BeerSmith Home Brewing

By Brad Smith and FriendsEducation Arts Food Hobbies

BeerSmith Home Brewing episodes

October 12, 2025Beer Brewing Equipment Types with Chris Graham – BeerSmith Podcast #333
Chris Graham joins me this week from MoreBeer to discuss home brewing equipment types and options for upgrading your brewing equipment.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (50:25)
This week I welcome back Chris Graham from MoreBeer, a top supplier of brewing equipment and ingredients. Chris is the President of MoreBeer, and has taught at the Siebel Instutute and also served on both the Brewer’s Association Board of Directors and the American Homebrewer’s Association Governing Council.

Chris gives us a short overview of what is new at MoreBeer.

We start with a discussion on Flash Brewing which is perhaps the simplest method for brewing beer and requires the least equipment. We covered this topic in more detail on Episode #309. Chris describes the equipment and basic methods for Flash Brewing.

Next we discuss Extract brewing which gives you flexbility over your recipes, but can still be done with very little equipment. Even a smaller pot on the stovetop, bucket for fermentation and bottles to store the beer is enough.

We discuss the general trend towards smaller batches in brewing and changes post-COVID.

Chris next introduces all grain brewing using relatively inexpensive All-in-one Brew in a Bag (BIAB) systems which have become very popular. These smaller systems in many cases have sophisticated features like temperature control and pumps, but are compact and easy to use. Moving to all grain also gives you full control over the brewing process and enables just about any beer to be brewed.

We discuss some of the pros and cons of a BIAB style all in one system, along with some of the more advanced features on some models.

Chris next moves up to a three vessel system which is used for all grain and mirrors the basic vessels on a larger pro size system. These systems often blur the lines between home and professional equipment, and in fact many small nano-breweries use large homebrew system three tier systems for brewing.

Chris talks about temperature control, pumps and the difference between a RIMS and HERMS system for heating the mash.

We talk about home brewing pumps which are required as systems get larger and some of the features to look for in a home brewing pump.

We briefly discuss pro brewing systems and what might be added in terms of automation as the systems move from large home brewing equipment to commercial sizes.

Chris discusses fermenters and some of the options available from a simple plastic bucket to a pressurized stainless conical. We’ve seen a lot of advancement in this area especially at the homebrew level.

Chris provides his thoughts on where home brewing is going next as well as his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
0 min
September 25, 2025How Your Brain Perceives Beer with Randy Mosher – BeerSmith Podcast #332
This week author Randy Mosher joins me to discuss how your senses and brain work together to create the overall flavor and impression from beer and other beverages.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (52:51)
This week I welcome back Randy Mosher. Randy is the author of the books Mastering Homebrew, Radical Brewing, and Tasting Beer. (Full disclosure: Amazon affiliate links to books) He’s also partner in two breweries near Chicago Five Rabbit and Forbidden Root.

We start with a short discussion of Randy’s new website which is at RandyMosher.com. We also briefly talk about his previous book on Tasting Beer and upcoming book “Your Tasting Brain”.

We begin this week’s topic with a discussion of “multimodality” and how that describes the operation of our brain and senses.

Randy describes our main senses used in detecting flavor which are taste, smell and touch. We explore how the raw inputs from the senses are rapidly combined and distilled automatically by the brain.

He explains how smell, taste, and mouthfeel are all combined together to create the perception we call flavor and how a lot of information is distilled down along the way.

We talk about the brain’s overall architecture and how that architecture significantly affects the way we perceive the world.

Randy tells us about how the brain uses shortcuts and mental models to distill down a complex world and also to deal with an overload of information coming into our somewhat limited brains.

We discuss how these factors along with memories and mental models play into our overall perception of flavor.

Randy discusses judging beer and how it takes serious concentration as well as experience to be able to break down complex flavors into individual tastes and smells. In some sense a judge is trying to break down the simplification made by the brain.

We discuss how the cognitive and even unseen mental models play a significant role in flavor perception. Small things like words, background music, sounds, mood, lighting, and sight all can change our perceived flavor.

Randy discusses “the wierd stuff” and how sometimes simple inputs create complex perceptions in the brain or create outcomes we do not expect.

He shares where to find more about his upcoming book – mainly through the website RandyMosher.com

Randy shares his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
53 min
August 27, 2025New Hop Varieties with Stan Hieronymus – BeerSmith Podcast #331
Stan Hieronymus joins me to discuss the new hop varieties coming out as well as the wide variety of new hop products available to brewers.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (53:00)
This week I welcome back Stan Hieronymus. Stan is an expert on hops and author of the books For the Love of Hops, Brew Like a Monk, Brewing Local and Brewing with Wheat (Amazon affiliate links). He is also a certified BJCP beer judge and author of dozens of periodicals on brewing.

