Home Brew Rock Stars Podcast

“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.” ― Terence McKenna Greetings and welcome to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 85 “Trippin on Bicycle Day”.  In this episode we talk about Bicycle Day and we don't mean the celebration of the two wheeled, pedal driven device although there is a bicycle involved. We are discussing the discovery by Swiss scientist Dr. Albert Hoffman of the effects of Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD as it is more commonly known as, on the human body. Here is a hilarious clip from the movie Wanderlust to get ya in the right frame of mind. There are many forms of psychedelics such as LSD, Psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy) and DMT to name a few. In the last decade these mind-altering drugs have come out of the shadowy underground world into the mainstream as possibly valid tools to help with depression, addictions (including nicotine and alcoholism) and overall better mental health as an alternative to the chemical compounds traditionally used that have undesirable side effects. Code writers from the Silcon Valley use a method known as ‘micro dosing' to help them focus.  As we journey through out trippy episode, we list some bicycle inspired beers and sampled some fine beers. On the tasting table we have a homebrew from Sears he calls ‘Old Skool IPA' a traditional American IPA generously dosed with Falconers Flight hops with a 6.5% ABV. We also have a non-alcoholic IPA with 5mg of THC from our friends at CERIA Brewing. Kent brought a ridiculously good Bavarian Lager called Zwickle from  Urban Chestnut Brewing Co of St. Louis, MO. If you in the St. Louis area stop in to their Bierhall in The Grove District, you will not be disappointed! We rounded out with a White Stout from an area brewery named G-5 Brewing Co of Beloit WI. A different but tasty brew that has granola, toasted coconut and vanilla. It reminded us of a hiking trip except it has a 7% ABV that would not be conducive to walking the trails!     If any of you listeners have a home brew you want to have the guys sample on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. As always, we are thankful for our sponsors who we are glad to see still rocking it! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition, looks awesome guys! Also stop in and see our good friends at Urban Forest Brewing and try the fine libations Alex and Heath proudly pour…YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! Want to get some of Chicago area's finest craft beer without the travel into the Windy City? Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something!  Prost! #drinkitup

“Sativa to change the things I can, Indica to accept the things I can't.”- Bob Marley   Greetings and welcome to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 84 “Hazy History of 420”. In this episode we visit the origins of '420'. There are many versions, but we have the real deal detailng some Cali teenagers in search of free weed unbeknown to them that they would carve out a piece of modern folklore and an unofficial holiday. In fact, Lagunitas Brewing Co. brews a seasonal beer artfully named The Waldos, commemorating those crazy teens. The guys also talk about a list titled ‘9 Beers with a 420 Twiist' So, grab a beer, roll one up if you wish and settle in for some fun history that they never taught you in school. This is an appropriate time to queue up some Sublime and Cheech & Chong before ya ‘hit' the podcast.  We sampled some beverages during our fact-finding venture. Starting off with an offering from a local brewery named Prairie St Brewing Co. aptly name Prairie St IPA. This is a 68 IBU / 6.4% ABV easy drinker with floral, grapefruit and pine notes. The hops are locally sourced from Live Wire Hops in Amboy, IL. Nice job gents! Sears brought his Belgian Wit with a Kick, which is generously dosed with THC tincture. Brent found a CBD beverage from Hi-Lo Cannabis of Chicago IL. A light, sugar free cherry-lime caffeinated drink with CBD that we all though was very tasty and refreshing. Great for a warm summer afternoon. There was a canned non-alchol Black Coffee drink from Marz Brewing Community to keep our energy up.  If any of you listeners have a home brew you want to have the guys sample on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. As always we are thankful for our sponsors who we are glad to see still rocking it! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition, looks awesome guys! Also stop in and see our good friends at Urban Forest Brewing and try the fine libations Alex and Heath proudly pour… YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! Want to get some of Chicago area's finest craft beer without the travel into the Windy City? Or seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

Happy St. Patrick's Day, or is that St. Paddy's Day? Either way, when it comes to beer and brewing, perhaps the real Saint we should be admiring could very well be St. Brigid (more on that in this episode). Speaking of episodes, we start this shindig off by tasting some excellent Irish/St. Paddy's themed beers and then give it a lash to discuss the history of the Irish Pub, learning about Ireland's patron saints, Publicans, Barmen, Alewives, Spirit Grocers, SheBeens, Patrick Cavanaugh and Brendan Behan “dog days to drink” legend, and the lot that brought us into the era of the Public Houses we so fondly adore and frequently adjourn to. As for theater on the table, we start with Mike's home brewed Red Ale, a tasty, roasty, clean, easy drinker, if there ever was one ;) that finished off fast (1.5 weeks) at 4.5 ABV. We also sip on Urban Forest Landmire Spring, a zest black IPA that warms the soul. Then on to more traditional fermentations from Smithwick Red Ale (the most consumed ale in Ireland…ever!) and Guinness Extra Stout, a beer that some have called the perfect balance of bitter and sweet, smooth and dry with a yummy creamy head, first brewed in 1821. Happy listening…we're off to the pub! While we'll miss out on the ultimate Irish authenticity on this March 17, we have a nice selection of traditional ale houses to drink until we're gilded green with envy.  Special shout out to our sponsors, especially the boys at Pig Minds Brewing who are always brewing for perfection! If you're seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift, then stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. And of course, the aforementioned Urban Forest, hard at work making awesome moments for your taste buds. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup     00000097 00000097 00007424 00007424 0011EA87 0011EA87 00007E86 00007E86 00023E49 00023E49

“Did they get you to trade, Your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? Did you exchange, A walk-on part in the war, For a leading role in a cage?”  Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd  Greetings and welcome to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 81 “Wish You Were Beer”. In this installment we have our old friend and past Forest City Brewers President, Joe Mongan call in. Joe is now a resident of Gator Country a.k.a. Florida. Since packing it up and leaving the state of Illinois (lucky SOB) Joe has been busy! He has set up his home brewery, formed a home brew club in the retirement community, The Villages and had his almost famous F-Bomb IPA brewed at one of the area breweries… Whew, he's been busy.  While visiting with Joe we sampled some fine beer. From one of our sponsors, Urban Forest we quaffed a chocolate porter named Sock Monkey which is nod to the stuffed toy originating in Rockford IL . A tasty roasty and chocolaty brew with a 6.4% ABV, well done Alex and Heath! We then turned our tastebuds to a brew that we talked about on Episode-77 Why Dr. Villa Brews with Cannabis. This was the Belgian Wit named Grainwave, an alcohol-free beer with 5mg of THC from CERIA Brewing. Nice job Keith! If any of you listeners have a home you want to have the guys sample on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. As always we are thankful for our sponsors who we are glad to see still hanging tough in these trying times of ever changing ‘rules', mandates and general bullshit. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup   000000C2 000000C2 00005D0D 00005D0D 002B45DB 002B45DB 00007E86 00007E86 000EE697 000EE697

