Red Ale #5

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Wow. I told my wife after I had kegged this and it was ready to drink that I thought it was my best beer to date. I should qualify that. I was and remains the most drinkable of my pale ales in my opinion. As for being my best beer, I can’t commit to that, ... [Read more]

Homebrew Rainy Day IPA

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Some introductory info on this beer, brewed 4/3/10 Based on Jamil’s “Hoppiness is an IPA” in Brewing Classic Styles Helpers: Olivia, daughter. Vicki, wife. Ingredients 4lbs 2-Row American Pale Malt .75 lbs Munich malt .5 Crystal 10 .25 Crystal 40 3lbs Dry Malt Extract .75 lb dextrose 1 oz Magnum 14.4% AA @ 60 min ... [Read more]

Kitchen Sink Cream Ale

Home Brewing: Kitchen Sink Cream Ale

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This Cream Ale was the last of the four brews I attempted of the winter months. I wanted to brew a beer that could be lagered for some time in case I forgot about it. Cream Ales are usually fermented at the low end of ale temps in order to produce a lager-like beer. Sometimes ... [Read more]

Empty Green Bottle Split-Log Porter

Home Brewing a Split-Log Porter

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The house I am currently residing in has a wood burning stove. Over the winter my roommate and I would fire it up to about 500 degrees in order to fight off the winter chill. I enjoy the smell of a burning fire. Maybe that is why I enjoy oak aged beers. Most of these ... [Read more]

Empty Green Bottle Brewing Macedonian Myth

Midas Touch Clone: Macedonian Myth

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My Midas Touch (Dogfish Head) clone was the first batch I brewed and it also took the longest. Brewed with 2 lbs of honey and saffron threads during the boil, then 4 cups of grape juice concentrate added at the peak of fermentation this beer is sweet. Boasting an ABV of 8-9%, this is the ... [Read more]

Home Brewing a Maple Marzen

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This was the third of four beers I have brewed since September. Unfortunately, none of them turned out how I had hoped. Due to a mixture of getting busy and the holiday season, I was not able to devote as much time to watching these beers through the process. Regardless, of the outcome I want ... [Read more]

Meet Tom Smillie, Homebrewer

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Over the last couple years, I’ve found that home brewers have similar reasons for taking up the hobby. Brewing provides an outlet for creativity, learning some history, connecting with a vast community of people, developing a greater appreciation for beer, or possibly an avenue for scientific interests. Probably the most common thread among home brewers ... [Read more]

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