Brewing TV (2010)

This is the inaugural episode of Brewing TV. After a quick introduction and mission statement, we get off to a rolling boil with Fulton Brewing Company -- four guys that made their garage hobby a larger-scale business. Jake's brewing an extract / partial boil batch of American Wheat. The cat's not impressed. Then, we're behind-the-scenes at the Upper Mississippi Mash Out, one of the nation's largest homebrew competitions? Never thought of becoming a beer judge? You may after seeing this.

In this episode of Brewing TV, we look at the history of lager caves, their function and the beer that was made in them. Author/beer historian Doug Hoverson shares his knowledge on the subject. We take some of his research and suggestions to craft a lager of our own that we then lager in a still-functioning cave. We come full-circle and serve our beer to the masses at a craft beer festival centered around the cave.

In this episode, learn the ways of a wise open fermentation with yeast-Jedi Jeremy King. Then we apply Jeremy's knowledge as Dawson brews a "Topless Hefeweizen" (ooh la la!).

Is homebrew good enough to go on tap at a neighborhood pub? The Oregon Brew Crew gets a chance to prove it every week. A forgotten piece of equipment during a brew session forces us to think outside the bag. What a delicious dilemma to behold. And a few moments of peace at the lake. Got to have some of that.

BTV viewers asked for it, here it is. We begin this episode with some quick tasting notes on Dawson's Topless Hefeweizen brewed and open-fermented in Episode 4. Our main segment focuses on Mark Stutrud, founder of Summit Brewing Company. Mark tells us about the changes he's seen in beer culture over the last 30 years, the argument of style vs. brand, and importance of homebrewing.

Damn, we're tired. We've been covering the NHC endlessly for two going on three days. Here's something funny.

Brewing TV does NHC 2010 in the Twin Cities. Beer-driven insanity ensues. If you were in attendance, you may see yourself or your club in this episode. If you couldn't make it - here's your chance to live vicariously through your Brewing TV homies. We had a absolute blast sampling countless beers and meeting some of our amazing viewers. See you next year in San Diego.

You think brewing two batches in one day is tough? Try six! That's the task before Aran Madden of Furthermore Beer and more than a dozen volunteer brewers and the staff at Vine Park as they test-batch IPAs and summer beers. Then it's Time to Brew (finally!). Michael and Jake take a page from Furthermore's notebook and get experimental with a split batch of homebrew.

In this week's episode we ask ourselves: What's in a name? There's a big debate going on right now in the worlds of homebrewing and craft beer. It involves a new-ish style some are calling Cascadian Dark Ale, some are calling Black IPA and some are calling, well, you'll see... Join us as we attempt to shine a light into this Dark space.

We've received viewer requests that we go back and revisit some of the beers that we've brewed in past episode now that they are ready to drink. Here are tasting notes and self-critiques on Northwood/Worth Pale Ale (Ep. 3), Jake's ESB (Ep. 5) and the experimental Tomax + Xamot (Ep. 9).

Summertime ... and the brewing is easy. Flight patterns over Chip's house are low, and the hops are high. Join us on a laid-back journey into three backyards for a survey of this year's hop growth and, then, for some beer-blended refreshment.

It's a pretty big deal to graduate from extract to all-grain brewing. But imagine making the transition and your first all-grain batch was nearly 500 gallons?! We're off to Full Sail Brewing Company, to meet an employee/owner who faced that monumental challenge - and won. Then we're back in Dawson's homebrewery to bottle a Biere de Garde. This is a special beer -- one being reserved for the holidays -- so we're using snazzy cork-finished Belgian bottles.

Jake Keeler has a problem. Actually, he has a lot of problems, but this one we can publicly discuss. Over the years he has collected a lot of equipment and toys for homebrewing - now he's trying to figure out how to fit it all in, move it all around and make the homebrews that he wants to drink.

Of all the professional brewers that Brewing TV has visited with, Kurt and Rob Widmer may be our favorites. They are cool, funny, extremely interesting, great storytellers.... and above all else, they hold homebrewing in the high esteem that we feel it deserves. We talk with the Widmer Brothers about their roots in and ongoing connection to homebrewing.

This one's for the ladies! We begin in the Keeler kitchen, where Jake is joined by his wife - Lucretia - in the brewing of a Chocolate Milk Stout. How's the old saying go? "Give a woman a beer, please her for a day. Teach her to brew, please her for a lifetime..." Right? Then, BTV on the Radio. We visit Lisa Morrison aka The Beer Goddess during an episode of her craft beer radio show "Beer O'Clock" to get her input on women in craft beer and homebrewing.