“Still don't know what I was waitin' for, and my time was runnin' wild. A million dead end streets. And every time I thought I'd got it made, It seemed the taste was not so sweet” – Changes / David Bowie  An appropriate line for this show from one of my favorite artists, Ziggy Stardust A.K.A. David Bowie. Welcome to Episode 80 – What Will Be - 2022 Beer Trends, where we talk about and forecast he year ahead in the craft beer world. We also have one of our favorite guests sitting in with us, Cory Kuczynsk, to help us kick off a new year of podcasts! So, what do you, our beloved listeners, think will be the biggest beer trends in 2022? We found some obvious predictions and some surprising ones. Cleaner and simpler beer should one popular thread that Wii be riding the coat tails of hard seltzers, low alcohol and lager beers. We may have seen the run of hazy IPAs begin to fizzle and the demand for sour beers looks to be coming back for another gig. For some of the surprising trends we found… Smoothie and rosé beers should have a bigger presence along with fresh hop beers. Craft malts or Branded malt beverages get a nod as craft brewers are trying to separate themselves from the brands acquired and made by the mega breweries. The smaller breweries are also trending to what is known as ‘no style' beers as they try to make their own mark among the mega brewery dominance. The resurrection of the taproom concept is a trend that we find appealing. There is nothing better than sipping some fine fresh local beer in a beer garden on a nice day or inside the taproom on a cold winter night. Hell anytime is a good time to be drinking good beer, especially local…or home brew…HAH! And speaking of sipping some fine beer we had the following beers to sample. From one of our sponsors Pig Minds Brewing  we had the always delicious IPA, Sweep the Leg. As for home brews Kent brought in a Kölsch style that was a good representation. Sears brought a holiday spice beer that is a clone of Boston Beer Co  Old Fezziwig Ale  a style he loved during the holidays but is now difficult to find so he took a stab at it. Sears also brought a Belgian Wit that is infused with THC. A tasty beer with an additional ‘kick' inspired by our Episode 77 podcast  with Dr Keith Villa of CERIA Brewing. Speaking of home brews if you want to have the guys sample your beer on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. As always we are thankful for our sponsors who we are glad to see hanging tough in these trying times of ever changing ‘rules'. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.” – Frank Costanza Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars episode 79 - Beer Festivus for the Rest of Us! In this podcast we unabashedly borrow from the Seinfeld episode where George and his father celebrate an alternative holiday, Festivus. So grab a couple of beers, prepare a Festivus dinner (meatloaf on a bed of lettuce is key to stay true to the holiday), get a Festivus pole, air your grievances and join in the feats of strength then settle in for the show. HAH!! On this episode we have the pleasure of having Scott Walker (no, no not the former Governor of Wisconsin) sit in with us. Scott is the current Vice President of the Forest City Brewers of Rockford, IL. He discusses with us planning, prepping, setting up and tearing down for a beer festival. There is plenty of home brew beer to sample. Scott brought a delicious Amber ale @ 6% ABV using Bravo and East Kent Golding hops. He also shared a New England style IPA that has a 6.2% ABV using Citra, Strata and Azacca hops. Both were great beers! Kent brought his first attempt at an Oktoberfest with a modest 5.4% ABV, golden orange in color and a good malt flavor, very tasty. Kent also made a 5.5% ABV IPA using strictly Loral hops which offered a unique combination of floral, citusy and peppery notes. A very enjoyable session IPA, nice job Kent! Sears went with the high octane and brought a 12% ABV cherry cyser. Cysers are fermented from honey and apple cider then aged to smooth out the flavor. This one was back sweetened and sour cherry puree added for flavor. A sneaky drink that will “grab ya by the Boo Boo” (nod to Cheech and Chong) as the alcohol is well hidden.   We also tried Pig Minds Brewing Totally Caked is a pastry style stout at 11% ABV using coco nibs, vanilla and marshmallow. This was a very good beer even for those of you that are not pastry beer fans. If you have not figured it out WE LOVE BEER and if you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great suggestions. Looking to jump into indoor gardening? Stop in to 815 Gardens  Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

Festivals are happy places, and you don't really want to enjoy them on your own.– Christine and the Queens Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars Episode 78. Festivals are back…oh yea! In this episode we bring back our longtime friend and cofounder of Rockford IL Screw City Beer Festival Aaron Sleeger to talk about the 2021 Screw City Beer Festival coming back after being shit canned due to the COVID mandates of 2020. Aaron is the ideal person to organize a craft beer festival. He is a graduate of Ray Daniels Cicerone Certification Program , resident beer guy at our sponsor Artale & Co and a genuinely great dude that has his finger on the pulse of the Chicago and Illinois area craft beer scene.  The guys and Aaron talk about the upcoming Screw City event (is this the 10th or 11th annual?), the cancelling of the 2020 event, temporary changes to this year's festival, who's the new breweries coming in and the old favorites that will be back and the anxiety of who was making the cut. We sampled some beers from breweries that will be at the festival this year. They are in no particular order…  2nd Shift Brewery's   Liquid Spiritual Delight  - This is a hearty 11.5% Imperial Stout with great flavor and enough body that I think you can chew it Pig Minds Brewing Cherried Enough – also an Imperial Stout (10% ABV) except this one has cherries in it. Plenty of chocolate and cherry to remind us of a chocolate covered cherry candy… Nummy! Spiteful Brewing Co  G.F.Y. Coffe Stout – Another dark one that has some great coffee flavor that is not overbearing and a respectable but sneaky 8% ABV. So grab a couple of beers, settle in and check out the show! And if you are one of the lucky ones that scored tickets to this year's Screw City Festival stop by the Forest City Brewers  tent and say ‘High'. Sears will have a beer on tap there named Tangerine Dream.  If you have not figured it out WE LOVE BEER and if you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great suggestions. Looking to jump into indoor gardening? Stop in to 815 Gardens  Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

“Put a lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together; Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better; Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both down; Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning” Put the Lime in the Coconut  This popular novelty song from the 1972 album Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson finds a girl in tummy trouble after drinking a concoction of lime and coconut. She calls her exasperated doctor in the middle of the night, who suggests she take a little of the hair of the dog that bit her. Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars Episode 77 and although we are not putting limes in coconuts we are putting orange slices in Belgian White beer and THC & CBD's in beer and that sounds like much more fun! In this episode we have the privilege and honor of having Dr. Keith Villa call in to our show. Keith has a Ph.D. in brewing science and fermentation biochemistry. If the name is not familiar to you it should as Keith was the brew master that brought Blue Moon beer to the masses. After 32 years as brewer at MillerCoors (now named Molson Coors) Keith retired in 2018. Not long after his retirement he and his wife Jodi co-founded CERIA Brewing Co. to fulfill their dream of creating THC/CBD infused beers. Keith is an interesting guy that loves to talk about beer. The Home Brew Rock Stars crew enjoyed visiting with Keith about his journey into brewing, his time at MillerCoors and his new venture with Ceria Brewing Co. CERIA's claim to fame is infusing THC and CBD's into great tasting no alcohol beer. No alcohol beer is absolutely necessary to infuse THC into it as federal law still recognizes cannabis as a schedule 1 drug, unlike the 18 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized recreational use. I know, I know, great tasting no alcohol beer? But yes Keith has a proprietary technique that removes all the alcohol but still has great taste. Come on man ya gotta trust the guy that brought us Blue Moon. He also tells us how to make any homebrew a great tasting low alcohol (0.5% ABV) beer. Check out Keith's brand new book titled Brewing With Cannabis: Using THC and CBD in Beer, he shares great tips on brewing beer, low alcohol beer, growing cannabis and more.  If you have not figured it out WE LOVE BEER and if you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great suggestions. After you finish reading Dr. Villa's book we're sure you want to start your own cannabis garden and when you are ready stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine. Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind. Summer breeze makes me feel fine. Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind. – Summer Breeze/Seals & Croft  What a great song! It's one of those that take me back to my teen years, not a care in the world. Long hair, cruising around town, throwing the Frisbee, getting high and a kegger party every weekend. Just like the 1993 movie Dazed & Confused. Oh those days of misspent youth… I really dig the warm summer breeze on a summer evening. I spend most of the summer nights on my deck enjoying the weather usually listening to Pat Hughes calling the Cubs games; it's my living room in the summer! Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars Episode 76 we are calling ‘Let's Play Beer!' The gang's back to continue on our roundtable conversations, ball busting, and drinking beer. We are including a new format we will be using occasionally with Pete Domino and Jason Sears (to avoid confusion will refer to Mike as Sears the Elder and Jason as Sears the Sune) to sit in with us in round table fashion (actually it's a pool table with maroon felt). We just discuss what's on our minds based on summer and of course beer! Sears the Elder brought his Special Bitter a 4.5% ABV easy drinker brewed with marris otter, munich and crystal 60 grain and a combination of fuggle and cascade hops. Sears the Sune and Pete brought their Blood Orange Gueuze. A delicious kettle soured beer using hallertau mittelfruh hops and fermented with London Ale III 1318 yeast complimented by the blood orange, perfect summer sipper at 4.5% ABV. If you have not figured it out WE LOVE BEER and if you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great suggestions. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

“Summer nights and my radio. Well that's all we need, baby, don'tcha know? We celebrate when the gang's all here. Ah, hot summer nights, that's my time of the year.” Summer Nights/ Van Halen- 5150 I don't know about you listeners but for me summer is the best season of the year! Cookouts, drinks with friends on warm summer nights under the stars, watching a thunderstorm light display on the canvas of a dark summer sky, listening to a ballgame, outdoor music events, and beer…oh my.   Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 75 we are calling ‘Let's Play Beer!' And the gang's all here. On this episode we are introducing a new format and invited Pete Domino and Jason Sears (to avoid confusion will refer to them as Sears the Elder and Sears the Sune) to sit in with us in round table fashion (actually it's a pool table with maroon felt). We just discuss what's on our minds based on summer and of course beer!   Sears the Sune and Pete brought their IPA featuring Zythos hops. This is a sneaky 7.5% ABV that gives no clue to its strength, we agreed the next one could use a bit more Zythos to give it a bit more hop punch but a fine beer as it is. Watch out drinking this one in the summer heat! Kent brought an IPA as well. This one features Sorachi Ace, Simcoe and Citra fermented with Omega's West Coast yeast. This has a great hop aroma and flavor. Kent was not sure of the ABV, a well done IPA.  If you have not figured it out WE LOVE BEER and if you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. There is a spirited discussion on the proper order to build a burger, MLB ballparks rated for their craft beer selection and a story about Colonial beer in 1776. We also talked about what music we've been listening to lately.  Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great suggestions. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup    

“Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck” – George Carlin Hello everybody! Welcome to episode 74 this is part 2 of 2 ‘Beer questions and a hangover’. Things get a bit boozier in this episode as the guys seem to be having a very good time. Believe me they did! The discussion swerves all over the road talking about round numbers, late season winter weather, speed limits and bugs in your grain. See if you can follow along, we dare ya. It may help to be intoxicated too, ha ha! The guys pulled more questions from our ‘listeners’ and gave their responses. Some questions are funny others have philosophical roots but the answers were totally spontaneous. Let’s keep the pressure on those who are supposedly ‘in charge’ and ‘the experts’ to stop the madness and worshipping at the altar of the mask and open our cities, counties and states to freedom once more! In case you forgot America is a free country. The guys sampled Sears' Irish Red home brew; A smooth and malty beer with a 5% ABV. Kent brought an Amber Ale, a very good example of the style and very similar to a Fat Tire with an ABV of 5.6%, nice job gents! The crew sampled a very interesting beer from Cheese Head Brewing of Beloit WI. It is a 6.8 ABV mango habanero IPA conveniently named Pick-A-Pepper Mango Habanero IPA. The mango complimented the habanero flavor with a touch of heat and crisp fruity hop bitterness. Well done, can we have another? They also sampled a stout Brent brought in from O’Fallon Brewery located in Maryland Heights MO a suburb of St. Louis MO. This beer is named Dad’s Oatmeal Cookie Stout; this 5.9% ABV stout is reminiscent of an oatmeal cookie in a glass. Cheers. And by the way if you want to have the guys sample your beer on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. We would be remiss if we did not mention our sponsors. Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Brent’s band Mana Kintorso is booked to play at Pig Minds in early June. The band has been writing a lot of new material while they been off the live circuit. Grab your partner and friends and Go check em out!!    Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help.Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. ;) As always, we appreciate if you please be sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” – Alan Dundes Hello everybody! Welcome to episode 73 (can’t believe we have not been ‘cancelled’ yet) this is part 1 of 2 we call ‘Beer questions and a hangover’. The guys pulled questions from our ‘listeners’ and gave their responses. Some questions are funny others have philosophical roots but the answers were totally spontaneous. By the way some of you have some interesting names, just listen you will get what we mean. How about a big shout to the states that are opening up or have never shut down. By “Opening up” is to those places that are letting their citizens decide how they want to live their day to day lives with no more restrictions. The guys sampled a home brew that Kent brought, it was a nice White IPA. As well as Kent can remember it has 50% wheat and was fermented with the Omega Chico yeast. We also tried an excellent beer from Rock County Brewing (big hello to our friend John Rocco) called Car Bomb Stout a 5.5% ABV flavor bomb. Great job! And by the way if you want to have the guys sample your beer on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. A big hello to our sponsors who we are glad to see are still hanging tough in these trying times of ever changing ‘rules’. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help.Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“Malt is the soul of a beer, hops are the personality and yeast is the heart” - Unknown Welcome! This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 72 which is part 2 of our conversation with Omega Yeast. In this episode we continue with Lance Shaner of Omega Yeast and his path to opening Omega Yeast. Lance is the co-owner of Omega Yeast headquartered in Chicago, IL. Lance, as we found out throughout our interview is a funny guy and we enjoyed talking with him. We endorse and encourage you to try some of the great strains propagated by Omega Yeast. Before we get to Lance we would like to take a few minutes to remind everyone why we call our podcast ‘Home Brew Rockstars’. Home brewers are remarkably like young musicians aspiring to become rock stars, honing their craft in garages and basements until eventually some emerge as rock stars. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ‘n’ roll or brew. Prost to all of you and for those about to rock/brew WE SALUTE YOU!! The guys sampled some commercial beers that have been fermented with Omega Yeast. A big hello to our sponsors who we are glad to see are still hanging tough in these trying times. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. Brent, Kent, Lance and Sears talk about what they have been listening to lately. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“They say there is more to life than beer. Who is ‘they’ and why the hell would I trust them??” - Unknown “Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about” (remember the Wecome Back Kotter theme song?)This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 71 which is part 1 of 2 with Omega Yeast. In this episode we visit with Lance Shaner of Omega Yeast about his roots as a homebrewer. Lance is the co-owner of Omega Yeast headquartered in Chicago, IL. Chicago is a fitting location for a yeast propagation company based on the explosion of craft breweries recently in the metropolitan Chicago area. Is Omega’s presence a contributing factor to this growth or a coincidence? We’ll let you decide. The guys sampled a home brew provided by one of the Forest City Brewers members, Cory Kuczynski which is coincidentally a sour fermented with the OLY-211 strain from Omega. We damn near spit out our beer in laughter listening to Cory tell this hilarious story of how this beer was forgotten, started, forgotten, then forgotten again! After all of that it turned out to be a damn fine beer, Prost Cory! And by the way if you want to have the guys sample your beer on the show like we did with Cory’s give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. The guys also sampled some commercial beers that have been fermented with Omega Yeast! A big hello to our sponsors who we are glad to see are still hanging tough in these trying times of ever changing ‘rules’. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard-to-find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens, Bob will be happy to help.Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“Give a man a beer, waste an hour. Teach a man to brew and waste a lifetime!” – Bill Owen Welcome and glad to have you back! This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 70 part 2 - “Bring it on home-brewer” (Cue up the Led Zeppelin). In this episode we continue our conversation with Jon Lambert. Jon is the head brewer at Hairy Cow located in the town in Byron IL overlooking the scenic Rock River in Ogle Co. Hairy Cow just celebrated their 2nd anniversary! We discuss Jon’s home brewing roots and his journey to going pro and how much he misses home brewing. The guys share what they have been listening to lately during brew sessions. The guys brought some of the home brews to sip on they talked about in Episode 69. Brent’s dark hoppy ale he calls “Phunky Cold Medusa” is a tasty IPA featuring Medusa hops and a bold 7.2% ABV (all-grain). Kent brought his IPA (brewed on his Brewzilla system) which features some tasty Mandarina Bavaria hops, this has a respectable 6.5% ABV. Mike weighs in with his Christmas ale based on the Boston Beer Co’s Old Fezziwig featuring ginger, sweet orange peel, cinnamon & honey with an ABV of 5.7% (Grainfather). Good beers gents! And by the way if you want to have the guys sample your beer on the show give us a shout either via e-mail, our web site or Facebook. We would love the opportunity and get ya to call in and share with us, we promise we will be nice. We would be remiss if we did not mention our sponsors who we are glad to see are still hanging tough in these trying times. Keep up the good work! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. And don't forget to swing by Urban Forest for some of the most creative craft beers anywhere! Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“You can't share your magic with everyone. Your job is to live within your magic. And if other magical people find you, then let’s go and make a brew”. - Brian Tyree Henry Happy New Year and Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 69 part 1 - “Brewin till the cows come home”. It’s been a bit since our last show but we are all fired up for the 2021 year! The guys Brent, Kent & Mike discuss what they currently have on tap & on deck on the home front and in the Bat Cave, sounds like they have been busy! Sears also wonders if he has truly damaged his Hippocampus region… In this episode we chat with member on hiatus of the Forest City Brewers and now pro brewer Jon Lambert. Jon is the head brewer at Hairy Cow located in the town in Byron IL overlooking the scenic Rock River in Ogle Co. Hairy Cow just celebrated their 2nd anniversary! We discuss Jon and Hairy Cow’s journey through the hills and valleys of opening a brewpub/restaurant in a small community, their business plan adjustments along the way and Jon’s relationship with friend and business partners Todd McLester and Jim Orlando. Jon also touches on the local pro brewing community, local hops, Chicago area yeast producers Omega and distilleries that have their spirits proudly featured at the Hairy Cow full bar. The Hairy Cow is worth the drive down scenic route 2! Jon brought a couple of beers to enjoy during our visit. The first is Dos Dookies (fun name!) a milk stout with an ABV of 6.4% and IBU of 25. It is a rich and full-bodied beer with strong chocolate and hints of roast. A perfect beer for the cold mid-western nights, “Life is brewtiful”. The second beer we sampled is Hairy Cow’s anniversary beer aptly named Artdus II, a winter lager with an ABV of 7.2% and 30 IBU. A very drinkable spiced Christmas lager brewed with ginger, orange peel, cinnamon, and local Miz Bee Haven honey. This brew will guarantee to make the Christmas season last a bit longer! A big Happy New Year to our sponsors who we are glad to see are still hanging tough in these trying times. Keep up the good work gents! If you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. And don't forget to swing by Urban Forest for some of the most creative craft beers anywhere! Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup

