Homebrewing: Make a Hop Statement

Trying to keep up with the ever-popular double, triple and imperial IPAs is no easy task. It seems like every time you turn around some brewery is adding a new face-melting IPA to their line-up or collecting accolades for an exceptional year-rounder. So how do these breweries impart those incredible hop flavors and aromas in their beer and what can I do to make a better homebrewed IPA? In this weeks’ homebrew column, Homebrewing: Make a Hop Statement I’m going to share some of my favorite hopping techniques and the reasons behind using them.
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Homebrew: Make a Yeast Starter

I’m a huge advocate of the brewers’ saying that “Brewers make wort and yeast make beer.” Without healthy yeast, you cannot make the best beer possible. So step up your homebrew game with a yeast starter and improve your next batch of homebrew! Read More

Boulevard Brewing Co – Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company – Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 8.5%

IBU: 38

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Homebrew: Growing Your Own Hops

If you’re already brewing your own beer, you’re probably like me. You care about quality products and aren’t afraid to try doing it on your own and dabbling in new things. I love to cook extravagant meals and have dabbled in building furniture (including boss kegerators), growing a vegetable garden and growing my own hops.

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Wild Woods Brewery: Jake vs. Erin

Wild Woods Brewery is one of my new favorite places in Boulder. In my initial visits to the brewery, I was very impressed with their six core beers (check out the review). But when the opportunity presents itself, I must try the small batch options. In my most recent trip, both Erin and Jake brewed Pale Ales individually and each showcase a different single hop variety. I got to try both beers head-to-head and here are the results of Jake vs. Erin. Read More

Homebrew: Developing Your Recipe

While following clone recipes and recipes produced by others is a great way to get started and master your specific equipment, developing your own recipes is where the beauty of brewing really begins. The process of creating  a beautiful masterpiece and sharing something that is solely your own with friends and family is incredibly exciting. Other than ‘saving money’ which, lets be honest is not true at all, we want to make something that we’re proud to call our own. That is the joy of homebrewing. This weekend I will be brewing an IPA and want to share my methodology in hopes that it will help in developing your recipe. Read More

Deschutes & Hair of the Dog – Conflux #1

ABV 11.6%

The craft beer industry is a collaborative world. When the great minds of two breweries come together, the results are often twice as good. The barrel aged project between Hair of the Dog and Deschutes that results in Conflux #1 is an excellent example of this collaborative style.  Read More

Avery Strong Ale Fest Preview

Here at PorchDrinking.com we love festivals. We are festivarians. Beer festivals, music festivals, bacon festivals, you name it! The opportunity to rub elbows and share stories and experiences with like-passionate people makes us giddy. On the horizon this weekend is the Avery Strong Ale Fest in Boulder, Colorado. The beers will be big and our smiles will be even bigger. Join us on the porch in preview!

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Crystal Springs – South Ridge Amber

Crystal Springs Brewing Company – Boulder, CO

ABV: ~6%

South Ridge Amber pours a beautiful deep amber color with nice reddish hues streaking through the glass when held to the light. The beer has high clarity and proudly displays a dense aromatic head. Aromas of grapefruit, ripe bartlett pears, pine and fresh cut wild flowers are present.

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Wild Woods Brewery

As micro and nano breweries continue to open in the front range faster than dandelions in the spring time, so does my desire to discover them. Wild Woods Brewery is nestled in a small industrial-zoned area of Boulder that hosts large business powerhouses the likes of Ball Industries. While the brewery is off the beaten path and nearly impossible to find if it weren’t for their small garage sale sized ground sign with ‘Wild Woods Brewery’ and an arrow hand-drawn with a Marks-a-lot, it is exactly what owners Erin and Jake have dreamt about for the last five years.

