The Great Purge - Does a Full Liquid Purge of a Keg Protect Hop Aroma Better

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It's time to test out the validity of another of Drew's favorite techniques - keg purging.

Breweries spend a lot of time worrying over removing as much oxygen possible from their packages (bottles/kegs). Why? It's pretty well established both in tradition and science that oxygen is destructive to beer flavor and aroma pretty quickly. So packaging brewers do everything they can to reduce O2 levels after their intial injection of oxygen post chilling. 

Subject: 

Experiment Status: 

Does purging a keg with CO2 protect hop aroma over time compared to an unpurged keg.

Episode 25 - BrewTan Your Questions Away

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Joe Formanek

Second half of the Q&A episode is now ready for your listening and "learning" pleasure!

But first, before we dive into your questions, we're back with your feedback from the first Q&A episode and some Barley Crop Reports that we've cribbed from our friend Teri Fahrendorf and Denny reports on his eggs, because they're expensive!

BrewTan - Or Do Oxygen Scavenging Chemicals Change the Beer Character

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There's been a big kerfluffle in the online brewing world this year over "LoDO" brewing aka Low Dissolved Oxygen brewing. Proponents of the extremely complex methodology theorize that by reducing the amount of oxygen entrained at all times in the mash or the boil that you prevent oxidative reactions that damage the beer's flavor and reduces the overall malt character.

The reason they're obsessed is they're driven to recreate the "it" character they claim German beers have with their malts that they find lacking in many commercial and homebrews.

Subject: 

Experiment Status: 

Are beers brewed with BrewTan B, organoleptically different than beers brewed without

The Saison Files - Tasting the Saison Strains of the Yeast Bay

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Less Talk - More Yeast Writings

So you know I'm a Saison Nut, right? It's the style I'm known for more than anything else. It's the style I brew more than anything else. It's playful, expansive, complex and approachable. The style has allowed me lots of room to be creative. You've got my Year of Saisons, my "Your Farmhouse" Saisons, my hoppy Saisons, my Champagne Saisons, my Guacamole Saisons, my Chowdah Saison, etc, etc.

Writeup: Olive Oil vs No Aeration

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We're back at it! Now that HomebrewCon has passed and we can get back to our regularly scheduled program of experimental madness. And for this round, we'll be revisiting the experiment we covered earlier this year in the podcast. (Episode 13 to be precise!) 

IMPATIENT RESULT: FAILED

Executive Summary

Denny and I went into this experiment with a clear expectation of what the eventual answer would be and for once science agreed with us. It was a novel happenstance!

Brew Toy Review - Monster Mill 3

Submitted by drew on

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A quick note before we begin - we will always tell you when a manufacturer has provided us with goods to test. In this case, Monster Brewing Hardware did not provide Drew the mill. This is his review of his purchase.

It's funny the little things that conspire to keep you from doing a thing you love. Time, family, work, obligations are all a part of it, but sometimes it's also just a small pain point that's enough to prevent you from building up the head of steam to overcome the joyful inertia of sitting on your butt (particularly when it's hot and there's A/C inside)

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