“My playground is full of moonshine, mason jars, beer bottles, and bonfires”- Big Smo Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 68 “Be Still- Shinin’& Brewin” So here we are STILL in the thick of a “pandemic” with more threats of lockdowns, masks and God knows what else; so to help us keep our sanity amongst this madness we are moving to some stronger drink, good ol’ moonshine. The song by George Thorogood titled ‘I drink alone’ is more true than ever these days, Ha Ha! In this episode we chat with our home brew club’s Forest City Brewers new President Ron ‘Legend’ Derry about the upcoming challenges for home brew clubs n 2021. We then head to the New England territory and chat with Jon Zajac from The Distillery Network and talk about the business of manufacturing stills and ‘Saving the planet 1 still at a time’. His father, Steven manufactures larger size stills, check them out at Stillz. Along with making liquor a still is able to produce potable (purified) water from undrinkable water sources, Alcohol based antiseptics such as hand sanitizers, herbal based medicinal compounds and oils (marijuana based too) and ethanol to power internal combustion motors. It’s a ‘preppers’ dream! Jon shares with us his moonshine recipe using beer. You can check out his videos on YouTube . We sampled Brent’s IPA, a tasty 6.2% brew using Sabro hops, very tasty! Sears shared his hard cider fermented from cider he purchased from Curran's orchard this is a 6% cider that was back sweetened with 100% frozen apple concentrate. He also brought some moonshine made in the back country of South Carolina. Not sure the proof but it was very tasty and smooth for ‘white lightning’. We are glad to see our sponsors are still hanging tough in these trying times, big shout out to them! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing and check out the new addition that opened just recently, looks awesome guys! Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. And don't forget to swing by Urban Forest for some of the most creative craft beers anywhere! Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always, we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something! Prost! #drinkitup  

Q. How far can you walk into a forest?  A. Half way, then you start walking out. Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 67 “Not outa the woods yet”. This is part two of a two part episode where we revisit (has been almost 2 years?!) with the creators of Urban Forest, in this episode we delve further into brewing during a pandemic, brewing with weird hops, mixing beers (a.k.a. blending) and beer cocktail’s (and why they are on the menu at Urban Forest Craft Brewing) Sears shared his popular home brewed Robust Porter. This was a practice run for this recipe on his Grainfather which turned out very well with chocolate and coffee notes, a creamy mouthfeel and a not bashful 7% ABV, opening the door for the almost famous bacon porter which has been served at past Screw City Beer Fests & Great Lakes Brew Fest at Home Brew Island.  Kent also served a tasting of his Belgian session (Brewed on the Brewzilla sustem), a lighter sipper keen for a hot summer day and some brats off the grill! If you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands. Alex and Heath brewers/owners of Urban Forest brought a crowler of their Time & Materials for us to sample. This is a delicious and low gluten Oatmeal Stout based on Heath’s winning home brew version; Silky smooth from the oats, with layers of roast and chocolate with a sneaky 6.7% ABV. A very drinkable and enjoyable beer, well done! Look soon for a rum barrel aged with vanilla version in the works. We also talked about what music we’ve been listening to lately featuring a plethora of artists from James Brown to Courtney Marie Andrews. Alex shared a fin story about recording on a song with Iggy Pop for the Freddy Got Fingered soundtrack! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. In case you missed it… feedspot.com (updated on 8/21) has rated HomeBrew Rockstars podcasts as one of Top 10 Home Brewing Podcasts You Must Follow in 2020 We always knew this but hey it’s nice to get some confirmation. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US, or hate us, but do something already! Prost! #drinkitup   0000004E 0000004E 00006355 00006358 001A4997 001A4997 00007EC1 00007EE7 00121DF5 00121DF5

“The forest is not a resource for us, it is life itself. It is the only place for us to live.” –Evaristo Nugkuag Ikanan Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 66. Unlike our last episode (#65) where we recorded from Kent’s porch we are back in the Batcave… Home Sweet Home! This is part one of a two part episode where we revisit (has been almost 2 years?!) with the creators of Urban Forest Craft Brewing, but unlike last time, we’ll be discussing their long anticipated grand opening, AND...in thick of a pandemic. You just can’t make this stuff up. We sampled a VERY appropriate commercial beer from Ale Asylum of Madison WI called FVCK COVID 2.0. They get a wink of approval on this on as they incorporated the ‘V’ in COVID instead of a ‘U’ to get this through the federal label review process. A pleasant and sessionable (5% ABV) hazy IPA featuring Idaho 7, Ekuanot, and Trident hops. The brewery refers to it as a “Hazy American Pale Ale” and the flavor profile is described as being soft and bright. Brent shared with us his home brew Pale Ale creation featuring Amarillo hops as flavoring and aroma, a tasty treat as always. Alex and Heath brewers/owners of Urban Forest brought some crowlers of various beers for us to try, the first being a real nice pilsner named Glass Slipper at a very reasonable 4.8% ABV. This is a beer you can enjoy all afternoon or evening without getting blasted. We also played a game trying to guess which COVID beer names are ‘real’ or ‘fake’, as usual Sears did horrible (LOL!) Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys! And… it looks like HomeBrew Rockstars has secured an additional sponsor; listen for the announcement in the near future! Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Their outside seating in the beer garden is perfect for these late summer afternoons and evenings. Maybe you are seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. If you have a homebrew that you would like us to try and review on the podcast contact us and we will make arrangements to get it into our thirsty hands And as a reminder feedspot.com (updated on 8/21) has rated HomeBrew Rockstars podcasts as one of Top 10 Home Brewing Podcasts You Must Follow in 2020 We always knew this but hey it’s nice to get some confirmation. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

"You don’t need to be burned out to go on hiatus." This quote rings so true. Welcome back to HomeBrew Rockstars EPISODE – 65 were calling unGreatest Hiatus. This welcome back has a special meaning to us as we took almost 3 months off during the mandatory lockdown which we explain why in the podcast. We missed all of you! We hope you missed us! In this podcast (apologies for the skippy sound, it was windy!) we ease back into our podcast shenanigans and covering the world of homebrewing. Brent, Kent and Mike sip beers on Kent’s deck and talk about how we (and people we know) wrestled with the obstacles of COVID-19 rules and regulations and anything else that crosses our alcohol addled minds. Our sponsor Pig Minds Brewing, provided us with the always reliable and tasty Southy Bitch Slap; a 5.2% ABV American/Irish Red with caramel sweetness and a mild bitterness. A great summer eve sipper! Brent treated us to one of his homebrew creations he named Zappa Haze, an IPA using 6 row barley and the funky Zappa hops (just like their namesake). Very nice beer Brent. We tried an excellent beer from the newly opened Urban Forest named Got Rye. Officially named "Got Rye with a Little Help From Our Friends". This Red Ale/American Amber is a 5.4% ABV beer with crispy bitterness and a hint of citrus notes followed by a spicy dry finish from the rye. Another good beer from our friends Alex & Heath, Thanks guys! Sears brought his attempt at a Founders Brewing, Two Hearted clone. A pretty good rendition of this famous American IPA but needs a bit more hoppiness to be a bit closer to its commercial namesake, nevertheless a good beer featuring the popular and tasty Centennial hops. Kent offered up a beer one of his customers, David Westervelt, brewed along with a funny story about it. It is David’s first attempt at all-grain brewing and is a Cigar City Jai Alai clone. Jai Alai (pronounced HY – UH - LY) is an American  IPA from the Florida brewery that has quite the reputation and is a much sought after beer. Not bad for David’s first all-grain attempt. Looking forward to seeing some more beers from David, Nice job! Big thanks to our program sponsors Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, and 815 Gardens and Brewing for all their suds and support, we love you guys and hope to see you soon and glad you survived the great American lock down. We actually have been able to see Bob as he has been at full business mode since the lock down. Looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line? Try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift? Stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. When you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup

Yo! So how’s everybody doing? COVID-19 continues to change our routines and lifestyles as we are now facing mandatory ‘shutter in place’ and closings. Hopefully everybody has plenty of home brew and brewing supplies to ease their minds.  If you’re like us, you’re most likely filled up on coronavirus news reports and getting all streamed out on television, so why not change it up; pour a home brew, settle in and listen to Home Brew Rock Stars as we try to get through. In Part 2 of “Jazzin’ Up with Mr. Beer” we continue with David Benson talking about home brewing, Mr. Beer & other non-traditional types of brewing and his Jazz music recordings. David, Brent, Kent and Mike taste and review a home-brewed Tank #7 (Boulevard Brewing) clone brewed by David. A 7.7% farmhouse ale brewed in David’s Pico brew system. We also sampled an Imperial Rye Cream ale David made weighing in at a hefty 9% ABV (it's bigly!) - great back story here! Our sponsor Pig Minds Brewing provided us with a peaty & smoky Wee Heavy they call Smokeness Monster. This 8.1% ABV beer was just what the doctor ordered. Warning...with these big beers we’re drinking the podcast gets a bit slurry, but don't worry, it's all about having fun! Big thanks to Bryan, Shane and Dustin at Pig Minds Brewing we are thinking of you during this trying time for the restaurant/bar business. Shout out to Anthony and Aaron at Artale & Co, for all their suds and support, we love you guys and keep the alcohol sales going to help us all get through! Now is a great time to start indoor gardening with the extra time, stop in and see Bob at 815 Gardens and Brewing for your supplies and brewing needs. Please think about these businesses first when you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line; seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer  or wine and spirits to take home or as a gift. And when you are ready to brew up one of your favorite homebrew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project. Feedspot was recently nice enough to rank Home Brew Rock Stars as a Top 10 HomeBrewing Podcasts - kudos to them...they are some really smart people ;) And as always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Really... we do listen to you and WANT to hear from you. Prost! #drinkitup

Dia Duit, (PRONOUNCED - dee-ah gwit) and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Welcome back to HomeBrew Rockstars. A fitting greeting as it is Irish meaning "God to you". We Hope you are enjoying your St. Patricks Day. Since our last few episodes a lot has changed in our world, as COVID-19 seems to be in all the news and on our minds. “Social distancing” has become a catch phrase along with hoarding of disinfectants, hand sanitizers, masks and… toilet paper? What the hell is everybody going to do with all the toilet paper? Come on people, really? I’m more worried about having enough home brew! Since there are no sports to watch it’s time to just “relax and have a home brew” (thanks Charlie); so crack open a good one, start up a new brew, or just settle in and listen to Home Brew Rock Stars. In Part 1 we call “Jazzin’ Up with Mr. Beer” we invited David Benson to the Bat Cave studio to talk about home brewing, Mr. Beer & other non-traditional types of brewing. David is also a jazz musician and we play some of his music as we visit and drink beer. Man, I like my job! David, Brent, Kent and Mike taste and review a home-brewed Saison Blanc made by David. We also tried a cider David fermented from store bought (no preservatives) apple, peach and mango juice. Our sponsor Pig Minds Brewing provided us with a tasty Belgian Strong Ale aptly named Drunken Rook. Full bodied with hints of plum and fig make this 9.3% ABV beer a real treat that loosens the tongue and forget about Corona...let alone any virus, Hah!  Be watching for Part 2 of our chat with David and his eccentric world following this episode. Big thanks to Brian, Shane and Dustin at Pig Minds Brewing, Anthony and Aaron at Artale & Co, for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Also to Bob at 815 Gardens and Brewing for "supplying" us. Please think about these businesses first when you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line; seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer or wine and spirits to take home or as a gift. And when you are ready to brew up one of your favorite home brew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project. As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Really we do listen to you and WANT to hear from you. Prost! #drinkitup 00000061 00000061 00005A64 00005A64 002473BC 002473BC 00007EC1 00007EC1 000A9C6D 000A9C6D

How hops it? Welcome back to HomeBrew Rockstars! All home brewers, no matter what level we are at were once newbies to home brewing. At first it seemed daunting to just get a finished drinkable product, but the more we brew the more comfortable we become. We gain new brewing knowledge and tricks with each brew session along with discussing with other home brewers. Some lessons we derive from our mistakes, those setbacks are usually remembered the best! In this podcast we call the Newness - Part 2, we continue with our guest Pete Domino to talk about ‘newness’ of home brewing, relocating back to the Midwest (right next door to Sears, the poor bastards!) Pete, Brent, Kent and Mike taste and review a home-brewed Brown Ale made by Pete and his brewing partner in crime, Jason Sears, that they brewed for the Forest City Brewers February club competition. This was a cool event where 19 brewers received identical brew kits consisting of set grains, hops and yeast to then they let their own ‘brew flags’ fly and make theist brown ale to BJCP style guidelines. We also sipped on a cider that Mike fermented and brought in, which was very nice, sweet and dry the way most like their hard ciders. Our sponsor Pig Minds Brewing, provided us with a very nice New England DIPA named Kloude (pronounced Cloudy) This is a tasty NEDIPA with strong notes of pineapple, mango and grapefruit. With a sneaky ABV of 8.1% it will make you feel like you’re on cloud 9! Well done gents. If you’re looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line, then try Pig Minds Brewing. Seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer, wine or spirits to take home or as a gift, stop in to Artale & Co, Anthony and Aaron have plenty of great ideas. And when you are ready to brew up one of your favorite home brew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project stop in to 815 Gardens and Brewing, Bob will be happy to help. Big thanks to our program sponsors - we love you guys! Tell them that HomeBrew Rockstars sent ya….and as always, we appreciate our listeners and encourage you to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! Prost! #drinkitup 0000007A 0000007A 00005B2C 00005B2C 00151192 00151192 00008271 00008271 001FCF44 001FCF44

Greetings and welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars! We come out of a short hiatus while Sears took a long overdue trip to the Yucatan Peninsula for some much-needed R&R. Plenty of sun, sand, ocean and of course beer. Doesn’t get much better than that while the snow and cold assaulted our home turf. Now that we’re all back in the Midwest and Sears has had an attitude adjustment (the jury is still out), we have a new episode of Home Brew Rock Stars. Be sure to listen in as we are in the process of tweaking our format and focusing more on home brewing based on what you listeners have been telling us. Really we do listen to you and WANT to hear from you. Some exciting podcast news was published recently. On February 19th Feedspot included Home Brew Rock Stars into their top 10 list as A Top Home Brewing podcast! Go here to see who we stack up against  As always we appreciate if you make sure to Like us, Follow us and RATE US! In this podcast (part 1 fo 2) we invite Pete Domino to the Bat Cave studio to talk bout the “Newness” of home brewing. Although Pete has been only been brewing for about a year, he already has dozens of brew sessions under his belt. He has also had the pleasure of relocating from sunny Charleston SC to the snowy, cold Midwest which we will touch on in part 2. The guys talk briefly about a new trend in the brew world, Nitro Coffee. If you have not tried Nitro Coffee, you may want to give this tasty version a shot. Pete and the guys taste and review a home-brewed hoppy hefeweizen made by Pete. We also sip on Sears’ home-brewed cider, and imbibe with a glass of Sir Pigglesworth ESB, a 4.7% English style pub ale that is highly sessional, boasting strong malt flavors of toasted shortbread from our sponsor Pig Minds Brewing. Be listening for Part 2 with our continued chat with Pete, posting soon. Big thanks to Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, for all their suds and support, we love you guys! Speaking of sponsors we have added 815 Gardens and Brewing to our list of local businesses  supporting us. Please think about these businesses first when you are looking for a great craft beer and some of the best vegan food in the state line; seeking a hard to find commercial craft beer  or wine and spirits to take home or as a gift. And when you are ready to brew up one of your favorite home brew recipes or start a new indoor gardening project. Prost! #drinkitup

