This Habañero Hopper is an American IPA with Habañero created by brewer, Zack Kinney. In 2012, Kinney’s American IPA with Habañero recipe was awarded first place in the spice, herb, or vegetable beer category of Hudson Valley Homebrewers 22nd Annual Competition. Enjoy making your own batch of this Habañero Hopper for an IPA with the perfect balance of citrus and spice using the recipe below. 

When it comes to fermenting your beer you must choose between plastic buckets and glass carboys. Glass Carboys are easier to clean than plastic carboys or buckets. Another advantage to using glass carboys is the ability to see inside allowing you to observe the fermentation activity. The Hoppy Brewer carries 5 & 6-gallon glass carboys for your fermenting needs, learn how to start the fermentation process below.

Pitching the Yeast

If your rehydrated and proofed dry yeast is not showing signs of life (churning, foaming) after a half hour, discard it and use the backup yeast, repeating the re-hydration procedure.

1. Pitch (pour) the yeast into the fermenter, making sure to add it all. It is best for the yeast if they are the same temperature as the wort you will pitch them to, and it is best for the beer if wort temperature is the same as the fermentation temperature. For Ale yeasts, the fermentation temperature range is 65-75°F.

2. Put the fermenter lid in place and seal it. But don’t put the airlock in quite yet; we want to shake this up. Place a piece of clean plastic wrap over the hole in the lid and insert the stopper.

3. With the fermenter tightly sealed, place it on the floor and rock it back and forth for several minutes to churn it up. This mixes the yeast into the wort and provides more dissolved oxygen that the yeast need to grow. If any wort leaks out, wipe it off with a paper towel that is wet with your sanitizer solution. Place the sanitized airlock and rubber stopper in the lid. The airlock should be filled to the line with sanitizer solution. Many people use vodka or plain boiled water as alternatives. You want something that will not grow mold or contaminate the batch in case it inadvertently gets sucked inside the fermenter.

Primary Fermentation

Active fermentation should start within 12 hours. It may be longer for liquid yeasts because of lower cell counts, about 24 hours. (Although if you made an adequate starter, it should start every bit as fast as dry.) The airlock will bubble regularly. The fermentation activity can be vigorous or slow; either is fine. The three important factors for a successful fermentation are pitching enough yeast, good wort nutrients, and maintaining a consistent temperature in the correct range. If you do these right, it is common for an ale’s primary fermentation to be done in 48 hours. Three days at 65-70¡F for primary fermentation is typical for the simple pale ale being described here. Once the bubbling slows down however, do not open the lid to peek. The beer is still susceptible to bacterial infections, particularly anaerobic ones like pediococcus, and lactobacillus, which is found in your mouth. If you really want to look, peek in through the airlock hole, but keep the lid on.

Before you start fermenting your homebrew visit The Hoppy Brewer in Gresham to get your: Glass Carboys

SRC: Learn more about fermenting your homebrew at: http://howtobrew.com/book/section-1/fermenting-your-first-beer/conducting-the-fermentation

Kevin and Tom Walters were taught the art of home brewing from their father, Jim Walters. In 2012, the Walters family founded the Backwoods Brewing Company in Carson, WA. Since then Backwoods Brewing has rapidly grown, first serving their pub from a small one-barrel system, then a 7-barrel system, and now they’re using a 20-barrel system. Join The Hoppy Brewer in a Backwoods Brewing tasting event on Thursday, July 14th, 2016.

OUR TEAM

Our team of  brewer’s and staff consists of all local family and friends.The cornestone for our success is founded here in the camaraderie of the Backwoods family. We embrace the idea of work and play as a team.

Carson is a logging town, but many jobs were lost when the industry slowed. As Backwoods Brewing grows, our goal is to provide more jobs and give back to our local community. Your support means EVERYTHING to us!

Stay updated on our live music, beer events, and home brewing club meetings by checking out The Hoppy Brewer Events Calendar.

SRC: Learn more about the Backwoods Brewing Company at: www.backwoodsbrewingcompany.com/#!page4/cfvg

Ken Grossman was taught the art of homebrew and fermentation at an early age. After opening a homebrew supply store, Ken and his fellow homebrewer, Paul Camusi began their brewing journey. In the 1970’s the hops available were not the best in quality, pushing Grossman to the source where he found whole cone hops. Since 1979, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been brewing with whole cone hops and has never looked back. Join The Hoppy Brewer in the Sierra Nevada tasting event on Thursday, July 7th, 2016.

Purest Ingredients

Put good in and good will come out. We believe that the best results are born from the best possible ingredients. We insist on the highest quality and freshest ingredients for every beer we brew, with an eye toward the environment, responsible farming and our agricultural future.

 

The Mikey Sunshine Berliner Weisse was awarded first place at the Homebrew Alley 6 competition for the sour ales category in 2012. This Berliner Weisse styled recipe was created by brewers Jonathan Moxey and Jason Rodriguez. If you’re looking for a fruity, tart and highly effervescent beer you’ll enjoy this Mikey Sunshine Berliner Weisse brew on any hot summer day!

At the Hoppy Brewer, we offer a variety of kegs. Keep us in mind next time you plan to a party or event and are looking to order a keg. Review these tips, tricks, and rules to get the most out of your next keg!

