Czech Lagers: History, Brewing, Judging
In this seminar, Bob Hall and Randy Scorby will describe the four “new” Czech styles in the BJCP style guidelines. Czech lagers are more diverse than simply pilsners and range from delicate light lagers to malty and intense dark lagers. Bob and Randy will describe the history of these beers,… Read More
Does Your Fermenter Affect Your Beer?
A commercial recipe was brewed and then split between an array of fermeters to see if the choice of fermeter had any effect on the finished beer. Plastic buckets, glass carboys, corny kegs and small SS conicals are compared to the 15 barrel SS commercial unitank the beer is normally… Read More
Fermenting Mead with Ale Yeasts
Most mead makers use wine yeasts when fermenting mead. Frank Golbeck and Maurey Fletcher from Golden Coast Mead will detail their experience fermenting mead with ale yeast. Golden Coast Mead uses ale yeast in their four major market mead varieties sold in more than 200 retail locations. They find many… Read More
From 5 to 5,000 Gallons: What to Look for in a Brewery Space
Brewers spend significant resources developing their passion for their craft but often overlook the building and engineering infrastructure that supports them. One may have the best designed brewery system, but poor space planning and a building lacking the necessary utilities can lead to significant downtime, loss of productivity and unhappy… Read More
Hands-On Activities to Help You Master Beer Styles
Just reading about beer styles won’t help you remember them next time you sit down to judge. Really mastering BCJP styles requires hands-on activities to cement your knowledge. Ray Daniels started learning about beer styles more than 25 years ago and today spends a good deal of his time teaching… Read More
Homebrew Club Insurance Program
This seminar provides an overview of the AHA-endorsed homebrew club insurance program. Homebrew club and individual club member’s liability exposures and risks will be discussed. Participants will also learn about appropirate risk transfer procedures to mitigate insurance exposures for their clubs and members. Read More
Homebrew Toxicology: Debunking the Hidden Dangers of Chemicals in Your Brew System
Discussion boards have many active threads warning homebrewers of the hidden dangers of chemicals introduced into their homebrew through plastics, metals and other means. Unfortunately, much of this information is based more on Internet lore more than scientific evidence, and in many cases leads well-meaning homebrewers to invest in costly… Read More
Hops: Grow and Enjoy Your Own
Grow, harvest, brew, drink, repeat! Backyard hops are increasingly common and homebrewers should join in. Practical guidelines will give seminar attendess the opportunity to grow and enjoy their own fresh hops. Read More
Hosting Cask Ale Events
Homebrewers are already experts in making real ale. Take the next step and cask condition the beer! This serving method from the English tradition is a unique way to present your beer, especially when you’re planning on serving an entire keg anyway. Taking care of cask conditioned beer is a… Read More
How to Brew, Blend and Maintain an Acid Beer
Acid beer is an important component for blending sour beers as well as adding complexity to other beer styles. To brew acid beer on the homebrew scale, it’s important to have a practical knowledge base of lactobacillius fermentation and best practices for controlling the environment for optimal results. Samples of… Read More
In Pursuit of Perfection: Hefeweizen Project
This seminar will cover the process of how to eliminate an off flavor in hefeweizens. Processes covered include yeast trial (side by side comparison of four hefe yeast strains on a single batch of beer); grain trial (side by side mashing of six different base malts); and pitch rate and… Read More
Intro to Professional Brewing Quality Assurance
Setting up a quality program is often overlooked when homebrewers go pro. This seminar is designed to educate homebrewers on how to set up a basic quality program and lab from day one. Read More
Introduction to Experimentation
Drew Beechum and Denny Conn will discuss how experimentation leads the way to better beer. They’ll cover topics and techniques from recipe design to packaging that will make brew day more rewarding and fun. Objective evaluation of experimental results will be discussed and demonstrated. Samples of beers brewed from the… Read More
Kilned Versus Roasted: Do You Really Know Your Specialty Malt?