We've been waiting a while for this episode to ripen and be ready to pick. From the messages BTV fans have posted for us at BrewingTV.com and Facebook -- you can't wait either. Well, here it is! We're celebrating the hop harvest of 2010 in grand style. This episode includes visits with two hop-growers, one in Oregon and one in Wisconsin. Then, it's a very special Time to Brew. We're picking fresh hops right off the bine and tossing them straight into the brew kettle.

Brewing TV makes a long-awaited and anticipated (by us.... by you, too?) road trip to visit New Glarus Brewing Company. Well-known for their beers and packaging, we talk with Dan and Deb Carey about NGBC's mission and beer philosophy. Hop on a Spotted Cow and come with us.

Jake Keeler grabs BTV's JV Squad camera and heads to Denver, CO for three days of beery goodness.Meanwhile, Michael and Chip are forced to survive without him back in St. Paul, MN. They find plenty of fun to be had with a TopTier and the Varsity Squad camera.

Whether you're a homebrewer or simply a lover of great beer in America -- we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Fred Eckhardt. Brewing TV was lucky enough to chat with Fred over a few pints. This is what he had to say about the past, present and future of good beer.

Here at Brewing TV, we focus mainly on homebrew and craft beer. But there is a wide range of other (often ancient) fermented beverages that homebrewers have made their own. Among them - mead. In this episode, we visit with mead master Curt Stock to learn more about the process and payoff of making your own mead.

Madison, WI is a lot of things in one city: a state capital, a college town, a hot spot for restaurants -- and one of the best beer cities Brewing TV has ever seen. Come along with us for a road trip to Madison. Meet some pro brewers, a man with a brewery plan, and a supercool homebrew club. We also hand over the reins to a father/son brew team for our Time to Brew segment.

Chip makes a solo mission to Fargo, ND for a Hoppy Halloween weekend of brew sessions, homebrew judging, kicking it with the Prairie Homebrewing Companions and Jamil Zainasheff... who, by the way, make a very big announcement in this episode.

Brewing TV is not just about three dudes and a camera running wild through the worlds of homebrewing and craft beer. Every now and then, we like to find people making unique creations and pass the mic. So be it. This episode, guest hosts Michael Agnew (A Perfect Pint) and Mark Roberts brew sahti, a traditional beer from Finland. Sahti is no regular beer. Authentic versions are unhopped, unboiled and enjoyed fresh out of the fermenter. Michael & Mark make some tweaks to the process for the sake of modernity and storage, but this brew session is none the less unique.

Brewing TV has taken you inside a lot of breweries, but this one really grabs the beast by the horns. Dive headfirst into the insanity that is Surly Brewing Company with Jake, his personal photographer and his co-host, The Cobra. Join BTV as we crash the brewery on several occasions including Darkness Day 2010 and a Friday Night Tour.

Brewing TV embraces December's sub-freezing temperatures. In this episode, Dawson and Chip (and the brew dogs) brave the cold for an outdoor parti-gyle brew session. The fruits of their labor - a big ol' American barleywine, a smaller beer Dawson calls an American bitter, and lots of fun.

New Year's Eve, a great time to reflect on the year past and get excited about the year ahead. In this episode, Brewing TV takes time to brew one last beer for 2010 and share our favorite moments from our trips and travels. Three dudes, a brew kettle, a beer engine and plenty of homebrew make BTV 27 much more than just a clip show! Brewing TV thanks our supporters, fans, viewers, Facebook "Likers," family, friends, brew buddies and Northern Brewer homies. Cheers to you all.

We begin 2011 by getting back to the basics - stovetop extract brewing. There ain't no shame in our game! And because Jake is completely out of homebrewed goodness at his house, the boys are making two beers at once. Jake is brewing a German Alt. Dawson has something special up his sleeve - a session-fied Cascadian Dark Ale. Three dudes. Two burners. One heck of a time looking at ways to get the most out of your extract brewing experience.

BTV videographer Chip Walton has the wintertime blues. He hopes to cure them with a homebrewed beer kissed by the sun in the form of clementines aka "Christmas Oranges." But Jake & Mike are nowhere to be found. Thankfully Chip ain't scared! He grabbed a camera, tripod and wireless mic to host his own self-shot episode. Needless to say, he bit off just a little more than he could chew and things get a little out-of-hand. Join Chip as he brews his unique Clemifornia Commontine beer, talks/sings to himself and gives tasting notes on his own Chizzer Wizzer and Le Saison Noire homebrews. All for brew, brew for one.

