Scotch Ale has nothing to do with whisky barrels, and everything to do with malt, patience, and a little historical confusion. In this episode, we dig into the real story behind the name, what separates a Scotch Ale from a British Brown, and why American brewers turned up the volume—and sometimes added smoke where it never belonged.

We’ll walk through classic flavor profiles, brewing techniques that make a difference (like long boils and proper mash temps), and what happens when you let this style sit and mellow. You’ll also hear the full breakdown of Freedom Fighter Scotch Ale, our house kit with a hint of peat and a whole lot of bottle-aging potential.

If you’ve never brewed a malt-forward beer before, this is the one to start with. Just don’t expect it to reward you right away.

Music Attribution

 "Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

In this solo episode of The Beer Craft, host Ben Holm walks through his brewing journey using the full spectrum of beer color—from the pale gold of his first banana-bomb extract kit to the pitch-black stout that accidentally won him an award.

Along the way, Ben shares what each stage taught him: from the gateway ambers and red IPAs that shaped his palate, to recipe design, roast control, and learning how to pivot when a batch doesn’t go as planned. It’s part brewing memoir, part technical breakdown, and part encouragement for brewers at every level.

Whether you’re just getting started or you've scorched a mash tun in public (we’ve all been there, right?), this episode is a reminder that learning to brew should be as much fun as drinking beer—and that color is just the beginning.

Topics Include:

• First batches and fermentation disasters

• Why amber ales were the unsung heroes of early craft beer

• Cold-steeping vs full mash for roasted grains

• Brewing with intention vs brewing with panic

• How to teach, adapt, and embrace the spectrum

Mentioned in this episode:

• Freedom Fighter Scotch Ale (Wyeast vs Windsor)

• The (p)Hazey IPA

• Stainless Kettle Competition (RIP)

• SRM, flavor perception, and visual trickery

🛠️ Want to brew along or learn more? Visit nwbrewers.com for gear, classes, and recipes.

 Music attribution

"Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RetroFuture Dirty 

 "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Do you actually know what’s in your malt? In this episode of The Beer Craft Podcast, Ben and Andrew crack open the mysterious (and often ignored) Certificate of Analysis—the COA—and show you how to use it to level up your brew day.

Whether you’re designing a recipe, troubleshooting a stuck mash, or just trying to brew the same great beer twice in a row, understanding your malt’s COA can save you time, money, and stress. We break down:

• What a COA is—and what it's not

• When you should actually look at it

• What those weird acronyms mean (FAN, DP, SRM, Kolbach…)

• Real-world ways to use it in your brewing software and process

• How to troubleshoot fermentation and mash issues with confidence

Plus, we’ve got some killer extras for you:

✅ Download the COA Glossary for Brewers – Plain English definitions of the most important COA metrics 📊 Grab the COA Style Tip Sheet – Key COA numbers matched to each BJCP beer category 🍻 Be the First to Know About Our New All-Grain Brewing Class – launching soon at Northwest Brewers Supply! Sign up here → https://mailchi.mp/nwbrewers/all-grain-class-pre-registration

No spreadsheets required—just useful tips, real experience, and a better understanding of the ingredients you already use. Let’s turn that wall of numbers into your brewing advantage.

"Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RetroFuture Dirty 

 "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Small Batch, Big Flavor: The 1-Gallon Brewing Revolution"

Ever dreamt of brewing beer without sacrificing your entire weekend—or your kitchen counter, your whole garage, your partner's patience level? In this episode of The Beer Craft, Ben and Andrew discuss shrinking the batch size, the gear, and the timeline without sacrificing flavor. Whether you’re tight on space, short on time, or just want to experiment without filling a keg with regret, this pint-sized approach might be your next big move.

We’ll break down the gear (spoiler: you probably already own half of it), show you how to ferment in the weirdest corners of your home, and walk through the math of scaling down your favorite recipes without losing the magic.

It's practical, it's personal, it's occasionally ridiculous—and it all starts with Beer30. That’s Wednesdays at 6:30 for those of you who don’t have a beer clock.

