How to Brew Beer Guides Archives

Fresh pour of non-alcoholic craft beer with thick foam in a pint glass at a Colorado brewery bar.

What Are N/A Craft Beers (and How Do They Work)?

N/A craft beers are full-flavored, artisan-brewed beers that contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, crafted using the same quality ingredients and brewing techniques as their alcoholic counterparts but with the alcohol removed or minimized through specialized processes. Think of them as the real deal minus the buzz: these aren’t your grandfather’s fizzy, watery non-alcoholic beers that tasted like cardboard dipped in regret.
The non-alcoholic beer revolution has hit Colorado and the broader craft beer scene hard in 2026, and it’s about time. Brewers are finally treating N/A options with the same respect they&#…

updated on December 29, 2020November 13, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Dry-Hopping Your Beer

After the completion of primary fermenting, you then add hops back to the beer for it to steep. This is called dry-hopping.
One of the most fundamental ways to dry-hop your beer is to simply siphon it from the fermenter into another fermenter and then add hops. Through dry-hopping, the beer enhances its aroma. The question is, for how long should you dry-hop your beer?
24 hours of dry-hopping can already add a good amount of aroma. This will be more pronounced after 48-72 hours. After that, the aroma being added gets little and little. Leave it for several weeks, and the beer develops a slightly odd flavor. This should be …

updated on December 29, 2020November 10, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Using a Hydrometer

A hydrometer is a tool to measure the density of a liquid in comparison to the density of water. In beer brewing, the hydrometer will show you to what degree the yeast is converting sugar to ethanol. The following are the steps involved in using a hydrometer:
Sampling and Inserting the Hydrometer
You take the first measurement after the cooldown. Retrieve a sample of the wort then place your hydrometer and allow it to rest. Wait until all the air has ascended. It is highly recommended that your hydrometer is positioned vertically.
Obtaining the Original Gravity Reading
There are specific gravity points that …

updated on December 29, 2020November 5, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

Carbonating Your Beer

One good way to carbonate your beer is by force carbonation. From a gas cylinder, you directly infuse CO2 into your beer. This is called forced carbonation or what others refer to as force-carbing. Overall, this is a much faster process than naturally creating CO2 in the bottle by putting leftover yeast in additional sugars.
The materials and equipment you will need in this process include a gas cylinder filled with CO2, a gas regulator, proper keg post liquid and line fittings, an unpressurized homebrew-filled keg, and a kegerator.
In this method, you need to use a lower level of CO2 pressure and carbonate the beer longer. …

updated on December 29, 2020November 3, 2020How to Brew Beer Guides

How to Brew Beer

It is quite a scientific and an artistic feat to brew good beer. The process of doing so has a definite set of strict rules, but at the same time, these same rules are contrastingly flexible. This is why brewing beer is influenced by one’s creativity and personal interpretations. It does sound quite challenging, is it not? Well, truth be told, it is fairly simple.
You just have to follow these steps:
Sanitation/Cleaning
As for all food and beverage processes, cleaning is always the first step. This also holds true for brewing beer.
All equipment must be thoroughly sanitized and cleaned. This is a very …