The Beginners Guide to Brewing Sour Beers
So you’ve decided to make your first sour beer. There are a few ways to properly sour your beer, but…
The “Dank” Connection Between Weed and Hops
Certain hop varieties are known to exhibit the familiar and similar smell of weed, but does this indicate a relation?…
The Most Popular Hops in Use Today
We are often asked “What are the most popular hops to use?“, and while it is a loaded question that…
My First Attempt at Homebrewing Cider
Its fall in the Northeast. Leaves are starting to change, pumpkins are for sale at road-side stands and fresh-pressed cider…
Why are Hops so Expensive?
Hops are expensive. They range anywhere from $2.50 per ounce to over $5 for coveted varieties such as Galaxy and…
The Best Hop Varieties To Grow Yourself
Hops (humulus lupulus) are the flowers that are grown on the female plant’s bines. They resemble little green pine cones…
The Rise and (Eventual) Fall of the CTZ Hop
CTZ is an acronym for Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zeus, three trade names owned by various private corporations for what is…
The Complete History of the Citra Hop
The Citra hop is by far the most popular hop used in IPAs, and is one of the most grown…
12 Unique & Awesome Gift Ideas for the Beer Aficionado in 2023
If you happen to have a craft beer drinker that you need to give a gift to, look no further…
Highest Alpha Acid (AA%) Hops
Alpha acids (α acids) are chemical compounds of the Humulus lupulus (or hop) plant. These acids are found in the resin…
Highest Cohumulone Hops
The primary bittering components of hops are the three alpha acids: Humulone, Ad-Humulone and Cohumulone. Combined, these three are collectively…
How the Pacific Northwest Hop Yards Survived the 2020 Wildfires
2020 has been quite the year. Sure, it started off benign enough. In late January, we had the first cases…
Are All Barley Pale 2-Row Malts the Same?
When creating a recipe in a tool like Brewer’s Friend, if you type in “2-row” into the “fermentables” section, you…
Top Recipes to Homebrew the Most Iconic Hazy IPAs Ever
I have an obsession with trying as many craft beers from different breweries as possible. My vacations are filled with…
Should You Use a Hop Spider or Muslin Bag?
There are infinite ways to use hops in home brewing. No matter how you are using them right now, there…
Your Hop Substitutions are Wrong!
Update: The first version of our data-driven hop substitute tool is here! The old hop substitution charts we’ve been using…
Picking the Most Intense Hops on the Market Today
Whether you are looking for a hop that suits a particular style, or just have a flavor you want to…
Ten Hops to Watch Out for in 2021
Every craft brewery is looking for the next way to distinguish their beers from the masses. One of the easiest…