| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Aging IPA | 11/17/2009 |
Q: I have just finished my first IPA, and it tastes great. I am aware that, historically IPA's were ...
A: The bitterness of the high hopping rate used in an IPA will gradually mellow out over time. The ...
|
| Imperial | 11/16/2009 |
Q: I would like to find all of the distributors in the US of Imperial beer from Costa Rica. Should I ...
A: To find the distributors, you would have to ask the importers. Check Black Eagle Imports in ...
|
| When to rack to secondary | 10/26/2009 |
Q: I just finished racking my second batch of homebrew (and IPA) to the secondary. The wort spend 6 ...
A: Don't worry -- that's not surprising at all. Your primary fermentation was fine, since you got down ...
|
| Stuck Fermentation | 4/18/2009 |
Q: I have a problem that is similar to some I have read on your site. We made an all grain, higher ...
A: Whoever told you that didn't give you the whole story. There are two groups of enzymes that have to ...
|
| Stuck Fermentation | 4/18/2009 |
Q: I have a problem that is similar to some I have read on your site. We made an all grain, higher ...
A: There are quite a few things to consider. Here are a few: The fermentation might actually be ...
|
| beer and gout | 3/30/2009 |
Q: I like beer. However I have read that beer is linked to gout. Does beer greatly increase one's ...
A: You should probably ask your doctor instead of me, but there are quite a few reports that some ...
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| Making Beer: grow or by hops? | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I live in the Portland Or. area and make beer 2 times a year or so. I like to make ipa's. Should I ...
A: There's certainly no reason you couldn't grow them, but consider it just a hobby or for decorative ...
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| Substitute for Budwiser Pilsner-style beer | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I have a recipe for Beer-braised beef and onions it calls for 2 12 oz bottles of pilsner-style beer ...
A: For this purpose, almost any mainstream beer will work fine. The only thing you want to avoid in ...
|
| 3.2 Beer | 1/24/2009 |
Q: I live in Colorado where there is ongoing debate about changing 3.2 beer sales to full strength in ...
A: I can't claim to be an expert in the history of alcohol legislation, but my understanding is as ...
|
| Differences in Beer | 1/10/2009 |
Q: The Hops question was answered very well Thanks. I have a question about Beer, Ale and Lager. What ...
A: Probably the most common question from a person looking to understand more about beer! There are a ...
|
| Slush beer | 12/18/2008 |
Q: I was cooling my keg outside just before carbonation. The night was much cooler than forecasted, ...
A: Not a problem. If anything, the process should improve the beer. Just let it get back to mostly ...
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| Keg with Co2 | 11/23/2008 |
Q: Just wondering how long refrigerated beer lasts in a half keg that uses Co2? We just bought a ...
A: It depends on a few things but if we assume you have the gas pressure at the correct level (just ...
|
| Beer | 10/19/2008 |
Q: Is it better to drink a bottled beer in the bottle or poured into a glass so it can breathe?
A: Always from a glass, for many reasons. The most important is that you can't really get any aroma ...
|
| beer headaches | 10/2/2008 |
Q: Iget migrains from beer & wine, I mean they are so bad that I can't even finish the neck out of a ...
A: I think you might want to get a medical opinion, instead of asking some random nut like me. However ...
|
| alcohol contents | 9/24/2008 |
Q: i have a bit of an off beat question in that i work a night shift job and would love to find a brew ...
A: Sorry, but that's something I've never been interested in. My preference is simply for flavor and ...
|
| alcohol contents | 9/21/2008 |
Q: i have a bit of an off beat question in that i work a night shift job and would love to find a brew ...
A: Interesting question! In terms of pale colored strong Belgian ales, try any of the following, since ...
|
| Beers with no wheat or corn | 9/10/2008 |
Q: I have developed allergies to wheat & corn. I have learned that most national brands use corn and to ...
A: There is no such list, but here's some general advice. You're right that all the major American ...
|
| Carbonating Beer. | 9/6/2008 |
Q: I was wondering is there a way to force carbonate beer in the bottle or something that will do it ...