Now that xmas gifts are opened and you're staring at that new brewing gear and gadgets to check out, it's time to brew some home brew for 2020! This episode we're joined again by Bob "my bud" Marske to explore the "State of Home Brew" in America, where we've been and where we're going as brewers of our own beers. Have you hit a lull? Has the excitement of a full boil lost its luster? Or are you entrenched in a brewing project nearly every weekend? No matter your brewing status, always try to remember that an active engagement with brewing is the best way to really understand and appreciate beer. The waiting is the hardest part (said Mr. Petty-RIP). The cast also reviews (and tastes) some awesome holiday craft beer that you'll wanna put in your fridge for the "playoffs"! What's that? Ah - Playoffs? Don't talk about - playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game! ...well a spicy xmas beer sounds like a good game plan! Tasters in this show include Anchor Christmas Ale, Deschutes Jubelale Winter Ale, Metropolitan Arc Welder Dunkel Rye, North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, and we couldn't help but chew on a little more of Brent's home brew Whiskey Stout...and a silent night calmly follows. Big thanks to Pig Minds Brewing, Artale & Co, 815 Gardens and Brewing #gotyeast, for all their suds and support of our fun hobbies in 2019. And may your 2020 be fun and focused on brewing your best beers ever! #drinkitup

There is no handbook to opening a brew supply store; no guides, no advice to seek out or business plans already generated. Welcome to an episode discussing How to Start Up a Home Brew Supply Shop with our guest BOB “my bud” Marske from 815 Gardens and Brewing. We get into the ins and outs, peaks and valleys, and rabbit holes of putting together a home brewing supply offering, including determining your demographics, suppliers, influences and clientele. It's all about word-of-mouth to get it going and find out what your customers really want, like tapping into the local home brew club, holding tastings and brew days and networking the community! Tis the season for Christmas Beers as we review a nice current and accessible list from 52brews.com thatincludes a wide variety of spiced up winter and dark treats for your holiday celebration. We also do some tastings from Pig Minds Brewing "The Jude Abides" Milk Shake IPA (Yum), Begyle Brewing Imperial Pajamas Stout barrel-aged with coffee (dreaminess!), Struise Pannepeut (Belgium) Old Monk Ale (2011) and Brent's home brew beauty Whiskey Stout (a night cap utopia for all your bourbon freaks). We'd be reminisced to adjourn without thanking our gracious sponsors for all of their support this year and want to remind you to check out both Pig Minds Brewing and Artale & Co. for all of holiday drinking needs. They have a plethora of new and exclusive holiday beers, wines and spirits to brighten up your holiday celebration...#drinkitup

We welcome back guest Ron Derry Jr., a.k.a. "Legenderry", to discuss extreme beer collecting. Ron is an avid collector, especially Barleywines and Barrel-aged by products. The Home Brew Rock Stars crew review a beer event bucket list in the US and abroad, and they dig in for an interesting, if not humorous discussion on how, when where and why beer collecting is such a big thing. Bucket list events include Russian River Intinction Sauvignon Blanc, Schönramer Pils, New Anthem Songs Unsung and Steez, Modern Times Barrel-Aged Stouts and Great Taste of the Midwest. We also do some beer tastings: Revolution Strawberry Straight Jacket - Barrel-Aged Barleywine 2nd Shift Liquid Spiritual Delight - Imperial Stout Brasserie de Rockefort Trappistes Rochefort 10 - Belgium Quad  Pig Minds Brewing Fall for Revenge- Winter Amber with Aged on Sour Cherries Fresh Hop Home Brew (Brente) California Lager -  features 33 ounces of Cascade and Chinook hops fresh off the bine that were added to just 5 gallons (Chinook in the mash)...yummy good! #drinkitup 00000067 00000067 00007947 00007948 00229BE6 00229BE6 00007EB7 00007EB6 00253392 00253392

Home Brew Rock Stars welcomes guest and fellow homebrewer, Ron Derry Jr., as this 'tis the season moment calls for a discussion on honey and its value to the many uses in beer and mead. Mr. "Legenderry" offers his experience with both brewing with honey, and seeking out some of the best honey-brewed beer and mead in the United States. One other interesting fact and coincidence is that beta acids found in hop cones kill mites, a major pest for honeybees. Some other honey history and factoids: The use of honey in something akin to beer could go back 9,000 years The U.S. alone produces more than 300 types of honey The Honey Board estimates there are between 115,000 and 125,000 beekeepers in the United States, most of them hobbyists with fewer than 25 hives. (c.2017) American brewers used 25.4 million pounds of American honey in 2015 Beer tastings include a couple of sweet "Legenderry" meads, Pig Minds-Good Ole Rye, Revolution-Honey Jacket, Hatch Distillery-Limoncello and Collective Arts-Audio/Visual Lager...speaking of... Our sponsors at Pig Minds Brewing and  Artale & Co. have also announced upcoming tastings for the fall season, including that Pig Minds is hosting the Black Wednesday barrel aged release party November 27th, BA Royal Bitch and BA Joe Daddy with a couple variants. And on November 22nd, Artale is teaming up with Culture Shock and Collective Arts Brewing for an evening of vinyl and beer. There’s a beer tasting featuring Collective Arts’ brand new Audio/Visual Lager. Joey Morris of Collective Arts will sample other selections from Collective Arts’ portfolio in addition to Audio/Visual and also spin some featured vinyl during the event. #drinkitup

Trick or Treat? That's what we're finding out in this show about Fall Beers, what to drink, brew, why and when. The dead rock stars of recent memory (Rick Ocasek, Eddie Money, Robert Hunter...) lead us into the temptation of Halloween 2019, and a fun revision of The Official Halloween Night Handing-out-Candy Drinking Game (revised for beer drinkers from the original from SheKnows). For example, kids that complain about candy selection...drink a "sour"! Remember our home-brewing commercial pilot pal, Jeremy Krieger, from episode 55? He rejoins Mike, Kent and Brent for an appropriate discussion of Fall Beers of 2019 and they talk about their favorite beers to brew, and/or have brewed, during the fall season. Featuring a tasty one-year aged Brown Sugar Porter (clocking in at 8%) and wood aged with whiskey soaked staves from Bardstown Bourbon "makers" that set the "mark"...tasty shit! We also drink some commercial beers, including: Pig Minds  - Oktoberfest 3 Floyds - Zombie Dust Burnt City - Two Headed Boy Goose Island - Bourbon County Stout 2014 Our sponsors at Artale & Co. have also announced upcoming tastings for the fall season, as well as Pig Minds will soon be releasing Fall for Revenge and Joe Daddy! #drinkitup 00000049 00000049 00003193 00003193 0007B958 0007B958 00007E8A 00007E8A 0007B93E 0007B93E

This podcast episode features a commercial pilot that homebrews, Mr. Jeremy Kreiger. We explore the history of beer flights (who's got the good ones around the world), flying with beer (how to pack it in your luggage) and talk to Jeremy about being a pilot and a home brewer...how traveling influences that hobby and where to find cool beers and breweries. Jeremy tells all about some of the best destinations to go drink beer, order beer flights and eat chicken sandwiches. We also drink beer (of course) featuring beer from our great sponsors and Jeremy's personal stash of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, including: Pig Minds - Down with the 815 (Hazy IPA) Goose Island - Bourbon County Stout (2013) Prairie Kraft Brewing - Paper Wings (NEIPA) Lanikai Brewing (Hawaii) - Pillbox Porter Our sponsors at Artale & Co. have also announced upcoming tastings for the fall season, as well as Pig Minds will soon be releasing Fall for Revenge and Joe Daddy! #drinkitup 0000004B 0000004B 00004939 00004939 001DEC00 001DEC00 00007B6A 00007B6A 001715E5 001715E5  

It's was another year at the Screw City Beer Fest in Rockford, IL with the Forest City Brewers serving home brew. This year the home brewing club served up a whopping 30+ home brews (see list below). Home Brew Rock Stars created a home brew lounge, complete with a couch pit, mustache rides ("stache your glass") and 18 interviews with some of the home brewers that served their beer. We were hoping to get all the home brewers on the mic, but we ran out of time (and we may have gotten a little drunk, in mostly a good way), so apologies to those we missed - we'll look forward to featuring some of those that didn't make it on this podcast in future shows. Regardless, all the the home brewers brought their best as you con see in this list of yummy treats below...#drinkitup  

