Advice and tips on homebrewing

Efficiency in brewing is about how much sugar you actually extract from the malt. Here is the difference between mash efficiency and brewhouse efficiency, and how to measure them.

Hops give beer bitterness, aroma and flavour, and the timing decides what you get out of them. Here are hop varieties from Germany, England, the USA and the southern hemisphere, and the difference between boiling, first wort, hopstand, whirlpool and dry hopping.

If your OG is lower than the recipe promises, the fault usually lies in the crush, mashing in, the amount of malt or sparging. Here we go through the causes and how to correct a low yield before the boil.

Water is the biggest part of beer, and the water profile affects flavour, body and fermentation. Here are the salts you need, the right mash pH and how Brewfather calculates the amounts for you.

Double mashing lets you brew big beers such as imperial stout and barley wine without an overfilled malt pipe. Here are two methods, plus shortcuts with spray malt and a half batch.

Water makes up 90 % of your beer, and its minerals affect flavour, mouthfeel and clarity. Here are the water profiles for different beer styles and how Brewfather calculates the additions for you.

Malt that was crushed long ago loses flavour and aroma through oxidation. Here is why you should crush your malt as close to brew day as possible.

Fruit can lift a beer, but the water, sugar and acid in the fruit determine how much you need and when it goes in. Here are quantities, how to treat fresh fruit, purée and essences, and the right timing.

Mashing is the step where the starch in the malt becomes sugar the yeast can ferment. Here is the temperature, the pH and the pros and cons of mashing overnight.

Corn, rice, oats and candi syrup can change the flavour, colour and body of your beer. Here is when adjuncts are used in the mash and in the boil, plus four recipes for 25 litres.