A: I assume you're just looking to avoid the wait for naturally carbonating beer in the bottle. If so, ...
|
| water ph | 8/28/2008 |
Q: My water is coming from the tap at 8.2 pH . I want a neutral pH of 7 . Do you know on a commercial ...
A: You can adjust your pH for mashing in a number of ways. Simply using a quantity of dark malts will ...
|
| wheat free beer | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I have celiac and can not have any wheat products is there beer made from rice or any other non ...
A: Yes, there are a number of gluten-free beers being made these days, although you might have to hunt ...
|
| acidic taste | 8/7/2008 |
Q: I have been attempting to be consistent at brewing with kits. It seems I have not been very happy ...
A: Without being able to taste your beer, I couldn't give a definitive diagnosis. What you describe as ...
|
| Recipe "Tweeking"? | 7/28/2008 |
Q: I recently brewed my first batch, an American Cream Ale from Brewers Best. I worked with a more ...
A: Several things are possible, such as oxidation or overbittering. The addition of a little extra ...
|
| chocolate | 7/22/2008 |
Q: Is chocolate malt in beer the same kind of chocolate as in the kind we eat? Is brown ale ...
A: No, chocolate malt is called that because it's roasted to the point where it has a brown color that ...
|
| Schlitz Beer Taste | 7/15/2008 |
Q: Back about 35 to 40 Years ago, Schlitz was a good tasting beer. After the sale of SCHLITZ, they ...
A: Trust me, those days are gone forever. It's all about profit now, and this is a very tiny brand that ...
|
| Bear, hops and no barley malt | 6/22/2008 |
Q: Ed. I've noticed you know something about bear (the drink). I came from Ukraine (republic of ...
A: I can only guess, but here's what it sounds like to me. Leaving an open beer overnight will make it ...
|
| Bear, hops and no barley malt | 6/22/2008 |
Q: Ed. I've noticed you know something about bear (the drink). I came from Ukraine (republic of ...
A: I think you're confused about the Ukrainian beer. You said it was only water, hops, and yeast, but ...
|
| Hops in Florida | 2/26/2008 |
Q: I read what you wrote about growing hops in central and southern florida. I live in the panhandle ...
A: Hops have never been grown commercially that far south, but there's no reason you can't try. Just ...
|
| Park Pils Beer | 2/17/2008 |
Q: I am trying to find out how to go about getting a couple of bottles of Park Pils beer shipped to me ...
A: Sorry, but you would have to go through a licensed importer. The only one I can think of who might ...
|
| allergy? | 2/9/2008 |
Q: Ed Like most guys I love beer. I find,however,that when I have a few beers,the next day I often have ...
A: OK, here goes. I am not a doctor, I don't play one on TV, and I don't even own a white coat. However ...
|
| hops | 1/2/2008 |
Q: I have some acreage in central ontario, canada. It used to be an old cattle farm . there are several ...
A: If you type growing hops into Google, you'll get quite a number of useful pages. Here are a couple: ...
|
| very amateur brewer | 1/1/2008 |
Q: I bought a Mr. Beer kit on the recommendation of a friend. My original plan was to get good cheap ...
A: The best approach is to go to howtobrew.com and start reading. This is an excellent book that covers ...
|
| Calculate alcohol content | 12/2/2007 |
Q: How do you calculate the alcohol content from specific gravity?
A: There are a number of formulas, but for all practical purposes you can get a simple answer that is ...
|
| brewing in wooden kegs | 11/17/2007 |
Q: I’ve been a home brewer (beer) for about 10 years and have recently purchased a wooden barrel to keg ...
A: Well, you didn't give me enough information to really provide a complete answer, but here are some ...
|
| malt | 11/3/2007 |
Q: Hey, Id love to brew more beer and wine but due to the area that I live in brewing yeast is not ...
A: The closest place to you would be: Kansas Ale and Vino 925 N Kansas Avenue Topeka, Kansas (785) ...
|
| yeast | 11/2/2007 |
Q: Hey, Id love to brew more beer and wine but due to the area that I live in brewing yeast is not ...