In November 2010, homebrew guru Jamil Zainasheff broke the news to Brewing TV: he was embarking on the journey of opening a commercial brewery called Heretic Brewing Company in the East Bay area of California. Three months later, the brewery is nearly ready to produce beer. Join Brewing TV as we tour the partner brewery that Heretic shares with E.J. Phair Brewing Company. And we get in on a preview tasting panel for some of Jamil's possible recipes for Heretic.

One beer done two ways. Dawson brews a side-by-side comparison of partial mash vs all-grain. The lucky beer - Northern Brewer's new Surly Bender beer kit, part of the new Pro Series line of beer kits. See how the intermediate brewing method of partial mash (more accurately "mini-mash") benefits the flavor of your beer without adding hours (or more expensive equipment) to the equation. Then sit in on a taste test of both homebrews up against the real thing.

With wind chills way into negative territory and a four-foot snowbank at home, Brewing TV hits the road for some fun in the sun. This episode finds Jake, Mike & Chip in the Bay Area of California on a whirlwind tour of some of their homie Jon Weber's favorite craft beer spots. Jon is the blogger/photographer behind Beer Obsessed and he knows his way around the Bay Area beer scene with stops in Marin County, Berkeley, and Oakland. After all that beer in one day, we kick back for a homebrew session with the always brewtal Nathan Smith as you drops mad hop bombs on his own North Oakland Double IPA and some dry-hopping projects.

The Brewing Network has been Brewing TV's BFF since the very beginning. We wanted to repay the favor with an episode dedicated solely to the BN Army. In this episode, we visit the show hosts/producers/groupies on their home turf. Join us as we crash the BN's Sunday Session, nosh down on some gourmet nachos crafted by The Home Brewed Chef Sean Z. Paxton and take part in a Saturday brew session to find out: Can Justin Brew It? And we get an earful from Justin Crossley about scooping the BN on Jamil's brewery announcement, blah, blah, blah. Put the kids to bed before the post-credits bloopers. Sit back, relax and enjoy a pint as video and radio combine in this BTV extravaganza.

Back to the garage! Join Chip and Dawson for another brew day - this time the beer is a dark Munich lager (with a twist) brewed with a double decoction mash. The Canoe Cam is busted out for more tasting notes, the dogs play some soccer, and BTV Cub Reporter Bryon Adams shows up after the work is done for some barley wine. Alles fur Brau, und Brau fur Alles.

Guest host Kent "Sixpack" Olsen brews a batch of Town Hall 1800 English IPA (he later dubbed his version "Dirty Deeds English IPA"). Sixpack won the Brewing TV brew session and beer kit at an auction benefit for Emma German earlier this year. The brew session takes place on his birthday surrounded by friends from his Jack of All Brews homebrew club and plenty of great beer. Join us for one hop-tastic brew day filled with interesting tips, a tour of Sixpack's basement bar and some High Voltage fun.

Cask ale is a segment of craft beer that is becoming more and more popular with beer-lovers in the United States. But many of us have no idea how it works. In this episode, Jake and Michael get put to work by Summit Brewing Company's Chief Firkin Hooligan Damian McConn. The guys help Damian finish, fine, dry-hop and fill firkins of his Unchained Series beer, Gold Sovereign.

In this episode, Chip brews a low-gravity saison. With the help of a rather unique setup, he pushes primary fermentation into the upper range of temperature. Guest host Don Osborn helps Chip demonstrate other methods homebrewers can use to raise the temperature during primary fermentation. Then, we join Michael and Jake for a quick tasting notes session on the kellerbier version of the double decoction dunkel brewed back in Episode 34.

Cask ale at home! Mike and Jake take what they learned about cask-conditioning ales from Damian McConn (Summit Brewing Co.) and use it to make their own cask version of an oatmeal stout. Join the guys as they learn the steps to a great firkinfied homebrew, swing some hammers, get jiggy with double espresso shots, and drink the finished cask ale with some work buddies. You'll find there's None More Cask.

This year's National Homebrewers Conference was held in sunny San Diego. The Brewing TV crew was among a large posse of Northern Brewer ninjas that showed up to represent at the NHC. This episode shows what we got into. Join us for some pre-conference fun, cask ale for breakfast, good times in the Tiki Pavilion, Pro Brewers Night, Club Night and the Grand Banquet.

