Think back to your first batch of homebrew. Was it any good? Would you have felt comfortable not only advancing to all-grain, but also trying a lager for your second batch? Spencer did, and while we can't say we were that confident in our skills at brew #2, It sort of worked out for Spencer. We chat with him about all that, and then we talk with our friend Gordon Strong about the new style guidelines that the BJCP put out at the end of last year. It's always good to get Gordon on the show!

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NE IPA, despite JP's best efforts, are now a mainstream style. What we see less of is smoked pepper beers! On today's show, we dive into both styles of beers and chat with the homebrewers responsible for such creations. Plenty of recipe tips and judging info here!

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Ok yeah, we've all heard of a German Pils, but this marks the first appearance of a homebrew take on a Traditional African Ale. Technically entered as an Experimental Ale, this unique beer really had the judges working hard to identify flavors and ingredients. It was a fun judge!

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Homebrewer Nate joins us on Dr. Homebrew to talk about his Kolsch. This beer is a re-brew based off of feedback he received from a previous episode. Then, we keep Nate on the call to get a better idea of how he approached re-brewing this beer, and to offer advice to other brewers out there on what they can do to improve their beers based on feedback.

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Three lagers are up on the agenda today, and only one of them is a homebrew. Brian sent us his Czech Pale Lager attempt, and we try our best to solve his green pepper issue, then we get to the main event: how does Heineken 0.0 stack up against regular Heineken in a taste test? We know what you're thinking, and you aren't wrong. The push of NA beer into the craft space is new, so if anyone can pass off a 0.0% ABV lager as full-flavor (ok, "full-flavor"), it's gotta be Heineken, right? Find out!

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Homebrewer Dave is back on the show, and this time he brought his son, Tristan! We talk about their weizenbock, and how they managed to overshoot their numbers (hint: it involves drinking). We then tackle the very relevant seasonal beer brewed by Sierra Nevada - Oktoberfest. What is a fest beer vs. a marzen, and what qualities can we find in this commercial example that mimic those found in Germany?

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Tonight we judge a Double IPA. Well, not just ANY Double IPA, but a clone of THE Double IPA ... Pliny The Elder! How does this homebrew version stack up to the original? We don't know, but we can tell you that we judged it according to style, and that's what matters. Plus, we get a crack at a German Altbier!

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What happens when you attempt one style of beer, but undershoot your numbers? Can you call it something else entirely? If you do, can you enter it in competition and still expect to do well? Sorry for all the questions up front, but it's been that kind of day. Anyway, come find out the answers to these - and more - on this episode of Dr. Homebrew!

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Kolsch is one of those pale golden beer styles that is seeing a mini-resurgence, alongside lager beer, so what better time to attempt a commercial calibration! Brian and Brian were able to go out and find a classic example of the style (as listed by the BJCP), called "Frü". Then we chat with BJCP legend Dave Teckam. He's legendary not only for being Grand Master level 7, but for being an all-around nice man. He gives us the inside info on what it takes to proctor a BJCP exam, and how to fool beer judges.

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Back to work on Dr. Homebrew, as we see two beers today. Well, one beer and one Braggot. The braggot was billed as having a Stout base, but that's not altogether true. The American Barleywine was brewed with Rye as an added ingredient. Was that a good idea? Find out!

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