Belgian Dark Strong beers have a very complex flavor, with not a very complex grain bill. Which is why they tend to be a hard style to get right for us homebrewers. Today we tackle this Belgian beast, and then wash it down with maybe it's polar opposite ... American Blonde Ale.

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Belgian-style beers are always hard to replicate. Every facet of your process has to be correct - from fermentation temps to your grain bill. While that's true of most every style of beer, for some reason Belgian beers seem to be extra needy in order to get that right mix. We judge a Belgian Triple on this show, and we get into some common off-flavors with Brian.

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With the cancelation of HomebrewCon this year, hundreds of homebrewers had beers stranded at their first round collection points across the country. Our friends at Club Doze decided to do what they volunteered to do - judge away! We chat with two Dozers, Pavel and Robbie, and learn a bit about how they managed to judge all the beers in their location, and not only hand out scoresheets, but actually hold a virtual award ceremony afterwards. Then we chat with Brandon, who sent in a very cool-smelling Imperial Stout that was aged in a spiced rum barrel. Good stuff!

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We are making magic on Dr. Homebrew today, folks. Somehow, we manage to turn a Kolsch into something called a "British Golden Ale", which is a style that nobody on the show tonight has had before. But it sounds good, and that's all that matters. We also cover a Cranberry Catharina Sour, which is a style we have pretty much only had on this show. So it's a weird one this time, but we got through it!

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International Pale Lager sounds made-up. Apparently Heineken is in this category, as well as Red Stripe. So maybe it's more of a catch-all, but it holds some solid beers. Much like this homebrewed version we drink today. After, Brian Schar gives us some good tips on how to study for that BCJP exam from the safety of your home.

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We're happy to convene the Council of Brian's today, as Brian Mills returns to talk about his homebrewed Munich Helles. Then after the break, Travis Hammond joins us to talk about how to safely prepare and take the BJCP exam during this pandemic. Travis is our former area rep for the BJCP, so we get some great insight into how things are adjusting over at the BJCP.

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The Council of Brians returns! Homebrewer Brian joins Brian and Brian (and JP) to get feedback on his Schwarzbier, and then we talk with Mark about his Saison. Both beers were good, and if you are looking for a nice homebrew recipe for either style, this is a good show to start with.

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Once again, we wade into the homebrew ocean to pull two beers out and judge them. On today's show, we have a Marzen and a Barleywine. Well, it's not just any barleywine - it's a whiskey barrel-aged barleywine! We talk to these two homebrewers, get their recipes, and talk a little technique.

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Today on the show, we rip through a Scottish Wee Heavy and a Catharina Sour. Wee Heavies are great, and we love to see them come through. They can be complex or simple (or both?), and are usually great. Catharina Sours are still sort of being dialed in, as they are pretty new, but we love to seem them as well.

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The boys from Dr. Homebrew are back, and an appropriate distance apart as we judge two homebrewed beers tonight! First up is a Belgian Blonde Ale, and then a Kolsch. Both are hard beers to master, so we were very excited to jump into these.

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