Beer Festivals are rampant in the US and we preview one of the hottest tickets in the Midwest, Screw City Beer Fest 2019, which sells out each year in under an hour. Co-founder Aaron Sleger fills us in on what's new for their 9th annual festival, with a fun look back on the early days of this in-demand beer tasting event and a bit of forecasting for the 10 year anniversary coming in 2020. While Screw City won't change too much from 2018, last year's move to the new location along the Rock River in Rockford, IL was a popular move for the festival and will again be the site for some 50+ breweries from the biggest craft brewers and up-and-comers in the Chicago and surrounding region, with several other nationally known brands. The  beer line-up at post time included more than 270 styles, including an unprecedented 30 home brews that will be on tap (about 150 gallons) from the Forest City Brewers Home Brew Club - that's not a misprint! We also do some beer tastings from some of the breweries that will be at the festival this year, including: Madagaskar (Imperial Stout w/coconut and cacao) - 4 Hands Brewing Beady Eyes (Blood Orange and Hibiscus Pale Ale) - Marz/Collective Arts/Donut Monster Collaboration Lieu Et Heure (Saison) - White Rooster Farmhouse Brewing Raspberry Turtar (Fruit Beer) - Hairy Cow Brewing Clockwork (Blood Orange Pale Ale) - Pig Minds Brewing Stay tuned for our next podcast at the Screw City Beer Fest where we'll be broadcasting at the Home Brew Rock Star Lounge, interviewing home brewers, craft brewers, the hosts, and we'll be doing the popular mustache rides again this year! Go to your favorite podcast streaming services right now and give us a big rating! #drinkitup 00000084 00000084 000053BE 000053BE 000D8C0F 000D8C0F 00009372 00009372 001D3215 001D3215

Welcome to HomeBrewRockStars episode #52 and where we’re talking Beer Brewed in CHI-Town, good ole Chicago, the windy city on the big lake, and one of, if not the most booming major craft brewing metropolitans in the world, definitely in the US. Chicago now ranks #1 in the country for craft breweries and it's not slowing down anytime soon. The crew, along with our Chicago beer expert, Mr. Aaron Sleger of Artele & Co. dive into what's under construction and what's trending big in the Midwest's capital city. We also do some beer tastings, of course, from a few Chicago area breweries such as Hubbard's Cave, Fresh One Hop (Mosaic) IPA, Pollyanna Pils (German Style Pilsner), Buffalo Creek Brewing's Xerxes Chocolate Bacon Stout and MARZ Chela Negra, a black Mexican lager with awesome black on black artwork (see pic below). We also listen to some samples of music from Larry Carlton/Robben Ford, Live in Tokyo, featuring jazz, blues, rock, and funk from two of the most prolific session guitarists in history. The two have played with a who's who list of celebrity musicians, bands and other projects. Special thanks to Pig Minds Brewing and Artele & Co. for their extreme support. Stay tuned for a special "Prefest review" of the upcoming 2019 Screw City Beer Festival where the HomeBrewrockStars will be featuring the Home Brew Lounge, hundreds of free moustaches and interviews from the festival brewers. Rock On! and #drinkitup

As we often do on this podcast, this episode explores the connection of music and beer, the great songs about beer, beer names inspired by thee music world, and we do our best to pair summer music tours with beer styles. Our beer tastings are personal picks of craft beer names that would make a great name for a band, including Pig Minds Brewing's "Southy Bitch Slap", Crystal Lake Brewing's "Too Much Cologne" Founders Brewing's "Green Zebra", and a fabulous Pipeworks/Amager Collaboration called "Electric Rattlesnake"...all taste as great as they sound;) 10 Music-Inspired Beers (c/o Anita George–PASTE) North Coast Brewing - Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale 9.3% - Inspired by the legendary jazz pianist, the brewer donated a portion of the proceeds to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Known to be sweet with a spicy kick, raisins, bananas and apples are among some of its tasting notes. 21st Amendment Brewery’s Back in Black IPA  6.8% - Actually inspired by Paul Revere and his historic midnight ride. But AC/DC is emblazoned on their label, hence named “Back in Black” after the band’s hit song in 1980, and Brewed with Centennial and Columbus flavor hops and four different malts. Heavy Seas - Smoke on the Water Porter  8.0% - Inspired by Deep Purple’s 1973 hit actually features a partial printing of the song’s sheet music on its label, Heavy Seas’ Smoke on the Water Porter is mostly known for its chocolate, soy sauce and mildly smoky tasting notes from its smoked malts. Suntory Liquors - Stones Bar Rolling Hop  4% - As part of a series of Rolling Stones-inspired alcoholic products, this beer was released in Japan in June. Flashing the famous “Lips & Tongue” icon monogrammed on the front, the beer has a citrus aroma with a clean yet bubbly finish. Purple Moose Brewery - Dark Side of the Moose 4.6% - One of the greatest albums of all time slyly names this Pink Floyd-inspired dark ale from Welsh-brewer Purple Moose Brewery did not disappoint. Its won 25 International Beer awards - Brewed with roasted barley and Bramling Cross hops. Abita Brewery’s Purple Haze  4.2% - The lager is a nod to the brewery’s post-filtration use of berries in the brewing, the beer’s slight purple color and haze, and the 1967 song by Jimi Hendrix of the same name. Brewed with raspberries, Vanguard hops and pilsner and wheat malts. Terrapin Brewery’s So Fresh and So Green, Green Ale 6.6% - The Athens, Ga.-based brewery’s ode Atlanta rap duo Outkast, So Fresh and So Green, Green is a reference to Outkast’s 2001 song “So Fresh, So Clean.” The use of fresh, green “wet hops” in the brewing of this ale is different every year. Cambridge Brewing Company - Sgt. Pepper Farmhouse Ale. 6.0% - This beer is both a reference to the brewer’s use of peppercorns in the brewing of Sgt. Pepper and the iconic 1967 Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The beer includes four different kinds of peppercorns with Magnum and Spalter hops and three kinds of malts. Iron Maiden and Robinsons Brewery - The Trooper  4.7% - Named after Iron Maiden’s 1983 single “The Trooper”, this collaboration beer is brewed with Cascade, Bobec, and Goldings hops, is known to feature citrus tasting notes Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Faithfull Ale  - The Delaware brewery has released a whole music series, paying tribute to the likes of Miles Davis, The Grateful Dead, Deltron 3030, Robert Johnson and, this Belgian-style golden ale brewed with black currants called Faithfull to salute Pearl Jam’s 20-year success.

if you like UFO’s, Astronauts, Space Travel, Black Holes and beer, the theme for our 50th episode is music and beer in space as the US celebrates the 50th anniversary of the day a we put a man on the moon. We drink from a list of space themed beers, chat remote with "unsilent" Jay" and listen to samples from the new album from Name the Moon called Space Force. That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." MIXTAPES: We talk about a record producer named Mickey Kapp, who after forging a somewhat improbable connection with several Mercury 7 astronauts, went on to provide later space explorers with customized mixtapes to listen to during their historic flights thanks to José Jiménez, a fictional comic character with a thick south-of-the-border accent who was created by the comedian Bill Dana. Mickey died at 88 on June 11 at his home in Carmel, Calif. SPACE DRINKIN?: Two of its astronauts had flown three sheets to the ozone in 2007, NASA formally banned crews from imbibing in orbit. It’s equally sobering to note that carbonated beverages are outlawed on the International Space Station. Gas bubbles in a carbonated drink don’t act the same as on gravity-rich Earth. Instead of floating to the top, the bubbles lie there, evenly distributed in the liquid. To rework the lyrics of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” the head on a brewski poured from a tin can far above the world would float in a most peculiar way. SPACE BEER: 2014, Ninkasi Brewing Company, an independent craft brewery based in Eugene, Oregon, set its sights on a beer launch like no other and in July 2014, the Ninkasi Space Program (NSP) took flight. The mission: send brewer’s yeast to space and return it to Earth to brew a deliciously out-of-this-world beer. Ninkasi Brewing released the first edition of Ground Control April 2015. BEER TASTINGS:  Pig Minds - Always the Hardway IPA Boulevard - Space Camper Cosmic IPA New Glarus - Moon Man Half Acre- Beer Hates Astronauts Toppling Goliath - Twisted Galaxy  #drinkitup #manonthemoon #namethemoon #apollo11       00000095 00000095 0000627B 0000627B 00277244 00277244 00007F53 00007F53 0027B653 0027B653

It's been almost 50 years since we put a man on the moon, and it's almost time for our 50th episode on Home Brew Rock Stars ... hmmm, I wonder what that will be about?! To celebrate, we thought an episode with some of our favorite moments from the first 48 episodes seemed appropriate. There have been so many that we'll probably do another favorite moments again, but the clips in episode 49 were a lot of fun. To start, we share a clip from one of our first "Real or Fake" segments with guest Eric Johnson. Then we explore the meaning of "Grundrel" with Zak Rotello and some tunes from Miles Nielsen and the rusted Hearts. Then we revisit our "holiday hangover' episode with some silly stories, followed by a couple of memorable segments with resident home brew/mead maker/tie-dye artist, Mike Bohn. About the halfway point we replay a hilarious Real or Fake band names segment with guests Brian Mastrangeli and Cory Wicklund from TUNDRAS ... which was no doubt one of the funnest shows we ever recoroded! And speaking of rock stars, the next clip reviews some a deep psychoblab moments with our on site interview with Carson Suoza, now former head brewer at Pig Minds Brewing ... you'll crack up, for sure. We wrap with a short clip at Kent's during a brewers guild that explored some New Zealand hops, then some clips from our palate fatigue chat with guest Jim Goecks head brewer and found of Off Kilter Brewing. And we wrap this favorite moments with some clips from our tribute to Mr. Charlie Papazian, the grandfather of home brewing.