A: You must be pretty far out in the woods, because brewing yeast and other supplies are readily ...
|
| Fermentation Stopped? | 10/15/2007 |
Q: I just started my first batch of pale ale and everything went as expected accepted I realized after ...
A: Just pitch the same type and same amount of yeast, and there won't be any effect on the flavor. ...
|
| Fermentation Stopped? | 10/15/2007 |
Q: I just started my first batch of pale ale and everything went as expected accepted I realized after ...
A: It's possible that you "shocked" the yeast with the drastic chilling from the high 70s to the low ...
|
| Sugar | 10/12/2007 |
Q: How much sugar is there in non alcholic beer? More than regular beer ?? ANSWER: There are many ...
A: I really don't know what you're driving at, but those brands would be included. There are plenty of ...
|
| Sugar | 10/11/2007 |
Q: How much sugar is there in non alcholic beer? More than regular beer ??
A: There are many different ways of making NA beer, so I can't give you any kind of specific answer, ...
|
| Beer Kegs | 10/10/2007 |
Q: Can a full keg (31 gallons) still be purchased in the US? If not, when was the last time they were ...
A: Sorry, you're out of luck. The old full barrel kegs were made of wood, so you really wouldn't want ...
|
| Aerating, and Fermentation + Flavoring | 9/30/2007 |
Q: New homebrewer here. I'd been wanting to do it for a while, and yesterday, with the assistance of my ...
A: That's a common question, so don't worry about it. The key thing is to pitch a big, healthy yeast ...
|
| beer hydrometer readings | 9/3/2007 |
Q: IS THERE A FORMULA OR WAY TO FIGURE; THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR, HONEY, BROWN SUGAR, MALT... THAT WILL BE ...
A: Sure, there's not really much to it. The hydrometer measures the specific gravity, so plain water ...
|
| Brewin! | 6/13/2007 |
Q: I am just starting out brewing and don’t have the money to buy any of the ready made kits, so I’ve ...
A: Sorry, but you're going to have to start over from scratch. What you're making in your bucket is not ...
|
| Non carbonated beer | 6/9/2007 |
Q: Are there any non carbonated beers being produced?
A: No, it would not be beer if it were not carbonated. The carbonation is the natural result of the ...
|
| Homegrown hops | 5/30/2007 |
Q: Craig here. I tried to grow rhizomes a few years back, planted them a few inched down and promptly ...
A: Depends what you want to do. Normally, March is the month for planting rhizomes. It might (stress on ...
|
| bud dry | 5/15/2007 |
Q: I'm from Iowa and last year i was in louisiana and they had bud dry at the grocery store. A (older) ...
A: Fashions in marketing the mainstream beers come and go, and this is a good example. After all, what ...
|
| Question regarding my 1st brew. | 5/11/2007 |
Q: Im brewing some Coopers Lager and the reccomended tempreture for the wort is suppose to be between ...
A: Not enough detail to give a perfect answer, but you should be fine. It's the higher frequency light ...
|
| Budweiser | 4/27/2007 |
Q: When I was in Italy I had the opportunity to try Budweiser Budvar. I believe it is a Chezk beer. Is ...
A: Yes, this is the same beer that is imported to the USA under the name Czechvar. (They can't use the ...
|
| Beer Question??? | 4/3/2007 |
Q: I am a student at the University of Tennessee doing a project for a marketing class on how you might ...
A: I can only give you the barest essentials, since it's such a huge topic, but here goes: -- Is it ...
|
| Hops in Florida | 3/21/2007 |
Q: I saw a response you wrote stating that growing in South Florida was probably not a good idea for ...
A: If that's your plan, you should be in fine shape. Give them plenty of water and you'll get enough ...
|
| Hops in Florida | 3/21/2007 |
Q: I saw a response you wrote stating that growing in South Florida was probably not a good idea for ...
