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Prague: a Jewel in the Crown of Beer Culture


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Written by Franz Hofer for A Tempest in a Tankard

Prague is justly famous for its Old Town Square, its Castle District dominated by St. Vitus Cathedral, and the Charles Bridge, majestic despite the throngs of tourists. Beyond that, Prague is famous for the Defenestration of Prague. (Defenestration: now there’s a fine word for you.) Legend has it that the ignominiously defenestrated Catholic Lords Regent survived the 21-meter fall by landing in a dung heap.

Prague is also famous for its beer.

Want to read more? Please click… HERE!

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The Little Beer That Could


Just how many curveballs can you throw at a brew and still make an award winning beer? Today we find out as we talk with IGOR Eric Pierce and explore all the craziness around his 2018 Sam Adams Longshot winning Grisette. Sit back and learn how a beer can come together!

Want to Listen? Please click… HERE!

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A Beer Judge’s Diary: A Judging Question

By Ken Carman
By Ken Carman
 My apologies to the good people at this competition. Like most competitions they do a great job with what they’re handed year after year: conditions change, locations have to change, as Dave Houseman once told me, “You do what you have to do.”
 I decided not to do an article directly on the competition because I was part of only two flights, two people, one day. But more important there was another story I need to tell; a story that required a certain amount of anonymity.
 I won’t tell you the name of the competition, where it was, when it was and only two names… and just first names. I’d appreciate some answers: like what else I could have done, or most important comments regarding how I handled it.
 First flight: very early afternoon, was Malty German Lagers. I was very happy: I judged with Dawn and she left enthused. She left interested in pursuing judging.  Success!
Continue reading “A Beer Judge’s Diary: A Judging Question”

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Episode 76 – Having an Old Night Cap

So much stuff in this episode! One of our own wins big! Water! Hop Contest (Challenge us!) Australia! News! Lab Experiment! And listener Ralph Rice sent us his Altbier made with Mecca Grade Malts, so we sat down, tasted it and asked him questions! So sit back, grab a night cap and let’s go!

Want to listen? Please click HERE!

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A Beer Judge’s Diary: OFBB 2018

Apologies: my camera messed up in my phone and then the new system ay the library in Old Forge wouldn’t let me download pictures. The following is all I have

By Ken Carman
By Ken Carman
 Old Forge BIG Beer and Odd Ale is a competition Millie and I started, and have supported, since 2014. That makes this year our fifth anniversary. We are also supported by Saranac Brewing in Utica who always does a great job with judge gifts. Thanks Fred Matt and Cara!
 This year we had a smallest number of entries
Brian Josephson
since 14. We only had about 24 or 25 that year. This year we had 29. We shifted it into September and found ourselves in competing with too many other competitions and events. Next year that will change. Continue reading “A Beer Judge’s Diary: OFBB 2018”

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The NW Icons: Part Two – The Rogue Brewing Nation

By Stephen Body
True Story: In the spring of 1992, my actress girlfriend and I, having worked at all the theaters we could reasonably travel to in the Southeast from our home in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, decided to take her sister and brother-in-law up on their kind offer (translation: “constant badgering”) of a temporary place to bunk in if we would move all the way across America to Bainbridge Island, Washington, just across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle. We had pets and two kids and a Toyota Camry and waaaay too much Stuff, so we hitched the car to a 28′ Ryder truck and set off across the map, as she was working at a theater in Mississippi and wouldn’t be able to join us until September.

Want to read more? Please click…HERE!

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How “Dry Hop Creep” Causes Diacetyl In Beer and How Brewers Can Minimize The Risk

Steve 'Hendo' Henderson

Have you ever wondered why your perfectly good, diacetyl free IPA left your brewery in a good state only to find that it picked up diacetyl some time later?

In this article, I’m going to break down what may be happening in your beer.

Each month, Rockstar Brewer Academy members get together online for our Mastermind webinar where we discuss pertinent topics of the day.  They’re pretty awesome!

In August 2018, we discussed “Dry Hop Creep”, a phenomenon brought to my attention during Brewcon 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

Want to read more? Please click… HERE!