Brewing Podcasts

I listen to a lot of podcasts. They keep me sane in my hours on the M6. A number of them are brewing podcasts and today I just discovered a fantastic new one: Experimental Homebrewing by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn. I’ve just listened to Episode 1, and the style, structure and delivery of the podcast is very mature given that it’s brand new. Most podcasts are a little “ropey” for their first episode, but not this one. It was clear and well delivered. And it’s pretty detailed homebrewing stuff – not just the basics or woolly answers.

Anyway, enough on that podcast. Since this got me thinking about brewing podcasts I thought I’d list out all the brewing podcasts I listen to, just for your interest. If brewing and podcasts are your thing, then see if any of them are new to you. And if there are any great brewing podcasts I am not aware of, please leave a comment.

All but one of these podcasts is US-based, which shows the extent of the homebrewing hobby across the pond. (Or podcasting. Or both.) I wish there were more here in the UK. Maybe I should start one? No, maybe not – I have enough difficulty finding time to write this blog!

Brew Strong

Brewing With Style

The Sour Hour

Basic Brewing Radio

The Beertalkers  This isn’t actually a brewing podcast. It’s a podcast about beer, but it’s the only one in this list with a UK focus, so worth a mention anyway. Unfortunately it has been disappointingly quiet for the last few months.

Experimental Homebrewing  I had to laugh in episode 1 where one of the presenters (can’t remember if it was Denny or Drew) was saying how much he hates Fuggles hops. He said “if I want my beer to taste of dirt there are much cheaper ways of doing it than using Fuggles”! Heresy!

Nasty American Hops

With the longer days and warmer weather (at the moment anyway!) I wanted to make a lighter, more hoppy beer instead of the many dark and heavy brews we have made recently. We’ve got a lot of US hops in the freezer that could really do with being used up – especially some packs of Citra that were sent in error when I made an online purchase a while back.

So despite Andy thinking they are “nasty American hops” we set about making an American Amber that will be called Alderley Amber. (Andy still subscribes to the view expressed by The Farmer’s Magazine in 1863: “The hops from Canada and the United States still exhibit the disagreeable flavour which renders them quite unsuitable for fine qualities of ales.” But he’s very good in that he’ll help make a beer even though he refuses to drink it!)

Alderley Amber is 66 IBUs, and loaded with Citra, Chinook and Columbus hops. It’s fermenting at the moment, and the beer fridge smells great!

The recipe, like so many we make, is based on a recipe in Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer.

Alderley Amber

Grain bill

Maris Otter  4675g 79.3%

Light Crystal Malt  382g  6.5%

Munich Malt  382g  6.5%

Biscuit Malt  192g  3.3%

Dark Crystal Malt  192g  3.3%

Pale Chocolate Malt  72g  1.2%

Hop schedule

60 minutes:

Citra  15%AA  38g  54 IBU

10 minutes:

Citra  15%AA  10g  5.2 IBU

Chinook  14%AA  5g  2.7 IBU

Columbus  14.8%AA  8g  4.5 IBU

Flame out:

Citra  15%AA  15g 

Chinook  14%AA  6g 

Columbus  14.8%AA  18g 

Dry hops:

Citra  25g   5 days

Columbus  25g   5 days

Water treatment: 10g gypsum in 32 litres

Yeast: 1 sachet Safale US-05

Batch size: 23l

Mash temp: 67C

Mash time: 60 min

Boil time: 60 min

OG: 1.055

IBU: 66 (Rager)

Colour: 12 Lovibond, 15.8 SRM, 31 EBC

Target FG: 1.015

Target ABV: 5.3%

Fermentation Temperature: 18C