Listen in and discover why going small might be the best thing to ever happen to your brewhouse.

1 Gallon Sacred Cow IPA recipe

Music Attribution

"Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Scared your first homebrew might flop? Good. That means you’re doing it right. In this episode of The Beer Craft, Ben and Andrew crack open the myths around brewing failure and reveal why mistakes are not only normal but essential. From off-flavors and "oops ales" to scrambled egg yeast and miscalculated mash temps, the guys share personal stories, practical advice, and a whole lot of laughs. You'll learn how to reframe failure, embrace the mess, and keep brewing forward. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned fermenter, this one’s for anyone who’s ever asked, “What if it sucks?”

Summer doesn’t have to shut down your brewhouse. In this episode of The Beer Craft Podcast, Ben and Andrew break down everything you need to know to ferment clean, flavorful beer—even when the thermometer hits the 90s. From swamp coolers and sweaty fermenters to heat-loving yeasts like Kveik and Saison, we’ve got your back.

You’ll learn:

• Why the first 48 hours of fermentation matter more than you think

• Yeast strains that thrive in the heat (and the styles that pair with them)

• How to drop your fermentation temps without a single piece of fancy gear

• Beer styles that actually get better when brewed warm

• And how to avoid turning your cream ale into a banana smoothie

Plus: anecdotes, bad puns, and Ben’s personal vendetta against banana-flavored IPAs.

Music Attribution

 "Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

 "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

We are once again throwing a certain piece of German legislation out the window. This week, we’re joined in the studio by Alex Neff, brewer at Farmstrong Brewing Co. in Mt. Vernon. Alex reached out to us to talk about brewing for flavor rather than style — and let’s just say, we were already pouring a pint before he finished the sentence.

In this episode, we dive into creative ingredient selection, yeast-driven flavor profiles, and what happens when you add coffee, herbs, or fruit post-fermentation. We talk about balance, complexity, and why breaking the “style rules” often leads to the best beers in the glass. Whether you're a homebrewer looking to branch out or a craft beer fan tired of checking BJCP boxes, this one’s for you.

Remember, styles are suggestions, not rules.

What if David Attenborough had hung up his binoculars and picked up a mash paddle? In this episode of The Beer Craft, we track the evolutionary journey of the IPA like a wild species adapting to new environments—from the sharp, bitter clarity of the West Coast to the soft, juicy haze of the East.

We dig into the brewing science behind this transformation: biotransformation, haze formation, dry hopping timing, and why your yeast might just be the unsung hero of your next juicy brew. Along the way, we taste, compare, and narrate the IPA’s migration with all the reverence (and ridiculousness) it deserves.

Whether you’re a bitter old-schooler or a haze chaser, this episode has the field notes you need to evolve your IPA game.

🔗 Links to recipes, sources, and past episodes below.

Some beer infections are incredibly heinous. The dedicated brewers who investigate these crimes against beer are members of the Special Brewers Unit. These are their stories. 

This week on the Beer Craft, we cover cleaning and sanitization as we solve The Mystery Infection

 "Twisted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RetroFuture Dirty  https://drive.google.com/file/d/13BsgP109cPHL1BbrCSEgzhKJcBoCQYdk/view?usp=drive_link  "RetroFuture Dirty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Saisons: they’re dry, they’re spicy, they’re unpredictable — and honestly, we’re not even sure they follow the rules. In this episode of The Beer Craft Podcast, Ben and Andrew explore farmhouse ales, from their rustic roots in the Belgian countryside to their modern-day reincarnation as the homebrewer’s blank canvas.

We’ll meet the yeasts that make it all possible, decode what makes a Saison a Saison in “The Saison Spectrum,” and find out why this style thrives in a heatwave. We’ll also dig into brewing tips, fermentation chaos, and a few historical grumblings from a very sweaty 1800s Belgian farmer.

Whether you like your beer bone-dry or a little bit funky, this episode proves one thing: there’s a Saison for every season.