Advice and tips on homebrewing

Extract kits, malt extract, partial mash, BIAB, brewing machines, HERMS and RIMS can be confusing terms for new brewers. Here we go through how each method works and what sets them apart.

Oxidised beer turns browner and tastes of wet cardboard, and hop-forward beers such as NEIPA are most at risk. Here is where the oxygen gets in, and how to do a closed transfer to a keg, even from a regular fermenting bucket.

Good hygiene is the most important way to avoid off-flavours and sour beer. Here is the difference between cleaners and sanitisers, and how to clean fermenters, kegs, bottles and beer lines.