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Community
New Zealand's Phenom Terroir
Lance and Laura came away with some rich perspective, and not just on thiols. New Zealand is a beautiful place. They sat down with us to talk about it.Cheers -
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R&D
Olive Oil vs. Oxygen
Using olive oil in place of oxygen could result in better shelf stability and lessened effects of oxygen-induced staling…but is it too good to be true?Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
Starters 101: Brettanomyces
Ready to tackle an all-Brett beer? You’re gonna need a starter. Let’s go!Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
Starters 101: Lactobacillus
Once you’ve got a wort starter ready to go, making a Lacto starter is easy. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to sour beer.Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
Starters 101: Ale and Lager Yeast
One of the best ways to increase yeast count or revive old yeast is to make a starter — here’s how you do it at home.Cheers
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Brewer's Ed
How Does ALDC Stop Diacetyl from Forming?
When yeast leaves some of its discarded things around, it tends to pick up after itself (well, with a little encouragement). Then again, sometimes it just has too much on its plate. That’s where ALDC comes in. ALDC is like the Marie Kondo of diacetyl. It gets rid of what will later become a mess before it even starts. And it can be even more effective when yeast are enabled to produce it.Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
The Bloated Homebrew Pack
You might be someone who avoids a bloated pack, but once it’s discounted, maybe it starts to look pretty good. Should you go for it? Why are some of us even suspicious of a swollen pack in the first place?Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
What's in Your Toolkit?
Incisive new strains can deliver something novel, or they can make something that already exists even better. In this series of articles, we look at modern strains through the lens of ‘new’ or ‘improved,’ deliver helpful takes on some yeast fundamentals (like esters, attenuation, and more), and finish with some juicy research: a new technology giving greater command of clarity and haze. Top Crop’s annual newsprint edition is available online or in print.Cheers -
Experiments
Experiment: Early-fermentation Dry Hopping for Clarity
Yeast-derived haze can be substantial. How much has a lot to do with interaction with dry hopping. Here, see the surprising clarifying effect of an early-fermentation dry hop in a double dry hop scenario.
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Brewer's Ed
Two Tips for More Clarity with Haze-neutral Strains
If you’re interested in brightness, it’s useful to know how a very low-haze-producing yeast strain can be made to produce even less.
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R&D
Data Snapshot: Evidence of Independent Hop Haze
Hop compounds are involved in yeast-determined haze, but they also contribute to haze independently. This graph shows evidence that hops have their own haze-determining factor.Cheers -
Experiments
Experiment: Dry Hop Timing and Yeast-determined Haze
Check out results in haze and clarity with two new categories of yeast strains (and how dry hop timing affects things). It may give you some great ideas on how to manage haze outcomes better in your brews.
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Brewer's Ed
How Low Can You Go? An Overview of NAB/LAB beer
You can remove the alcohol, avoid making it in the first place, or… a secret third option.Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
How Yeast Affects Flavor
History plays a major role in beer style formation, but yeast predates all brewers and consumers.
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Brewer's Ed
The Haze Complex
Malt, yeast and hops all have important roles to play in different, cumulative sources of haze. Leaning on haze that forms in one way rather than another could make your beercraft significantly easier. It matters where the haze is coming from if you want to control it.
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Brewer's Ed
Harvesting and Repitching Yeast
Getting the most out of your yeast, one generation at a time.
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Brewer's Ed
Kettle Souring: An Overview
Take advantage of fast-acting Lacto cultures to bring a little acid to the party.
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R&D
Experiment: Knocking Out Diacetyl Before it Starts
Three fermentations, two types of ALDC integration. Like the Thunderdome but for lager.
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Brewer's Ed
Know Your Yeast: Attenuation
Yeast will do what we want it to do, as long as we provide the right environment.
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R&D
Uncovering a Gene for Haze
The Omega Yeast R&D team has made an incredible discovery about the origins of haze.Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
Thiols: Choose Your Own Adventure
Start at the beginning or skip to the end: the choice is yours!Cheers -
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Brewer's Ed
Controlling Diacetyl with ALDC and Yeast Selection
A rundown on an enzyme that can help keep your beer clean.Cheers -
Brewer's Ed
Diacetyl and Hop Creep
A quick runthrough on everybody’s favorite (or perhaps most feared) VDK.Cheers