There are only two commercial maltsters in the U.S. operating roasters to produce specialty malt, so there is not a lot of information available on roasted specialty malts. David will provide a basic understanding of the malting process before delving into the differences between producing malt on a kiln and… Read More
Making Enzymes Work For You
This seminar is directed at all-grain brewers with intermediate experience. The focus will be on understanding and controlling enzymes in the mash and making them work for you. Although various mash techniques will be briefly discussed in relation to enzymes, this will not be a class on how to mash.… Read More
Malt
Enter the world of malt, the soul of beer. Beer is often cited as being at least one of the causes for civilization, and it was the deliberate cultivation and malting of beer that was the catalyst. From cultivation to harvest, from steeping to kilning to brewing, John Mallett (Bell's… Read More
Managing Yeast: Better Fermentation at Lower Cost
Come on, get more out of that package of yeast! Commercial brewers harvest and repitch yeast not only to save money, but for better fermentation quality. With a little knowledge, it can be easy for you to do the same. In this session you will learn step-by-step techniques for determining… Read More
Mastering the Art of Hop-Fu!
Do you want to know the secrets to brewing amazing, award-winning IPAs? Over the last five years, Kelsey McNair has earned dozens of awards for his IPAs including one silver and three gold medals in the final round of the National Homebrew Competition. This seminar will cover the history, techniques… Read More
Mead Panel
Mead making is growing at an astounding rate and there a few great icons who have shaped the movement. From traditional mead makers to the ones who push the limits, come and learn their secrets. Topics will include equipment, ingredients, recipes and techniques for beginner to advanced mead makers. Read More
Mead: Recipe Formulation and Advanced Techniques
Join 2008 AHA Meadmaker of the Year Steve Piatz for a seminar covering current ideas on mead making. Topics will include recipe formulation and advanced mead making techniques. Read More
Ménage à Myces: Blended Yeast Fermentation
Have you ever found a yeast strain that had a great fermentation flavor, but didn’t attenuate well? Have you ever used a Belgian yeast strain that didn’t flocculate well? The solution might be blending yeasts. Historically all breweries had a blend of yeast in their fermentation. It wasn’t until the… Read More
Modern Homebrew Recipes
Gordon Strong, author of Brewing Better Beer and the forthcoming Modern Homebrew Recipes, will discuss using modern techniques to formulate recipes, particularly for new styles from the 2014 BJCP style guidelines, as well as how to interpret and adapt recipes to your system and how to select ingredients and techniques… Read More
Motivating Club Member Participation
The greatest thing you can do to encourage people to participate is provide consistency, entertainment and opportunity! Lauren and Joe of Carolina BrewMasters, 2014 Radegast Club of the Year, will present the things that are working for their club. From meetings to brew sessions to competitions to social events to… Read More
Nitro Draught for the Homebrewer
Learn how to create the perfect nitro beer based on combining the correct temperature, pressure and time of gas in solution. Juice will provide proven techniques to help you create the perfect pour based on your specific equipment. Read More
Organized CHAOS: Taking Your Club to the Next Level
CHAOS Brew Club of Chicago has done something that few, if any, other clubs have done: create a dedicated community space for people to brew, socialize and share. This seminar will focus on the ups and downs of the club’s journey so that other clubs and brewers can learn from… Read More
Panel on Regulatory Climate for Homebrewers
With the rapid growth of homebrewing, the hobby has come under increased scrutiny from regulators in recent years. A panel consisting of AHA director Gary Glass, Raise Your Pints president Craig Hendry, and California Craft Brewers Association executive director Tom McCormick will discuss federal and state homebrew law, the current… Read More
Panel: Taking Homebrewing to the Pro Level, From Concept and Design Through Opening
This panel will discuss the topics to consider and the tradeoffs one has to make when taking their passion for homebrewing to opening a brewery. Panelists will give their perspectives on key issues that impacted their road to opening. This panel includes an architect who has designed and built several… Read More
Practical Blending and Post-Fermentation Adjustments for the Homebrewer
Taste. Evaluate. Adjust. Repeat. This seminar will guide and challenge you to improve your beers through tasting, evaluation and adjustment. Seminar participants will explore techniques for fine-tuning a beer’s “seasoning” and body, highlighting signature flavors and achieving balance through blending. Kyle will borrow techniques from chefs , winemakers, bakers and… Read More
Selecting Yeast Based on Strain Characteristics and Applying Environmental Conditions to Promote Flavor and Aroma Production
Yeasts are living microorganisms whose performance is influenced immensely by the environment. The homebrewing community produces a wide range of beverages made from a wide range of raw materials, including raw or malted grains, fruits, honey, grasses (sugar cane), etc. The sugar extract derived from the different raw materials varies… Read More
Send In the Clones: Sensory Analysis and Recipe Formulation Techniques for Homebrewers
Amahl will discuss sensory and software analysis of a few specific, commercially-available craft beers as well as recipe development techniques for reproducing them on a homebrew scale. Read More