Beersmith Home And Beer Brewing Podcast

This week my guest is Mike Tonsmeire, aka "The Mad Fermentationist". Mike walks us through the fine art of designing and brewing very low gravity beers called "Session Beers". Session beers are eminently drinkable beers that are still full bodied and enjoyable, without weighing you down. NOTE: The full version of the episode with show notes is here.

This week my guest is "The Homebrew Chef" Sean Z. Paxton.  Sean is arguably the most famous beer chef in the world - and has been the chef for the last several National Homebrew Conference banquets. He is also an active author, has a new podcast on cooking with beer and cooks for major beer events around the country. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week Curt Stock is my guest and we talk about mead making.  The leap from making beer to making mead is not a large one, and most brewers have the equipment they need already on hand. Curt was the 2005 AHA mead maker of the year and serving in his second term on the AHA governing committee. He's a member of the Saint Paul Homebrewer's club. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week I interview Chris Graham from MoreBeer.com and we talk about how to save money brewing beer at home. Given the economy, many brewers are working on a tight budget both in terms of time and money so Chris provides some useful tips on how keep within your budget and save a bit of time while still enjoying your home brewed beer. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week I bring back prolific beer author and tasting authority Randy Mosher to talk about tasting beer. Tasting beer and sensory evaluation are important topics for anyone who wants to brew better beer, and Randy is an expert on both.  The best beer brewers are often also beer judges. NOTE: You can find the full episode with show notes here.

This week we talk about methods for making sour and wild beers using Brettanomyces yeast (Brett). Brett is used in many sour beers styles including Lambics, Gueze, Oud Bruin, Berliner Weisse, and others. My guests are Drew Beechum and Nathan Smith - both of whom have done extensive brewing using Brett. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week we go all grain with Grandmaster brewing judge Gordon Strong.  Gordon tells you how to make the leap from extract brewing to all-grain, including basic equipment, how to do a simple infusion mash, and sparging. All grain beer brewing gives you more control over your finished beer. Gordon also shares his thoughts on his new book "Brewing Better Beer" which was just released. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week my guest is Dave Wills of Freshops and we talk about how to grow your own hops in your garden. Dave is a long time brewer, hop grower and also microbrewer at the Oregon Trail Brewery and he provides some great advice on how you can start your own hop garden. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week I interview Dr Charles Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch endowed Professor of Brewing Science a the University of California at Davis.  We talk about the entire all grain mashing process for beer brewing from start to finish. Charlie explains how mashing actually works, how changes in the process affect the finished beer, and the role that multiple step mashing, decoction mashing and lautering play in brewing beer. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week I interview popular brewing author Randy Mosher and veteran brewer Dan Listermann about brewing with grains other than barley. We explore the full range of alternatives - everything from common grains like wheat and corn to more exotic options like gluten-free beer, unmalted grains, sorghum, oats, rice, rye, and even cicada beer. NOTE: The full episode with show notes can be found here.

This week I interview the co-organizers for the 33rd annual AHA National Homebrewer's Conference which is scheduled for San Diego from June 16-18 of this year. We talk about what the conference is all about, many of the key events and how to register to attend. I will be attending this year's conference as well - so I hope to see you there! NOTE: The full episode with show notes is here.

Just in time for St Patrick's day, John Palmer is back as my guest and we go into depth on the Irish Stout beer style. Irish Stout is a favorite of mine, so I pulled in the co-author of "Brewing Classic Styles" to talk about this famous beer from Dublin. John is the author of "How to Brew" at HowToBrew.com, the co-author of "Brewing Classic Styles" and the co-host of Brew Strong on the Brewing Network. NOTE: The full show notes and episode is listed here.

From half a world away in Australia, Patrick Hollingdale is my guest for this week's episode. We talk about the Brew-in-a-Bag (BIAB) all grain brewing technique that started in Australia but has become popular worldwide. BIAB lets an all grain brewer start with nothing more than a large pot and grain bag and brew a full all grain batch in a single vessel (the boiler). NOTE: The full show notes for this episode are here.

Dr Glenn Tinseth, the author of the Tinseth equation for estimating bitterness is my guest this week. The Tinseth equation is the most widely used equation for estimating bitterness by brewers from around the world. Glenn talks about hops, bitterness, international bitterness units, hop utilization and much more. NOTE: The full episode for the podcast is here.

This week I feature a trio of brewers with expertise in historic brewing techniques - including Chris Bowen, Dan Morey and Mike Tonsmeire. We cover a range of historic brewing topics including why we brew historic beers, traditional equipment, ingredients and various historic styles. NOTE: The full episode and show notes are here.  

This week I feature Scott Hettig, the Brewmaster at St Francis brewery and George Bluvas the Brewmaster at Water Street Brewery. Both are avid home brewers who eventually became full time professional brewmasters, and this week they share a bit of their story and brewing advice. We talk in detail about what it takes to become a professional brewer, how it differs from home brewing and how a passion for brewing is critical for success. NOTE: The full episode and show notes are here.

Gordon Strong, the President of the BJCP is my guest this week. He is the world's only Grand Master Level V beer judge and also one of the top competitive home brewers in the US.  We talk about judging beer, what it takes to be a Grandmaster Level V beer judge, and how an average home brewer can use competition and beer judging skills to improve their beer. Gordon also talks about his new book "Brewing Better Beer" which is being released this Spring. NOTE: The full episode with show notes is here.

This week we focus on getting more than one beer from a single batch in a round table discussion with author Drew Beechum and Nathan Smith. We cover popular techniques such as parti-gyle brewing, but also many lesser known techniques such as splitting beers in the boil, at fermentation and even blending finished beers to get more variety from a single batch. It all starts with the mash, but the techniques go well beyond that in this unique episode. NOTE: The full episode with show notes is here.

This week I interview Dr Chris White, the founder of White Labs and coauthor of the new book "Yeast, The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation". Chris covers a wide range of beer brewing topics including the life cycle of yeast, importance of yeast starters and temperature control, aeration and also says a few words about his new book. Thank you again to Dr Chris White for taking time out of his very busy schedule to do the interview. NOTE: The full episode with show notes is here.

This week I talk with  John Palmer, author of "How to Brew" which is the top selling Home Brewing book on Amazon. John is also co-host of Brew Strong on the Brewing Network and a popular speaker on home brewing. John shares with us how he got started brewing, how he wrote "How to Brew" as a free book on the internet and eventually (by going door-to-door) turned it into a successful home brewing book. We also chat about what his life is like as a beer brewing celebrity. NOTE: The full episode with show notes is here.