The Hop Addition

In Episode 131 of the Hop Addition Podcast, we’re getting back to brewing basics and diving deep into base malts — the true foundation of flavour in every great beer. From Maris Otter to Pilsner, Planet to Chevallier, we explore how your choice of base malt shapes body, balance, efficiency, and character.

A huge thanks to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier of all things homebrew. Don’t forget to check out their Hop Addition recipe section, and take advantage of reduced prices on hop pellets following their successful holiday sale.

🍺 Tonight we cover:
🌾 What makes a base malt “base” — enzymes, extract, and diastatic power
🧪 How barley varieties, terroir, and malting methods affect flavour
📊 How to read malt analysis sheets (HWE, colour, friability, screening)
🔥 Kilning, Maillard reactions, and flavour development
🌍 UK maltsters, sustainability, and the future of barley breeding
🎯 Pale vs Pilsner, heritage vs modern varieties, and when yield really matters

We also explore practical brewing ideas, including blind base-malt tastings and how to test different malts in your own recipes, plus a hop tester and sensory analysis segment.

👉 Next episode plans are in the works — keep an eye on our socials for updates.
📲 Share your brews, tasting notes, and malt experiments with us online, and join us in the after party.

Cheers from the Hop Addition crew! 🍻

Welcome to the Hop Addition Podcast Xmas Special! In Episode 130 we’re getting well and truly into the festive spirit — cracking open some big beers, sharing plenty of laughs, and reflecting on an incredible year of brewing, podcasts, and community. Stick around too… because it’s the season of giving 👀🎁

A huge thank you to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier of all things homebrew. Be sure to check out the Hop Addition recipe section on their website, plus festive deals including 20% off Crisp malts, savings on pellet hops, and discounts on their indie beer fridge — perfect for stocking up over the holidays.

We recap 2025 with:
🏆 Best commercial beer & homebrew
🌱 Favourite new hop, brewery, and style
🧠 Key lessons learned
🍻 Styles we’re excited to brew next year
🔮 Big brewing plans for 2026

We also look back on a packed year of podcasts — from Q&As and drink-alongs to deep dives on yeast, lagers, hops, home dispense, and some unforgettable guests including Richard Baggaley, Guy Perry (Hopsteiner), Bullhouse, Maverick Brewing, and many more. A total of 23 episodes recorded in 2025 — what a year!

Thanks to everyone who’s supported the show this year — listeners, guests, Patreons, and after-party legends. Pour yourself something special and enjoy the episode.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and cheers from the Hop Addition crew! 🍻🎅

In this episode of the Hop Addition Podcast we’re joined by one of the UK homebrewing scene’s rising stars — Richard Baggaley of Wheatlow Brewery. Known for his wildly inventive brewing setup and fast-growing YouTube channel, Rich shares his homebrewing journey, the origins of his unique set up, and plenty of entertaining stories along the way. Check him out on YouTube at Wheatlow Brewery for some of the most creative homebrew content out there.

A big thanks to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier for all things homebrew. Don’t forget to explore the Hop Addition recipe section on their site, and check out current discounts across BIAB and 3-pot systems, BrewZilla, Grainfather, the Apollo Titan, 10% off Muntons malts — plus the Bucket Blaster at just £49.95

Tonight Rich walks us through the beers he kindly supplied — Sweet Release, Frothson, Blind Pig, and On the Barke Side — with bonus pours of Lederhosen and Spruce Juice.

We dive into:
🍺 Richard’s YouTube journey and where it’s heading
🏗️ The evolution of his brewing setup, including his Burton Union system — what it is, how it works, and why it matters
🍻 The art of cask beer, top tips for traditional British styles, and the eternal debate: sparkler or no sparkler?
🌾 Favourite styles, ingredients, and the five beers he’d keep on tap forever
🎧 What he loves most about the Hop Addition community

👉 We’ll be taking a short break — the next episode lands Friday 12th December.
Join us for a pint in the after party and share your latest brews on socials. Cheers! 🍻

Welcome back to the Hop Addition Podcast! In Episode 128 we’re cracking open a full-on listener Q&A session — with questions ranging from insightful to ridiculous and everything in between. We tackle brewing philosophy, gear, technique debates, and some truly questionable lifestyle advice…

A huge shoutout to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier for all things homebrew. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section on their site, and keep an eye out for big discounts on brew pots, BrewZilla and Grainfather systems, the Apollo Titan, and 10% off Muntons malts.

Tonight we dig into:
🍺 Brewing roots & philosophy — why we started, what we’d change, and our top tips for new brewers
🧠 Motivation & lifestyle — avoiding burnout, dodgy claims about Brewer’s Droop, and hiding your latest homebrew purchases
🛠️ Equipment & hacks — DIY gear, favourite gadgets, and building the ultimate home pub
🧪 Techniques & tweaks — recirculation, oxygenation, cold crashing, krausen dry hopping, mash hopping, FWH, and how temp impacts hop flavour
🧼 Cleaning & sanitation — PBW vs Oxi, no-rinse rules, and how clean is clean enough
🧬 Ingredients & yeast — dry vs wet yeast, ALDC, and what “craft” really means
🌿 Hops & adjuncts — best combos, noble hop/thiol experiments, and the weirdest adjuncts that actually worked
🤖 Future trends — AI in brewing, next year’s fashionable beer, and what we want to try in 2026
🍽️ Beer beyond the glass — cooking with beer, favourite parts of the hobby, and whether brewing or drinking wins out

👉 Next episode: We’re joined by Wheatlow Brewery’s Richard Baggaley — don’t miss it!
📲 And as always, tag us on social media with your latest brews, setups, and beer adventures.

