2011 Zymurgy topics

[bluesman]

How do you decide on the top 10?  Fanciest, most expensive equipment?

Break them down into categories.

1. fully automated
2. most organized
3. simplicity
4. most creative
5. worst brewery setup
6. etc...

[pweis909]

I'd like to see history-oriented articles, perhaps focused around different, possibly obscure, styles.  Some of the styles here, for example:  http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/styles.html. 

I also think the brewing science articles demystified idea could be interesting, especially if those articles have take home messages for the homebrewer (as opposed to the commercial brewer).

[alikocho]

Having just read the latest Zymurgy article on cider, I'd really like to see an article on English Cider, its substyles, and its production (say next fall).

I'd even be happy to write it, and can talk to plenty of traditional cidermakers in the West Country, where I live, and talk about making it on a homebrew scale.

[gimmeales]

I too, would like to see articles on various accepted 'rules' of brewing - either prove or disprove various 'rules' in homebrewing, like: do you REALLY need to mash for 60 mins?  How about a side-by-side comparo of single infusion mashes carried out for 30, 45, 60, and 90 minutes with some numbers to show how the wort is affected (AND are the differences in numbers perceived in the finished beer).

Also, some side-by-side experiments altering a single ingredient or process-step to see how they truly carry over in to the finished beer.  

Or what about side-by-side equipment comparisons like immersion vs. plate vs. counterflow vs. whirlpool-immersion chillers.

I very much like Bluesman's suggestions on homebrew system comparisons too from cheapest to most expensive, to 'best' and 'worst'.  That would be fun.

edit:  oh yeah - history articles are always great - loved the brewing with spices article that Mosher did awhile back.

[maxieboy]

How do you decide on the top 10?  Fanciest, most expensive equipment?

Uh huh. Everyone knows that you can't make good beer with simple, cheap equipment! Sheesh.   

[BrewArk]

Having just read the latest Zymurgy article on cider, I'd really like to see an article on English Cider, its substyles, and its production (say next fall).

I'd even be happy to write it, and can talk to plenty of traditional cidermakers in the West Country, where I live, and talk about making it on a homebrew scale.

Wouldn't that be out of the AHA's domain like...Distilling?

[alikocho]

Having just read the latest Zymurgy article on cider, I'd really like to see an article on English Cider, its substyles, and its production (say next fall).

I'd even be happy to write it, and can talk to plenty of traditional cidermakers in the West Country, where I live, and talk about making it on a homebrew scale.

Wouldn't that be out of the AHA's domain like...Distilling?

Possibly, but as AHA/BJCP sanctioned competitions include entries in 27B - English Cider, and the BJCP style guide lists several US commercial examples, it might not be outside of the AHA's domain. And who know's, maybe Europe has some stuff to teach American homebrewers (and craft brewers) about cider, just like it did on a whole host of beer styles.

[BrewArk]

Maybe both are worth talking about.  I love cider.

[evandy]

I'd love to see a thorough discussion of electric brewing.  e.g. high-density elements vs low-density, RIMS vs HERMS, building electric tuns and kettles, etc.

[kgs]

Definitely a cooking/pairing section, especially with beer recipes (brew this beer, pair it with these suggested menus). Dungeness crab season is coming soon here and I'm realizing I wish my last brew had been a stout or a dubbel.

Time-saving tricks to keep brewing despite work/family life. Mashing ahead, software/tools/techniques that enable brewing multitasking, brew days with kids and family, etc.

Experiments proving/disproving homebrewing myths and WOMs. I like the Basic Brewing/BYO collaborations. They aren't that rigorous but they are better than folklore.

Brewing abroad. Homebrewers who are stationed overseas, expats, etc. and how they cope with their brewing challenges.