A: It depends on why you want to grow them. If it's just as an ornamental plant (and they do look ...
|
| beer | 3/10/2007 |
Q: why do I get headhaces when I drink one or two domestic beers
A: You don't say which brand of beer you're drinking, but the most common situation is when people ...
|
| Hops | 1/24/2007 |
Q: Ed, I saw your reply to someone's question about growing hops. I have a feeling I know the answer, ...
A: Sorry, no "hot weather" varieties that I know of, but don't lose hope. All this means is that you're ...
|
| Corona and Miller Beer | 12/21/2006 |
Q: A coworker recently told me that Corona and Miller are the same beer just under different labels. ...
A: Sorry, but your friend is wrong. If you think about it, you'll realize it's pretty obvious. For ...
|
| keg draft beer | 12/8/2006 |
Q: Sir, I am a recent kegerator owner.Draft domestic beer is it less carbonated and possibly a little ...
A: Domestic draft beer has the same alcohol content as the canned or bottled version. The carbonation ...
|
| Shipping | 12/5/2006 |
Q: If I buy a beer out of the cooler and want to ship it to a friend, should I ship it in a way that ...
A: At this time of year, it won't matter. The flavor of a beer will be adversely affected if it sits ...
|
| wots in it?? | 11/22/2006 |
Q: could you please tell me what is larger made off. my friend says its full of additives is this true? ...
A: Lager beer is made from the same ingredients as any other beer, which are: malted grains (usually ...
|
| Oyster Lager? | 8/27/2006 |
Q: I took a tour of the Anhauser-Busch plant in Merrimack, NH recently. The guide was talking about ...
A: Actually, he was close. There used to be ales (stouts, actually) known as Oyster Stout. The first ...
|
| kegging ale {boddingtons} | 8/26/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if you could help me. I dont know if your familiar with boddingtons pub ale but it ...
A: All good questions! I'll try to give you the short answers. You can use a beer gas mix (it's 75% ...
|
| malt free liquor | 8/26/2006 |
Q: i have an allergy to malt - is there any alcaholic drink that is malt free?
A: I am not a doctor, but I think you need to ask your own doctor exactly what you are allergic to. It ...
|
| beer | 7/27/2006 |
Q: We made 5 gallons of beer on saturday night. It is now Thursday and the beer has slowed to less ...
A: There is no reliable way to tell when it's safe to bottle except by meaurement. You need to take a ...
|
| beer | 7/24/2006 |
Q: we used a can of thomas cooper wheat beer mix. we then added 2 pounds 10oz of sugar. we calculated ...
A: You'll be fine. The extra water made up for the extra sugar. The only problem is that you won't get ...
|
| How long can we store home brewed beer? | 7/21/2006 |
Q: we made some beer in late March of this year. I had made this particular recipe in the past, but ...
A: Without knowing any more specific information, I would say there is a 99% chance you have nothing to ...
|
| Cold to warm to cold Beer | 7/20/2006 |
Q: I am just wondering if my beer is still okay to drink. I bought it cold, kept it in a cooler over a ...
A: Relax, it's absolutely fine. The only time you have to worry about heat damaging the flavor of beer ...
|
| Short Fermentation | 7/18/2006 |
Q: Hey Ed, I have been brewing for about a year, a lot of great tasting beer, but lately the batches ...
A: Well, you don't tell me what your hydrometer readings are, so I can't answer this. Taking a ...
|
| Lager vs. ale | 7/14/2006 |
Q: Okay, so larger is bottom fermenting and ale is top fermenting. Is there a diffrence in the yeast ...
A: Yes, you're on exactly the right track. Originally, all beers were ales, and they all used similar ...
|
| Substitute for HOPS | 7/10/2006 |
Q: i live in india (asia), tried a lot to get hops, to add to my brew, but not lucky. are there any ...
A: Those two problems are related. People used to use other herbs to make beer, but after hops were ...
|
| Beer Headaches | 7/6/2006 |
Q: I just read your article on Bud products. I have been drinking AB products all my life, and have ...
A: Bad news and good news. The bad news is that all strains of brewer's yeast produce this substance as ...
|
| what if beer is re refrigerated after cooling down | 6/26/2006 |
Q: ..I bought a 12 pack of newcastle ale bottles out of the cooler at the local store. I cant ...
