Jay's Brewing Blog

I love milk stouts. Seriously, I have a milk stout recipe for just about every occasion. Mint Chocolate, Chai, S’mores, I’ve got one for each season. The smooth, soft mouthfeel coupled with an assortment of roasted flavors, it’s this stout lover’s dream. You should see the look of horror when I offer a milk stout […]

I’ve always held the belief that a good measure of your ability to brew is to brew another brewer’s recipe, and get it as close as possible. I think the best way to do that is by cloning a popular commercial example that you have access too. There are a lot of intangibles outside of […]

This week’s Jay’s Brewing spotlight is Weyermann German Pilsner Malt. This lager based malt is produced from high quality 2-row spring barley and was originally produced in the world renowned Bürger-Brauerei, or what is now called Pilsner Urquell, located in the Czech Republic. Concerning color and flavor, this malt is capable of producing a pale […]

This week’s spotlight is Rahr 6-row malt. 6-row is considered to be an older, more traditional type of barley. This malt is made from a blend of American 6-Row barley varieties. 6-Row malt has a unique flavor and, in many cases, is used as a base for specialty beers. An interesting note about 6-row is […]

Rounding off our 3-part series on Smoked malts, we take a look at Simpson’s Peated Malt. As the name suggests, Simpson Malting Company uses peat moss during it’s smoking process to produce this malts distinct characteristics. The flavor and aroma produced when using this malt is not unlike that of a heavy peat, Scotch whisky. […]

Briess Cherrywood Smoked-This grain is the second of our three-part series on smoked grains. Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt is a pale barley malt smoked with cherrywood. This grain has a unique flavor that is both smokey and subtle with a small amount of fruity afternotes. Cherrywood Smoked Malt is used to create a flavor that […]

Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt: This malt is the first in a series of three smoked malts regularly stocked at Jay’s. Crafted from German-grown spring barley, Beechwood smoked malt imparts a unique flavor and aroma desired in many Ales and Lagers; flavors can sometimes come across as notes of vanilla and honey. Beechwood smoked malt is […]

This week’s Jay’s Brewing Malt Spotlight is Simpson’s Aromatic Malt. This malt is a highly kilned, European malt. Using this malt produces strong malty flavored beers with a touch of raisin and honey. Less prominently, this malt can be used to provide sour-after notes. When combined with good carbonation, these flavors come together to produce […]

This week we are looking at Briess Chocolate Malt, a staple ingredient for dark beers. For starters, Chocolate Malt is a roasted malt made from 2-row barley. This malt adds a dark roasty sweetness, and a coffee-like aroma and flavor to any homebrew. Chocolate Malt has a wide range of uses and can really be […]

If you’ve walked through the beer section lately, you’ll notice that just about every brewery already has their pumpkin beer out. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed the boat… it’s not even fall yet! It seems, just like every other holiday favorite, these beers are coming out earlier and earlier. The good news for you is […]