Brewing Thanksgiving Beers

Brewing Thanksgiving Beers

Justin Jackson
Practical Home Brewer

As an American living in Hong Kong, once you make it to November and are finally rewarded with a drop in temperature then you can't help but start thinking about the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays on the horizon.  Over the past several years my wife and I have been fortunate to host or attend Thanksgiving gatherings with friends which always include staples of turkey, breaded stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, vegetables, and pumpkin pie.  This holiday always reminds me to reflect on what I'm thankful for, and beer is definitely on that list!  In the past I've never brewed a beer for a specific holiday, but in this post I will share a few recipes that I brewed for this year's Thanksgiving celebration!

Tackling the BJCP Exam - Part Two

Tackling the BJCP Exam - Part Two

Justin Jackson
Brewing Resources

In the previous post I talked about the online entrance exam portion of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).  If you pass that grueling 200 question exam in 60 minutes then you earn the title of "Apprentice" beer judge.  You are able to assist in BJCP-sanctioned brewing competitions as long as you are accompanied by another more senior judge.

In order to earn the level of "Recognized" judge, "Certified" judge, or "National" judge you must complete the second portion of the exam:  the tasting exam.  I was one of around 20 participants in Hong Kong's first BJCP Tasting Exam held at Second Draft in Tin Hau.  In this post I will tell you a little about my preparation for the exam and the exam itself.  At present I don't have the results so I can't tell you if my preparation paid off but this should at least give you an idea if you are considering taking this exam.

How to Make Beer Soap

How to Make Beer Soap

Justin Jackson
Crafty Brewer

After a long afternoon brewing what do you do with that leftover grain?  More importantly, what do you do about that sweaty bod?  You'd be surprised to find that making your own bar soap out of beer and spent grain isn't all that difficult.

Tackling the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Exam - Part One

Tackling the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Exam - Part One

Justin Jackson
Brewing Resources

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) has been around since the 1990s with a purpose of defining  and distinguishing between various beer styles throughout the world and providing the common vocabulary necessary to describe the differences in the taste, smell, mouthfeel, and appearance of those styles.  Thus, it provides a standard framework upon which brewing competitions may be based when comparing the quality of various beers produced by both hobbyists and professional brewers.  In this series of two posts I will discuss my experience in preparing for the BJCP exam which enables individuals to participate as qualified judges in BJCP-sanctioned brewing competitions.  In this first part I will discuss the preparation for and completion of the online portion of the exam ("Entrance Exam") and in the second part I will discuss the tasting portion of the exam.

Brewerism - Brewseum Taiwan

Brewerism - Brewseum Taiwan

Justin Jackson
Craft Beer Asia, Brewerism

Taiwan is an island that has a reasonably developed craft beer scene.  My previous experience with Taiwan had only been a long-weekend trip to Taipei back in 2013, but I recently took a 4-day trip to southern Taiwan and it was in the unassuming town of Hengchun that my wife and I would stumble across a pleasant surprise for the craft beer lover.......3000 Brewzeum.

The Impact of Mash Temperature

The Impact of Mash Temperature

Justin Jackson
Practical Home Brewer

All-grain brewing opens up a huge realm of possibilities for the malt profile of your beer.  Of course it comes with the cost of an extra step of complexity with the "mash".  Mashing is a process that is described by John Palmer in "How to Brew" as "the hot water steeping process that hydrates the malt, gelatinizes its starches, releases its natural enzymes, and converts the starches into fermentable sugars" (p.141).  More simply put, it's like making barley-sugar-water through steeping - just like tea.  In this post I will discuss the choice of the mash temperature and how it will affect the wort that you produce.

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