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Homebrewing: Building Your Library

Knowledge is power and becoming a powerful brewer takes lots of knowledge. In this week’s homebrewing post, Building Your Library, I’m going to break down three books that I own and recommend that other homebrewers read and reference.  Read More

New Belgium Heavenly Feijoa Tripel

ABV: 9%

Knowing that I have to drive two and a half hours round trip to a jobsite and work an eight hour day, is normally not my favorite way to start the day. However on this particular day, I was travelling to the lovely town of Fort Collins. How is it that the saying goes? “When in Rome”…. I don’t quite remember the rest. What I do remember is that “When in Fort Collins, visit the New Belgium Taproom.” This Wednesday afternoon was no different. While I planned to pick up this years release of La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek for myself and a couple of friends (I’m a fantastic friend… and now accepting applications), I was graced by the presence of the New Belgium Heavenly Feijoa Tripel. Read More

Boulder Beer – Rum Barrel Porter

ABV: 6%

Boulder Beer Company’s Rum Barrel Porter is another addition to their unique taproom-only offerings. I suspect this is not only a limited release but a nano batch as their regular lineup does not include a Porter. Oftentimes the more creative libations can only be found in a brewery’s taproom, so visit your local taproom often.

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Stone Brewing Co. – Double Bastard Ale

11.2% ABV

The name of this beer says it all. Imagine if Snooki and Kanye had a child together (maybe the most terrifying thing I have ever conceived…) and then Kanye left during his/her/it’s youth. What would the product be? The most menacing and arrogant adolescent ever. Double your arrogant DNA, and you get double the devil child. Stone Brewing Co. doubles their Arrogant Bastard Ale and boggles the mind with their palate smashing Double Bastard. Read More

Anchorage Brewing Co. – Whiteout WitBier

Whiteout WitBier – Anchorage Brewing Company

6.5% ABV

Even though a few days late for a New Year’s celebration, Anchorage Brewing Company‘s Whiteout WitBier is a bottle that is worthy of popping at any momentous occasion. This decidedly funky Witbier pairs perfectly with your most outRAGEous party. Put on your favorite party hat, crank up the jams and get after it! Read More

Homebrewing – Define Your Style

From the first extract beer kit that I ever brewed (a Ferocious IPA kit, that turned out very well), I was hooked. With time my recipes got more and more complex and my kitchen stove and 3.5 gallon pot turned into a 20 gallon all-grain, three-tiered brewhemoth that takes up half of my garage. As I have developed as a brewer, my approach and outlook towards brewing beer has changed. Here are three major ways that I have developed and  practices that I employ in every batch of homebrew.

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Homebrewing Gingerbread Stout: Part 2

The brilliant thing about homebrewing is that as long as you have excellent sanitation practices, there’s no reason you can’t tweak a recipe once you’ve already brewed it and begun fermentation. With the exception of beer flaws, lots of changes can take place in beers post fermentation. One perfect example is dry-hopping beers. When our Gingerbread stout wasn’t quite up to snuff, we upped the ante.

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Elevation Beer Co. – Signal De Botrange

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 26

Distribution: Colorado

I’m a sucker for anything barrel-aged and I’m an even bigger sucker for trying beers from young breweries. There is nothing more fun than discovering a brewery in their fledgling stages and tasting their beers as they grow and improve. Its like following the way an artist, musician or author develops their style throughout their career. With both boxes checked, picking up Signal De Botrange on the shelf of my local liquor store was as natural for me as breathing. Read More

Presidential Election: Budweiser vs. Coors

If you’re tired of listening to political attack ads and fall into the category of Americans’ that are undecided in this years most critical election, we analyze two candidates on key issues facing America and break down this years Presidential Election: Budweiser vs.Coors. Read More

Mt. Hood Brewing Company: Ice Axe IPA

ABV: 5.9%

Mt. Hood Brewing Company brings beautifully crafted beer from the Ice Axe Grill in the shadows of Mt. Hood. Their website states that Ice Axe IPA is their flagship beer. Why would you have anything else be your flagship beer when your home and neighboring states produces the largest quantity and best quality of hops in the US? Read More