A: Not a problem. The best storage for beer is a cool, dark place (and bright light is more damaging ...
|
| Brewing Knowledge and Schools | 6/20/2006 |
Q: i've always been a big fan of beers, for a lot more than just their alcohol content, and've taken up ...
A: Great question! I think the best resource for you at this point in your development would be a book ...
|
| Hops | 6/18/2006 |
Q: I am interested in getting started with homebrewing, and I was wondering about some particulars with ...
A: You didn't say where you live, but if they are wild hops, they are probably the Clusters variety. ...
|
| Beer Brand | 6/15/2006 |
Q: Mr. Westemeier, I found an old ashtray with Silvertop beer on it. Could you tell me Who, ...
A: Silver Top beer was made by the Duquesne Brewing Co. in Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh). At one time it ...
|
| Beer expiration... | 5/30/2006 |
Q: How long can you keep beer in the fridge before it goes bad? What about beer in a cabinet, when is ...
A: For all practical purposes, the flavor of the typical beer starts to go downhill after it leaves the ...
|
| clear beer | 4/21/2006 |
Q: i keg my beer when i dispense it in a glass it is not clear the cooler is at 40 degrees farenghit ...
A: It sounds like you're talking about homebrewed beer. If so, there are two possible reasons. It ...
|
| Brewing/Beer inquiries | 4/6/2006 |
Q: I work in a beer vendor store in Mb, Canada. Now, I tell you this because I am only familiar with ...
A: You'd have to read several books to get the full answer, but I can give you the quick and dirty ...
|
| Great Lakes Brewing company | 3/21/2006 |
Q: I was wondering if you have had a chance to try any beer made from The Great Lakes Brewing Company ...
A: Great Lakes has always been one of my favorite breweries. I started by enjoying Burning River Pale ...
|
| Bear home brewing | 3/20/2006 |
Q: I tasted some homemade bear which was brewed from non-alcoholic bear by a friend. She simply added ...
A: I think you answered your own question with the comment "The taste was not so good..." Of course, ...
|
| Bear home brewing | 3/20/2006 |
Q: I am a beer lover. Unfortunitely, I live in Kuwait, a dry country. However, non-alcoholic beer is ...
A: Sorry, I'm afraid not. Non-alcoholic beer is made either by removing the alcohol from normal beer, ...
|
| Beer style standards | 11/28/2005 |
Q: Westemeier: I am a beer enthusiast living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We are lucky to have several ...
A: Great question! This may surprise you, but there really is such a guide. The Beer Judge ...
|
| Asian Farmers market | 10/26/2005 |
Q: At my local market I saw they carried Rice starch, rice flour and powdered rice. Are any of these ...
A: Yes and no. Rice is rice, obviously, but to brew with it you need to gelatinize it first. That ...
|
| English Pub Glass | 10/18/2005 |
Q: Is the authentic or oldest English pint glass the straight edge or the one with the bulge around it ...
A: I'm not an expert on glassware, but I think it pretty much depends on who you ask. Traditionally, ...
|
| beer headaches | 10/17/2005 |
Q: May I ask, which other breweries are very high with this problematic yeast strain? Followup To ...
A: It wouldn't be very useful to compile a list like that, and I don't think anyone has actually tried. ...
|
| beer headaches | 10/17/2005 |
Q: Is it true that certain beers have byproducts that cause headaches? I found that Budweiser and other ...
A: Unfortunately (for them), it is true. There is a chemical that causes headaches for about 1 person ...
|
| Beer recommendation | 8/27/2005 |
Q: I'm curious if you have a recommendation for a beer combination that I could serve at the bar of my ...
A: Brooklyn Brewery makes some of my favorite beers, so I'm all in favor of your idea. Assuming your ...
|
| raising hops | 6/30/2005 |
Q: I was told by staff members at Listermann's (a local home brewer's supply store) that the climate in ...