We're off to one Bad Ass Brewery to brew one bad ass beer.

Brewing TV in the Stone Age! This episode we are at Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, CA. We spend a day living the life at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, touring the brewery, and talking about the creative process with brewmaster Mitch Steele.

The King is in the building! NB foot soldier and determined yeast junky Jeremy King (you remember him from Episode 4, right?) is back with yet another twisted yeast experiment. This time he's trying wrangle wild yeast from his environs in Milwaukee, WI for eventual commercial use. He's got a very interesting way of going about it - utilizing a coolship. Wild yeast, microscopes, fire, and fermented fish. You never know what you're going to get when you're hanging out with J-King.

In this episode, Brewing TV visits Lift Bridge Brewing Company. After three years of contract brewing their beers, Lift Bridge has established a nice home of its own, turning out the beers they love for the people in their community. It's a lesson in patience, determination, and supporting local beer.

You've heard of dry-hopping. How about DICE-hopping!? Chip and two guest host homies take us to the depths of an experimental brewday where the success of two homebrews depends on the luck of the draw.

Brewing TV celebrates another successful hop harvest with a brew session and some super-wet-hopping at home. Then we're taking a field trip to Hop & Brew School in Yakima, WA. From super-nano backyard bines to large-scale hop farms -- we have it all in this episode.

This is the GABF -- BTV style! Jake and Chip are in Denver with a posse of hopparazzi for the Great American Beer Festival. Come along as we talk with craft beer/homebrew icon Charlie Papazian about 30 years of the festival, hit up a few media-only events, visit with some pro brewer buddies, and go wild during the festival sessions. But, wait... where's Dawson? We left him in St. Paul for the Even Greater American Beer Festival, the country's premier one-man beer fest.

Dawson is home alone again, but he doesn't seem to mind. Mike grabs the JV Squad camera for a solo brew mission. He salvages what's left in his grain bin and freezer, hangs out with his only friend iBrewMaster, and gets all ninja-style on some yeast washing. Get ready.

We've seen some experimental brewing here on Brewing TV, but nothing like this. Our buddies at Lift Bridge Brewing Company get shellacious on an Oyster Stout. And they aren't holding anything back. The boiling wort had shells, oyster meat and the briniest of the briny juice thrown in! Join us for an awesome brew day and an oyster festival where the beer is served alongside some of the best oysters from East and West coast.

Pucker up, buttercup. This episode is nice and sour! Brewing TV joins a certified cicerone for a quick taste-tour through some of Belgium's best sour beers. We take what we learn and put it to good use homebrewing and blending more than a half-dozen sour beers. This episode has been aging for a while and it's at its peak.

In this episode, we're off to the original Beer City, USA - Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit Lakefront Brewery. The good people behind the innovative brewery are craft brew pioneers that still cherish their homebrewing roots and do a lot to support both the local and national homebrewing community.

Northern Brewer Minneapolis is more than NB's third and flagship retail store. We built it to be a forum for demonstration, discussion and documentation of homebrew and pro brewing.

Jake, Mike & Chip wrap up 2011 with the BTV Pro-Am Beer Fest. Three dudes. Three pro beers. Three homebrews. Come along for a quick taste tour of the beers... then saddle up for a wild ride as we deliver your BTV Holiday Gift in the form of some great bloopers and outtakes from the past year of production. There's a lot of homebrewing around the bend.

'Tis the season for brewing and fermenting lagers. But what if you don't have the set-up for true lagering process (fermenting fridge, near-freezing basement, etc.)? Brewing TV says "Fake the funk!" In this episode, Dawson and our cohort Don Osborn brew up three beers. They use some yeast strain and temperature workarounds to make them into great non-lagers.

BTV goes deep undercover on some BIAB action! After reading so much about how easy and fun it can be, Jake Keeler decides to give the "Brew In A Bag" method a try. To put it bluntly - he's hooked! Brewing four batches in less than a month, BIAB has elevated Jake's love for homebrewing. Join us for a brew session and discussion about the pros and cons to see if brewing-in-a-bag is right for your homebrewery.

We are getting ready for St. Patrick's Day with stout on the brain! For the occasion, Jake and Mike brew two beers. One is a Dry Irish Stout on par with the modern Guinness Draught, which we serve on nitrogen through a stout faucet. The other beer is a Single Stout Porter, based on a beer Guinness produced back in the 1880s. We put the beers up against each other in a taste test… and find out the secret to Chip's Chocolate Stout along the way.