Cheers, and we’ll see you at the after party! 🍻

In this episode of the Hop Addition Podcast, we’re diving deep into one of the most exciting trends in modern brewing: hoppy lagers. From classic Czech and German pilsners to Italian pilsners, New Zealand pilsners, IPLs, Cold IPAs, and West Coast pilsners — we’re breaking down what defines these styles, how they differ from hoppy ales, and how to brew them brilliantly at home.

We’re talking:
🌾 How to adapt a standard lager recipe
💧 Water profiles, pH, and process tweaks
🌿 Hopping rates, whirlpool vs dry hop approaches
✨ Clarity challenges (and how to fix them)
🧪 Yeast strains and modern hop products
🎯 Achieving that perfect balance of crisp lager character with big hop expression

We also debrief on the Love & Beer Festival with Craft Beer Channel and The Malt Miller, share what we’re drinking, and answer live questions from listeners tuning in.

Tag us with your latest homebrew, festival pours, or favourite beers — and stay tuned for more from the Hop Addition.

Ever wondered what really happens between the keg and your pint glass? In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re talking beer dispense — the art and science of serving the perfect pint.

From mobile keg setups and gas management to taps, kegerators, line cleaning, and cellar hygiene, we’re covering everything that keeps your beer tasting fresh and pouring just right. Whether you’re running a home bar, setting up for an event, or just curious about the tech behind your favourite pour, this one’s packed with practical tips, brewing banter, and gear talk.

We’ll dig into topics like:
🍺 The cheapest way to start kegging
⚙️ Gas blends, regulators, and flow control
🧊 Keezer and kegerator builds
🧽 Line cleaning routines and cellar management
🍻 Cask vs keg dispense systems

Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your one-stop shop for all things homebrew. Check out their Hop Addition recipe section and grab a kit from our own archive or one of our guests.

👉 Next up: we’ll be back after the Love & Beer Festival with a Hoppy Lager brew day special

Grab your steins and join us for a deep dive into the golden heart of Germany’s greatest beer celebration — Oktoberfest! In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re cracking open a few classic Festbiers and Märzens to explore what makes these brews the true taste of autumn.

We’ll be tasting:
🍺 Augustiner Festbier
🍺 Ayinger Märzen
🍺 Giesinger Festbier
…and even Andy’s own homebrewed Festbier!

Expect plenty of chat on the origins of Märzen and the rise of Festbier, how to tell them apart, and the brewing science behind each — from malt and yeast selection to fermentation, lagering, and decoction mashing.

Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for everything homebrew. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section and grab your tickets to the upcoming Love and Beer Festival, where you can meet us in person and sample some of our own brews!

💬 Got a favourite Festbier or Märzen? Let us know on socials and share what’s in your glass.

So fill your stein, cue the brass band, and get ready for a Wunderbar evening of German beer talk and good vibes. Prost! 🍻

👉 Next up: A special episode discussing all things dispense related, kegs, taps, gas and more!

The Hop Addition is back with Episode 124, and tonight we’re welcoming back a fan favourite — the one and only Mr Hoddinot! Join us as we catch up with the real brewer himself for another deep dive into all things hops, malt, and Maverick.

We’re talking new beers, new techniques, and a few wild experiments along the way:
🍺 Lowtide — a 4% session hazy mashed at 72°C
🦅 Big Bird — thiolised yeast magic and hop unlocking
🥭 Smoosh — kettle sour meets mango madness in a fruity slushie-style brew

We’ve also got updates from Maverick Brewing, a look back at LCBF, and teasers for our upcoming Oktoberfest special — complete with a new Hop Addition beer pack from our friends at The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier of all things homebrew.

👉 Got a question for Hod? Drop it in the comments or hit us up on socials.
💬 Don’t forget to share, subscribe, and tag us in your latest brews.

Cheers from the Hop Addition crew — see you at the after party! 🍻

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re donning the robes and diving deep into the sacred world of Monastic Ales — the legendary Belgian beers inspired by centuries of Trappist tradition.

Join us as we explore BJCP Section 26, tasting our way through all four styles:
🍺 Westmalle Extra (Belgian Blonde)
🍺 St Bernardus Pater 6 (Dubbel)
🍺 Abbaye De Rochefort Triple Extra (Tripel)
🍺 Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel (Quad)

We’ll break down what makes a beer Monastic versus Trappist, share a bit of brewing history, and (hopefully) keep our pronunciation straight by the time we reach that final Quad!

Huge thanks to our sponsor The Malt Miller, your go-to for everything homebrew. Don’t miss their upcoming Love and Beer Festival on October 17th — homebrew bar, brewery collabs, food, bottleshares, and more. Grab your tickets at TheMaltMiller.co.uk, and come meet us for a pint!

💬 Got a favourite Trappist or Monastic ale? Join the conversation on our socials — we love hearing what’s in your glass.

👉 Next up: we welcome back Maverick Brewing Co. for a special drink-along episode (use code THEHOPADDITION15 for a curated beer pack at maverickbrewingco.com).

So pour yourself something Belgian and join us on a spiritual journey through malt, yeast, and devotion.

Is homebrewing really in decline? In this episode of The Hop Addition, we take a critical look at recent claims that the homebrew hobby is dying. From rising costs and changing drinking habits to competition from craft breweries and shifting lifestyles, we explore the factors shaping the future of homebrewing.

But it’s not all doom and gloom—this is also a celebration of why we brew, what keeps the community strong, and how the next generation of homebrewers can keep the hobby alive and thriving.

👉 Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the state of homebrewing and what’s next for the craft.

#Homebrewing #FutureOfBrewing #CraftBeer #BeerPodcast #TheHopAddition #WhatsKillingHomebrew