I'm still a fan of someone doing an article on "easing the physical process." Reading between the lines in many Forum posts, I see people taking steps to do this for themselves (through smaller-batch brewing, pumps, transfer systems, and brew systems/methods that avoid lifting/bending), yet a lot of get-into-brewing guidance assumes that anyone can (and wants to) manipulate and move around a 10-gallon kettle filled with up to 7 gallons of liquid and then transfer it into a large glass vessel which then needs to be carried to a location, etc.  It would be interesting to find homebrewers who are physically challenged (anywhere from having bad backs to using wheelchairs--or like me, just short, old, and female) and interview them about their methods.

Drill-your-own kettle... a recurring theme on the Forum. :-)

[BrewArk]

<snip>

Dungeness crab season is coming soon here and I'm realizing I wish my last brew had been a stout or a dubbel.

Nothing better than crab for Thanksgiving!   It's one of the best things about living in the bay area.

[denny]

The brewer at our Rogue local just brewed a Dungeness porter...really!  

[gsandel]

I have given this a lot of thought...and maybe it is too late and you are onto 2012, but here is my list of things I would like to see.

1. More articles more voices from more members....it seems like Zymurgy has its 5 favorite authors (and all the other beer magazines have theirs and three or more are in common between them).  This makes beer publications the world according to...(fill in the blank).  Or this particular style, according to (blank).  Some of us can write quite well, and are willing, but sometimes don't necessarily have the right ideas (or fail to believe that we have a shot of being heard).  Seek them out.
2. More trends further ahead of the curve....I liked the issue on session beers in the age of the bigger badder is better.  I don't necessarily want to know what is going on or what is new....I want to think about what is next what the future might be, what kinds of ingredients are coming, what kinds of beers are finding regional niches....oh, and how can I brew them.  I want to be inspired to brew, inspired to teach, and inspired to experience beer and brewing.
3. I would love to see an article focusing on why it isn't a good idea to open a commercial brewery....I have been looking at this...and perhaps more than a few of us shouldn't ruin a good hobby.
4. More ideas.  Brewing isn't all about the art and science of pushing the envelope or winning competitions...and in fact, most members don't enter them, and most who do, don't win (and some even do it for the feedback)....some excellent beers in their own right....this goes along with more voices.  I do respect guys who win competitions regularly and the grand master poobah leveled judge, but it has just gotten too competitive and to put them further on a pedestal just makes it worse.  It separates us into the experts and everyone else.
5. How about a 1 beer comp?  Put on a beer comp where you can only enter one beer...your best. 
6. More voices on beer judging more widely available beers.  I like the 3 guys and Beth's Commercial Calibration, but only when I have had the beer before, and I would like to hear other reviewers....perhaps the four plus one guest reviewer....maybe even a non-judge but thoughtful reviewer (someone who has a more average palate).
7. More on how to formulate recipes to make them taste the way you want (crafting for personal taste)....I need more on what all the new varieties of hops do.
8. More historical perspectives on styles, regions, methods.
9. More on emerging styles and regional taste differences....I love to travel, just to see the state of craft beer and what's selling in other parts of the country, continent, and world.
10. Purchasing equipment.  There are a lot of companies making pro-level equipment....Blichmann, Morebeer, Sturdy?, Stout Tanks, Sabco, Monstermill, Schmidling....a whole industry serving us, but nary a review of high end equipment and suppliers.  The opposite of the gadgets issue, I guess....and the whole world of equipment and suppliers we can't get from the pro world....again to be inspired to try to fabricate methods or equipment that pros use.
11. Blogs and interesting websites from members: I have one but admit it is not for everyone (some parts are good, some are funny, some sucks), but I would like to hear about decent ones from other members.  I like new ideas and this is where new ideas are.

And here is a few things I would eliminate or avoid.

I don't think beer goes with food....I love beer, and food, but I like to keep them separate... beer/food pairings sparingly, please.  Food keeps me from fully tasting my beer.

I guess I only had one thing....that is okay, I would like to focus on the positives rather than the negatives.

[hoser]

water and mash pH

[tonyp]

One topic that would intrigue me would be popular beer style recipes by century (or half century), such as what was the most popular style in the late 1700's and why, what were the most popular ingredients during this time, differences by region, etc etc.

Something of this scope could very well be a monthly feature or long-term research project.