We start with a brief discussion of Stan’s recent trips to South America and the state of craft and home brewing there.

Stan talks first about why we still need new hop varieties and why they are important for both farmers and brewers.

We discuss how hop acreage in the Pacific Northwest has dropped significantly since 2018 and Stan tells us some of the reasons why.

I talk about a recent study which shows people are drinking less than ever, and Stan and I discuss some of the changes happening and how it has altered Craft and homebrewing.

We discuss two important new hop varieties that were recently named which are Dolcita and Vera.

Stan explains the difference between public and proprietary hops.

We talk about some of the challenges in bringing a new hop to market and why it often takes 15 years or more.

We discuss the Hop Quality Group and their role in bringing forward a new experimental hop variety.

Stan talks about the explosion in new hop products including those specifically targeted for the boil, the whirlpool and dry hopping. In addition a variety of hop products and hop oils can be added post fermentation to taste.

We discuss how to keep up and understand the new hop products to maximize their use.

Stan gives his thoughts on IPAs and also how additional styles are helping to drive the hop market.

He provides his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
53 min
August 09, 2025Off Flavors in Beer with Jamil Zainasheff – BeerSmith Podcast #330
Jamil Zainasheff joins me this week to discuss off-flavors and imbalances in beer brewing.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (39:47)
This week I welcome back Jamil Zainasheff. Jamil is an award winning professional and home brewer. Jamil authored the books “Brewing Classic Styles”, “The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation” as well as his new book “The Modern Homebrewer” and also co-hosts the “Brew Strong” podcast on the Brewing Network.

We start by discussing some of the challenges Jamil has faced in the last year as well as his new book “The Modern Homebrewer” which he co-authored with Andy Parker and was published last Fall.

We begin the discussion with the 16 off flavors listed on the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) score sheet, beginning with diacetyl.

I share that 9 of the 16 listed off flavors are yeast related, and ask Jamil to talk about what can be done to ensure a great fermentation.

We talk about Dimethylsulfide (DMS) which is a cooked-corn off flavor often common in lighter colored beers.

Jamil talks about oxidation and what can be done at the homebrew level to reduce it.

We discuss skunky/light struck flavors which can happen even in a perfect beer if its exposed to direct sunlight.

Jamil talks about imbalances which are not off flavors but are simply the improper balance in one dimension such as body, bitterness, malt, etc… that can throw off the flavor of a finished beer.

We talk about improving the flavor depth of beers like Porters.

Drinkability is an often-overlooked feature of beer that is important. Jamil gives his thoughts on how to improve the drinkability of a beer.

Jamil discusses how styles are a guideline rather than a hard rule, and you should be able to color outside the lines. However he still believes understanding the basic beer styles and how to brew them is an important skill.

Jamil provides his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
49 min
July 30, 2025Coffee in Beer with Scott Janish – BeerSmith Podcast #329
Scott Janish joins me this week from Sapwood Cellars to discuss how to incorporate coffee into your beer.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (39:47)
This week I welcome back Scott Janish. Scott is author of the recent book “The New IPA: A Scientific Guide to Hop Aroma and Flavor” (Amazon affiliate link) and also co-founder of the Sapwood Cellars brewery in Columbia, Maryland.

Scott discusses his work creating a new restaurant at Sapwood Cellars and we talk about some of the challenges of adding a restaurant to an existing tasting room.

He introduces the topic for today which is coffee beers. We discuss first which styles of beer work well with coffee.

Scott tells us how he selects coffee beans to use and also how to pick the proper roasting level for the beans.

We talk about coffee bean freshness and why it is so important in beer.

Scott shares some of the options for incorporating coffee into a finished beer including the primary method they use at Sapwood Cellars.

We talk about dosage rates for various coffee beers.

He shares his thoughts on which flavors from beer complement coffee well.

Scott shares some of the experiments including unusual ones he’s done with coffee bears including working with fermented beans and fruit.

He also discusses dry hopping with green coffee beans in a hoppy beer.

We talk about varying grain bills and coffee levels to match each other.

Scott shares his website and where you can find their beers.

He provides his closing thoughts on coffee beer.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
40 min
July 21, 2025British Brewing in the 1970’s with Ron Pattinson – BeerSmith Podcast #328
Ron Pattinson joins me to discuss the rich history of British Brewing in the 1970’s.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (45:03)
This week I welcome back Ron Pattinson. Ron is the author of dozens of books and articles on historical beer brewing including his most recent effort to document British brewing during World War II. You can find his articles and purchase his books from his blog which is Shut Up About Barclay Perkins.

We discuss Ron’s upcoming book on the early 1800’s in brewing as well as today’s topic which is his recently completed book on British Brewing in the 1970’s.