This episode we're in Aurora, CO living it up with the folks at Dry Dock Brewing Company. Talk about a brewery with a close ties to the homebrewing community - Dry Dock grew out of small homebrew shop to become one of the country's most awarded small breweries. Find out what makes this place so special as BTV rides along for a brew day and Dawson puts our Pro Series beer kits up against Dry Dock's commercial beers. Beware: Epicness ensues.

Brewing TV gets snowed-in in Denver and forced to abandon plans for one episode -- but we salvage the snow day and come up with a whole other episode. Join us as we take advantage of the situation to visit Denver Beer Company, Great Divide Brewing Company, and our first distillery Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. And we sit down for a chat with Ed Sealover, author of Mountain Brew.

What's this? A homebrew challenge? Keeler and Dawson go head-to-head brewing mystery beers on a subzero brew day. Two months later, they put each other's keen sense of beer dorkery to task with a taste-test. And Chip chooses the winning beer.

This episode is all about the Double IPA (aka Imperial India Pale Ale). Brewing TV associates Nathan Smith and Kris England team up to brew a split-batch of DIPA as part of a dry-hop and yeast experiment. Then Dawson joins Kris for tasting notes and a bit of discussion about the important elements of a good Double IPA.

Chip brews his annual favorite Chocolate Stout with real chocolate additions. Most of the beer gets kegged, but he sets some of it aside for an eising experiment. He's joined by his buddy, chef Zander Dixon for tasting notes on both versions and some discussion about the process.

Brewing TV turns two years old in proper style - brewing a beer! Jake, Mike, Chip and the brew dogs gather to make Keeler's Reverse Burster Altbier. During the brew session, we look back on two years of BTV production. We also field some FAQs from our fans. There's even a contest and a birthday present for our viewers.

Brewing TV is celebrating May Day with homebrew. BTV associate Joe Giambruno drops some knowledge and history as he goes old-school on a double-decocted maibock. Joe and Chip then join homeboy Andrew Bartelson for tasting notes at his annual May Day Parade party.

Like kids to a candy store, Brewing TV finally makes the pilgrimage to the World of Dogfish Head, its mothership brewery in Milton, DE and the O.G. brewpub in Rehoboth Beach. Join BTV as we learn about Dogfish Head's homebrew-scale Small Batch Brewing program and see how the ideas behind small-batch experimental brewing influence the brewery's large-scale commercial releases.

BTV takes Manhattan… Kansas! Brewing TV visits Tallgrass Brewing Company, where we find ourselves happily surrounded by good people, great beer and a lot of homebrew equipment. While Dawson brews a freestyle small-batch collaboration beer with head brewer Andrew Hood, Jake talks with Tallgrass founder Jeff Gill about the brewery's evolution, off-beat brands and new Northern Brewer Pro Series Beer Kits.

BTV takes a break from brewing beer to make some wine. The ambient temperatures of summertime make for a perfect homewinery and we're taking advantage by making two wines - a robust red and a sweet crisp white. Join us as Jake and Mike fill their fermentation schedule with a few batches of wine, share a glass or two, and rap about why they enjoy winemaking.

It's Brewing TV on ice! Our good buddies Ted and Paul (the Dice-Hoppers from Episode 44) invite us to another unusual brew day. This time we're in the middle of a frozen lake, brewing an improvised beer with random ingredients… and lake water. Yep. Lake water. Get your auger, your lager and your Black Ice - because this brew day is about to get out of control.

How about them apples?! In this episode of Brewing TV, we're making hard cider. While both options work well, you'll learn the differences between using fresh-pressed apple cider and store-bought cider. Chip and NB co-worker Chris Smith show you how to treat, ferment and finish hard cider. Their discussion includes tips on back-sweetening cider as well.

In this episode we’re making graf, a beer wort and apple cider hybrid inspired by the literature of Stephen King. While King invented the drink, members of the online home brewing community have been the champions and mad fermentalists behind its existence and evolution. Join us for a brew day and some tasting notes on a couple of examples.

Homebrew All-Star and “How to Brew” author John Palmer makes good on his promise to hook Brewing TV up with a recipe straight out of the shire.

Brewing TV heads to Yakima, WA for a one-on-one tour and discussion with Hop Union president Don Bryant.

Hop Madness is setting in and Brewing TV is brewing two over-the-top hop bombs - a Double IPA and an October Ale (not to be confused with an Oktoberfest). Join us for some double hop-back insanity and a high-alpha barleywine/Burton Ale mash-up featuring the freshest Australian hops.