Category Archives: Food and drink

Breaking the Sugar Habit with Kräusening

Posted on April 12, 2016 by alex

The German beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot, allows for four basic ingredients: water, hops, malt, and yeast. It’s a fine tradition, although we’re happy to make exceptions for oatmeal stout, Belgian styles, and fruit beers, to name a few. Still, … Continue reading →

Posted in beer | Leave a comment

What is Beer Haze and How Can You Fix It?

Posted on April 10, 2016 by alex

What are Polyphenols? Polyphenols are a group of flavor-contributing compounds introduced from grain and hops. They contribute flavor, astringency, perception of bitterness, haze, oxidative effects, and antioxidative effects. Like a model built from LEGO®* blocks, polyphenols are made up of smaller … Continue reading →

Posted in beer | Tagged , | Leave a comment

7 Old Wives’ Tales About Cooking Steak That Need To Go Away

Posted on April 4, 2016 by alex

For the record, pretty much all of these tips apply to pan-seared steaks and roasts as well. MYTH #1: “YOU SHOULD LET A THICK STEAK REST AT ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE YOU COOK IT.” The Theory: You want your meat to … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and drink | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Food Lab: Great Hummus and the Science of Smooth

Posted on March 16, 2016 by alex

GET RECIPE: Israeli-Style Extra-Smooth Hummus Sometimes recipes come off really easily without a hitch. Other times they take lots of tweaking and planning. This is a rare case of a recipe that came out relatively easily, but was full of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and drink | Tagged | Leave a comment

Israeli-Style Extra-Smooth Hummus

Posted on March 16, 2016 by alex

I love hummus, especially the Israeli version made with tons of tahini and a touch of cumin, but it’s hard to find a perfect batch. Store-bought hummus typically has a great, ultra-smooth and -creamy texture, but it lacks flavor and … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and drink, Recipes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

What is the Function of Boiling Wort?

Posted on February 18, 2016 by alex

Many homebrewers who are new to all grain brewing ask us if it’s possible to reduce the time spent on their brew day by cutting down the amount of time they spend boiling their wort, Often their thinking is along … Continue reading →

Posted in beer | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Sulfate to Chloride Ratio and Beer Bitterness

Posted on February 11, 2016 by alex

This week I look at the Sulfate to Chloride ratio and how it can have a significant impact on the perceived bitterness of your beer. In fact, it is probably second only to mash pH when we discuss the flavor … Continue reading →

Posted in beer | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mash Temperature Adjustment for Home Brewing

Posted on January 15, 2016 by alex

Even the best brewers occasionally miss their target mash temperature. Whether its due to a calculation error, water temperatures being off or perhaps just a cold mash tun it eventually happens to us all. So today I’m going to cover … Continue reading →

Posted in beer | Leave a comment

The Tsar’s Kvass

Posted on January 6, 2016 by alex

Kvass is an ancient Russian beverage that has been around for much of the country’s history. The style ferments bread or flour along with other locally available ingredients to create a low-alcohol, bready ale with a hint of tartness from … Continue reading →

Posted in beer, Recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

In Defence of Food

Posted on January 3, 2016 by alex
Posted in Food and drink, Health and wellness | Tagged , , | Leave a comment