We start with a discussion of how brewing evolved from the end of WWII through the 1950’s and 1960’s and into the 1970’s. Included is a discussion of how beer consumption grew even though the economy was dire and inflation was running rampant.

Ron tells us about the move towards kegged bitters and away from traditional cask ales which was largely driven by the breweries themselves.

We talk about consolidation in the beer industry, a move towards automation and the rise of the “technocrats” in British brewing.

We discuss some changes in techniques including things like tank beer and continuous fermentation.

Ron tells us about the “Runcorn disaster” where a very large brewery was built but it proved unable to replicate many of the beers it was supposed to produce.

Ron talks about the rise of the modern beer festival and how it was a refreshing change as brewery owned pubs often limited the number and variety of beers many people could access locally.

We discuss the rise of lagers in the 1970’s as well as the decline of milds and even bitters, representing a change in British drinking preferences.

Ron gives us an example of some dodgy brewing practices going on including the reuse of returned beer by blending it with new.

We talk about Watner’s Red Barrel which had quite a reputation for not being of the greatest quality.

Ron explains how pub structures changed and the large numbers of brewery owned pubs were eventually broken up in the 1980’s.

He shares his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
46 min
June 25, 2025Craft Pilsners with Mitch Steele – BeerSmith Podcast #327
Mitch Steele joins me from New Realm brewing to discuss variations in Craft Pilsners as well as how to brew a great Pilsner at home.

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Download the MP3 File– Right Click and Save As to download this mp3 file.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (47:39)
This week I welcome back Mitch Steele. Mitch is author of the book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale (Amazon affiliate link). Mitch is also the former brewmaster at Stone brewing and is COO and Brewmaster at New Realm Brewing Co in Atlanta, Georgia where he has won many national awards for his beers.

We discuss what is new at New Realm Brewing, including his current locations.

Mitch introduces today’s topic which is Craft pilsners, starting with the classic North German Pils.

We discuss how the North German Pils differs from the traditional Czech pilsner like Pilsner Urquell or Budvar.

Next Mitch tells us about Italian Pilsners which are an interesting specialty beer.

We move on to US Craft breweries which have started brewing Craft Pilsners in large numbers, and how those differ from some of the European Pilsners.

As craft Pilsners have grown, we’re starting to see new styles emerge. We discuss a few of these starting with Imperial Pilsners.

Mitch tells us about the India Pale Lager (IPL) which is a cross between a Pilsner and an IPA.

Next we discuss West Coast Pilsners which are also hoppy Pilsners in the US West Coast style.

Mitch tells us about Cold IPAs, which I discussed in a bit more detail in episode #320 with John Palmer.

We talk about brewing a Pilsner and other lagers at home and Mitch offers some tips on how you can do it using selected yeasts without having tight temperature control.

Mitch shares where you can his find New Realm beers, and his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
48 min
June 12, 2025Mead and More with Ken Schramm – BeerSmith Podcast #326
Ken Schramm joins me this week to discuss mead, our relationship with alcohol and the future of home brewing and mead making.

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Download the MP3 File– Right Click and Save As to download this mp3 file.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (55:06)
This week I welcome back Ken Schramm from Schramm’s Meadery. Ken “wrote the book” on mead making called The Compleat Meadmaker (Amazon affiliate link). Ken was also a founding member of the Mazer cup and has won numerous national awards including a lifetime achievement award from the American Homebrewers Association. His meadery makes some of the highest rated meads in the world from fresh fruit, spices and honey.

We discuss the progress Ken has made with his farm, which targets growing individual varieties of “noble fruits” for use in meads. Ken has actually been able to find several varieties of various fruits that work very well in big fruit meads.

Ken explains the “noble fruits” for mead making and defines which fruits work best in a mead based on their flavor, acidity and high tannin levels.

We discuss the modern push towards “temperance” and prohibition with new social trends like “dry January. Ken also talks about why craft beverages across the board have been in a slump the last few years.

Ken explores the complex relationship between people, alcohol and our social web.

We discuss how mead is almost certainly the oldest fermented beverage, and also how it has played a central role in many cultures in terms of religious and as a drink of kings.

Ken talks about how mead has fallen out of favor in most modern societies and some of the reasons behind this.

We talk about how humans, bees and plants have a very symbiotic relationship, and how mead is an expression of all three.

Ken also talks about yeast and how it has played a central role in our lives including both food and drink.

We switch to discussing the future for home brewing and mead making as well as the craft industry.

Ken tells us where to find his meads and how you can still schedule a tasting at his meadery.