A: Sounds like a bit of misunderstanding. The southern limit for reasonable hop growing is about 40 ...
|
| Michelob | 4/14/2005 |
Q: Ed, Since you write an informative column, I thought that you may be able to help me with a query ...
A: Nothing happened to regular Michelob. It's still available. Back in 1997, they came out with 5 or ...
|
| ale and beer | 4/3/2005 |
Q: what is the difference between ale and beer
A: A very common question! Here's the way it works: First, it's all beer. Now, all beer is divided into ...
|
| Malt liquor beers | 1/25/2005 |
Q: Mr.Westemeier, My questions concern Malt liquor beers. I really like the Domestic malt liquors ...
A: As you probably suspected, they're just slightly stronger versions of standard American lagers. I ...
|
| Bottle types for different beers | 1/23/2005 |
Q: My friends and I were sitting around drinking different brands of beer and someone purposed the ...
A: Isn't it amazing how you get into these really deep philosophical issues while drinking beer? ...
|
| wort filteration in the brewery | 11/20/2004 |
Q: sir, i am from a malting industry, i regulary get complaints of poor wort filtration at the ...
A: That problem is not normally caused by any problem with the malting process. Instead, that type of ...
|
| rogue | 11/5/2004 |
Q: I live in Chicago and have recently discovered Rogue ales... I have only found 1 bar that carries ...
A: As you suspected, it's a legal issue. The problem is that most states have what is called a "three ...
|
| hangover | 9/28/2004 |
Q: What is it about beer that gives me a splitting headache the next morning? Are some beers more apt ...
A: Sorry for the delay; I was out of touch for a few days. The full answer is pretty long, but the ...
|
| Beer & Lager etc | 9/3/2004 |
Q: Whats the difference between Beer & Lager. Answer - It's all beer. Generally, all beers are ...
A: All stouts, including Guinness and Murphys, are ales. There are many dozens of different beer styles ...
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| Beer & Lager etc | 9/3/2004 |
Q: Whats the difference between Beer & Lager.
A: It's all beer. Generally, all beers are either ales or lagers. The difference is mainly the type of ...
|
| Is Beer Worse For Men Than Red Wine? | 8/9/2004 |
Q: I cant find any proper place to ask this question but you may know or point me in the right ...
A: First, the obvious disclaimer: I'm not a physician, and therefore I am not technically qualified to ...
|
| Rice Adjunct | 4/7/2004 |
Q: I wanted to use rice as an adjunct to a light ale, and being cheap (not wanting to buy rice flakes ...
A: Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. When using rice, you don't want to simply use the ...
|
| equipment | 4/4/2004 |
Q: You are the third expert I have presented this question to, and hopefully I will get an answer form ...
A: Yes, you can, but there are a couple of things to be aware of. The caps used on the twist top ...
|
| Schlitz | 5/29/2003 |
Q: Could you please tell me what happened to Schlitz beer? Did they go out of business, declare ...
A: "The beer that made Milwaukee famous." The Schlitz brewery passed through several hands (Stroh, ...
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| Beer availability | 5/26/2003 |
Q: I am trying to find out which breweries would have beer available in 1/4 kegs. I wanted to find a ...
A: No, every brewery has its own policy on keg sizes. Normally, it's a function of what size kegs they ...
|
| Beer | 2/9/2003 |
Q: Where does the origin of the word Beer come from and how did it come about?
A: That's a great question! I wish I knew the answer myself. Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure. The ...
|
| Growing Hops | 8/21/2002 |
Q: I've been homebrewing for about a year. I want to look into growing my own hops. Do you know where ...
A: First, it depends on where you live. Hops do best north of about 40 degrees latitude, so if you're ...
|
| Beer Kegs | 7/2/2002 |
Q: Once a 1/2 barrell keg has been tapped, how long is it good for?
A: If you're using the standard tap that usually comes with the keg (the kind where you pump it a ...
|
| Locating a particular beer | 6/26/2002 |
Q: I have been looking for years for a particular beer called Abbey of leffe blonde ale. Apparently it ...
A: Leffe is one of the best selling beers in Belgium, brewed under license from the Abbey Notre-Dame de ...
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