Keg Tips, Tricks, and Rules to Remember

Keep it Calm

After any sort of transport or travel, give your keg some time to settle down. If you don’t, you’re likely to experience excessive foaming at tapping time. Remember that the beer inside of a keg is carbonated, so moving or shaking it will cause it to foam – just like a can of beer or soda. We recommend that you let your keg sit for an hour or so after transport.

Keep it Cold

Keg beer is unpasteurized, so it has to stay cold to stay good. As a general rule, think of keg beer as you think of milk: it needs to be refrigerated at all times. Keep your kegs between 34 – 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your beer will remain fresh and delicious.

Keep it Fresh

The beer inside a keg will retain its full flavor about 30 – 45 days after tapping. It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact amount of time, as a keg’s “shelf-life” is dependent on storage conditions and the brand/style of the beer. Generally, hoppy beers and those with a higher alcohol content will last longer because the hops and alcohol act as preservatives, inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

Keep it Clean

When beer does go bad quickly, it’s almost always one (or both) of two culprits: oxygen and/or bacteria.  Unfortunately, bacteria will eventually spoil unpasteurized keg beer – even when the keg is kept in the perfect storage conditions.

Modern scientists have discovered that the only way to beat the bacteria is to drink all of the beer in your keg, before the bacteria has a chance to ruin it – usually in that 30 – 45 day range.  Should you require critical consumption assistance, KegWorks research has found that good friends are usually willing to help.

The other culprit, oxygen, is particularly harmful to kegs tapped with a hand pump. A hand pump forces air (containing oxygen) into the keg, which in turn, forces the beer out. This is good. However, as soon as the oxygen is introduced in the keg, it causes the chemical reaction called oxidation.

Oxidation will cause the beer inside of a keg to go flat and acquire a sort of sour taste. Thus, a keg tapped with a hand pump should be consumed within 24 hours. Thankfully, neither of these processes render beer harmful to humans, but they do make it undrinkable.

Call The Hoppy Brewer at 503.328.8474 to order a keg today.

SRC: Click to learn more about How Kegs Work.

Loowit has won a silver medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup for their Grimlock Rye Porter in the Rye Beer category! The most prestigious beer compeition in the world, The World Beer Cup held their famous craft berewers conference at the Philadelphia Convention Center in May, 2016. Loowit’s Grimlock is an American Porter brewed with both dark and rye malts to create a unique and refeshing porter. Join The Hoppy Brewer in a Loowit beer tasting event on Thursday, June 30th, 2016.

Loowit Brewing is an award winning microbrewery and tasting room located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, WA just a stones throw from the mighty Columbia River. We are conveniently located across the street from the Vancouver Hilton Hotel, Conference Center, lovely Esther Short Park and feature easy access to the waterfront walking trail along the Columbia River. Our tap room features a selection of our beer offerings, non-alcoholic drink options, bar snacks, free play arcade games, steel tip dart boards and live music every night. Not sure what to drink? Let our friendly staff make a recommendation or try a sampler tray!

Established in 2012 by Vancouver residents Devon Bray and Thomas Poffenroth, Loowit Brewing Company is the latest significant addition to underpin a revitalized downtown Vancouver, Washington. Loowit specializes in brewing approachable, well-balanced ales. These hand crafted ales are thoughtfully developed with our own unique Pacific Northwest flair that showcases our individual tastes. We believe it’s all or nothing when developing a new beer and do not cut corners to cut costs or flavor. The quality and integrity of the beer is paramount.

Stay updated on our live music, beer events, and home brewing club meetings by checking out The Hoppy Brewer Events Calendar.

SRC: Learn more about the Loowit Brewing Company at: www.loowitbrewing.com/about-us-2/

Brew your own beer at home with ease by using a homebrew kit. Brewcraft USA has joined forces with the Boneyard Beer company to create a clone kit of their RPM IPA just for you to brew. This Boneyard home brew kit comes with everything you need to make 5 gallons of this unique and refreshing IPA. If you’re a beginner in the homebrew scene this kit will provide everything you’ll need to get started.

Boneyard IPA Home Brew Kit

While visiting Spokane, Washington you’ll want to check out the Spokane Lilac Festival, Spokane Falls, and the No-Li Brewhouse! No-Li brews innovative beers while utilizing local ingredients so it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that they’ve won sixteen international awards. Spokane’s No-Li Brewhouse won a gold medal at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival and was awarded Brewery of the Year in 2015. Come by the Hoppy Brewer Thursday June, 23rd from 6pm-8pm to taste beers from the No-Li Brewhouse!

About

With a focus on local ingredients, innovation, quality and creativity, No-­Li has been proudly brewing award-­winning beer in the heart of the Inland Northwest since 2012.

At No-­Li Brewhouse, we strive to always be better. And it is our passion, experiences, and support from those in the Spokane community that continually improve who we are. We take great pride in our product, our staff, and our city. Spokane Style.

Stay updated on our live music, beer events, and home brewing club meetings by checking out The Hoppy Brewer Events Calendar.

SRC: Learn more about Ecliptic Brewing at: www.nolibrewhouse.com/about