He provides his closing thoughts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
56 min
June 02, 2025Understanding Malt with Jeff Bloem – BeerSmith Podcast #325
Jeff Bloem from Murphy & Rude Malting joins me to help us understand brewing malts, and help break through the marketing clutter when selecting malts.

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Download the MP3 File– Right Click and Save As to download this mp3 file.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (57:15)
This week I welcome back Jeff Bloem. Jeff is the founder and head malster at Murphy & Rude Malting in Charlottesville, VA. Opening in 2018, they are Virginia’s first dedicated commercial specialty malt house producing a wide variety of base, high kiln and specialty malts for brewers and distillers.

They also sell directly to the home brewing market via their online store here.

We start with a brief update on some of the new products available from Murphy and Rude.

Jeff introduces his topic which is “Malt: What is It?” and explains how sometimes the marketing gets in the way of figuring out what malt you are really buying.

We discuss how there is a lot of variation not only in malt products themselves but how malsters choose to brand and label their malts.

We begin by discussing Pilsner malt and how European Pilsners vary from US Pilsners and how close many Pilsners are to pale malts.

Next we discuss Pale malts and how they can overlap with other malts.

Jeff explains how Vienna and Munich malts are made and how many of the light malts have common characteristics, but there can be variation depending on which barley was used as a base.

We talk about darker kilned malts and how those are made as well as their flavor profile.

Jeff talks about Caramel/Crystal malt and how the crystalization of the sugars within the malt husk change their profiles.

We discuss harsh zone malts and how they can be used sparingly to great effect.

Finally we discuss roasted malts and what makes them different from darker kilned malts.

Jeff gives us some examples of what malts are named versus what they really are and how many marketing names can be confusing.

Jeff gives us his closing thoughts and also tells us how home brewers can directly buy his malts.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

Also check out BeerSmith, BeerSmith Web, BeerSmith Mobile software and the DVDs John Palmer and I filmed – How to Brew with Malt Extract and How to Brew All Grain are available now. You can subscribe to the BeerSmith newsletter for free to get some great articles on home brewing.
iTunes Announcements: I launched a new video channel for the BeerSmith podcast on iTunes, so subscribe now! At the moment it will only feature the new widescreen episodes (#75 and up). Older episodes are available on my revamped Youtube channel. Also all of my audio episodes are on iTunes now – so grab the older episodes if you missed any.
Thoughts on the Podcast?
Leave me a comment below or visit our discussion forum to leave a comment in the podcast section there.
Subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or BeerSmith Radio
You can listen to all of my podcast episodes streaming live around the clock on our BeerSmith Radio online radio station! You can also subscribe to the audio or video using the iTunes links below, or the feed address
Audio feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/content/feed/podcast)

Video feed on iTunes – (direct: http://beersmith.com/tv/category/podcast/feed/ )

Audio podcast on Google Play here

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the blog and my newsletter (or link at the top of the page) – to get free weekly articles on home brewing.
58 min
April 28, 2025Dry Hopping Beer with Michael Tonsmeire – BeerSmith Podcast #324
Michael Tonsmeire from Sapwood Cellars joins me to discuss dry hop techniques and new dry hop products for beer making.

Subscribe on iTunes to Audio version or Video version or Spotify or Google Play

Download the MP3 File– Right Click and Save As to download this mp3 file.

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Topics in This Week’s Episode (48:17)
This week I welcome back Michael Tonsmeire. Michael is a founder of the brewery Sapwood Cellars in Columbia, MD. He is the author of the book “American Sour Beers“(Amazon Affiliate Link) as well as the blog The Mad Fermentationist online. He’s also a certified beer judge.

We start with a short discussion of the upcoming changes at Sapwood Cellars.

Michael explains how dry hopping is not just a technique for IPAs and can be applied to a wide variety of beer styles. He also shares why dry hopping is so important.

We talk about hop selection and how he determines which hops are “dry hop worthy” and which ones are better used in the whirlpool or for bittering.

Michael shares his thoughts on dry hopping and oxygen and how he tries to minimize oxygen in the finished beer. He also shares techniques you can use at home.

We talk about temperature and why he supports colder dry hop temperatures.

Michael shares the proper dosage rates for dry hopping and how it depends on the targeted effect. He also covers agitation.

We discuss dry hopping durations, and why many brewers have moved to short dry hop times of 24-48 hours.

Michael explains why he often uses multiple doses of dry hops and also how the terms double and triple hopped can be confusing.

We talk about concentrated hop products like luplin powder, Cryo hops, Lupomax and others suitable for dry hopping. He also discusses hop oil extracts that can be added at bottling time to a finished beer like various Abstrax products or Yakima Hyperboost.

He shares his closing thoughts and results using dry hops to enhance beers.
Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsor Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine for sponsoring this episode. I encourage you to subscribe to their great magazine!

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49 min

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