A bottle rocket for your thoughts?! For our 48th episode as we approach another 4th of July, the crew discusses why 'Merica likes their freedom, and their beer. We dip our toes into some facts about the 4th of July, how our forefathers started our celebration of independence (of who many were home brewers themselves), feature and taste a few beers for Independence Day and continue our 'Merica theme with some new music and do a fun quiz game called Patriot Beer God (how red, white and blue is you're beer intellect?). Did you know congress didn't actually vote for independence on July 4, and the Fourth of July didn't become an official holiday until over a century after America declared its independence? Listen . close and you'll find out a lot of fun facts about how and why we celebrate our freedom. Plus, we'll do a few beer tastings like Yankee USA IPA from Wisconsin Brewing Co, Revolution's Freedom of Speach, Buckledown's Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts Lager and Liberty IPA from Anchor Brewing (which we also share a clone recipe for all you patriotic home brewers). Speaking of Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, we listen to samples from their latest effort called "In the Meantime", a sassy 'mericana digital 4-song EP, with song titles of Start it Up, Gangrene, Revolution Day and High Street, and just $4.00 to own it. A full length album called OhBAHOY will be out after in the Fall 2019. Make sure to revisit later in July for our 50th episode, sure to take you back in time to the beer world of 1969. #drinkitup  

It's officially summer when the BBQ grills get used (and abused) and the beers go down quick in the heat of the moment. The team tackles some grilling tips on how to make the summer cookout a little better (and safer), plus some tips on the best craft beers to sip on when your grilling up some chow. And we review a story of a homebrewer that connects his beers with Net Neutrality (from Andrea Wyrich at DailyDot) We also do some tasting of a few summer craft beers that tend to go down well when you're flipping your meat and veggies over the hot coals (...watch it!). For example, those burgers and brats will taste even better with a Southy Bitch Slap Red Ale from Pig Minds Brewing, or just as soothing would be the the Berliner Weisse from New Glarus. We also taste a sumptuous summer raspberry ale called Summerly from Pollyanna. And of course when possible, top the experience off with a homebrew - for this we had the pleasure of trying Jason Sears' Smash IPA, a smooth easy drinker and well done for a rookie brewer, we might add. SEE Session IPA recipe below. We also sample some tunes from Nashville (by way of Spokane) bluesy rock band, Too Slim and the Taildrggers, including a couple of sound clips from their newest offering called High Desert Heat. This music is sure sure to help all those grilled treats you're preparing this summer to "slide" down easy! Here's the Session IPA recipe we discussed: Malt: 5lb of Maris Otter, 1lb of Vienna, 1lb of Munich 1lb of Crystal 20, .5lb of flaked oats Hops: 1oz of Simcoe at the top of the boil () and 1oz at 5 min, then at flame out/whirlpool, 4oz Simcoe and 2oz Amarllo - no dry hop! Yeast - London Ale III (Wyeast 1318)  Mash, lauter, sparge, and boil, wait to add your Amarillo in the whirlpool after the temperature has dropped below 180F (82C), and let them steep for a solid 15 minutes to really boost the hops aromatics. Chill, and ferment at 68F (20C).  1.044 /35 IBUs / 4.3% ABV

If you're fave NBA or NHL team is still in the finals, then we've got the best beer pairings for you. Just about any beer would probably be good during a pro basketball or hockey playoff game (especially home brew), but these should be readily available for the homers and fun to seek out for this special occasion. We also review some beer pairings for NBA & NHL teams from Victoria Pratt of Porchdrinking.com, Lee Breslouer of Thrillist, a Milwaukee Bucks drinking game from Matt Mueller of onmilwaukee.com, a NHL Drinking Game from Walter Gawron of drinkinggamezone.com and some chicken wing marinades from Marshall Ottina sportsbarmarketing.com. All while drinking and reviewing our own NBA BEER PAIRINGS: Schlitz - pairs with Milwaukee Bucks Firestone Walker Union Jack IPS - Golden State Warriors LaBott’s Blue Canadian Pilsner - Toronto Raptors Pig Minds Always the Hardway (“Penny Hardaway”) And our NHL BEER PAIRINGS: Sam Adams Summer Ale - Boston Bruins Schlafly Northeast IPA - St. Louis Blues Anchor Steam - San Jose Sharks Pig Minds Sweep the Leg Plus, we review some beer industry employment statistics recently released from a Brewbound study: reporting that the US Beer Industry Supports +2 Million Jobs, and U.S. beer companies and wholesalers employ more than 200,000 American workers. Each of those jobs creates 31 additional full-time equivalent jobs in adjacent industries. Finally, we added a few short but sweet sound clips from a hot rockband called Silvertide - good music for your summer brewing efforts, for sure. Follow HomeBrewRockStars on Facebook and Instagram, retweet us @homebrewbuzzer and as always ... #drinkitup

Collaborations with breweries are a home brewers dream event. It's a day that home brew clubs get to learn from the big boys, and in this case, learn what different yeasts (listed below) can do to a common wort. The feeling can be , and should be mutual for the brewery, as well. That's what the Forest City Brewers did with G5 Brewing in Beloit, WI. The outcomes were enlightening as this podcast will surely reveal. First and foremost, a special thanks needs to be sent our to G5 Brewing and head brewer Tim Goers. Although they were sitting and waiting for "shutdown" permits to be distributed so they coud go public, they didn't hesitate to do this collaboration. In fact, Tim was incredibly generous with his time and provided an great day for all the home brewers that attended (and went home with the most affordable beer they've ever fermented). Brew day was super fun, and the Home Brew rock Stars team was able to talk to many of the home brewers, as well as head brewer Tim Goers, for a long interview about his brewing past, and future! His story is great, as was the excitement of the home brewers. Part two of this adventure featured nine beers from the collaboration that were all fermented with different yeasts. The results were impressive, as much as they were quite different. We cover this tasting at Beers on First Festival (Loves Park, IL)where the baseball themed  nine beers were available to to festival goers (not relation to Tim :-)). The rest is history, all documented on this podcast. There is a Yeast list below. Happy brewing! #drinkitup London Ale III (Wyeast 1318) Thames Valley (Wyeast 1275) Kolsch (Wyeast 2565) French Saison Ale (WLP590) Voss Kveik (OLY-061) West Coast Ale (OYL-004) DIPA Ale (Conan) (OYL-052) Belgian Wit Ale (WLP400) California V Ale (WLP051)    

Podcast: The 420 Small Batch episode covering the history of 420, Sweetwater 420 beer tastings, an epic 420 ad fail and a music from Weed. Another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars takes a hard hit on the history of 420, with a great 70's story about a group of high school stoners called the Waldos, who frequent an after school adventure into the local Point Reyes Forest in a never-ending search for a secret weed field. They never find their wild bud orchard, but their code word "420", which was the time they would meet after school to get high before this celebrated daily cannabis treasure trip, would become infamous, partially because their 420 slang organically saturated into the culture of the Grateful Dead, as well as High Times Magazine. We've pasted the somewhat redacted Huffington Post story below for your perusal...HAPPY 420! We sample two delicious craft beers from SweetWater Brewing Co. from their 420 Strain G13. First, the 420 IPA offering a great body, good head and nice amount of haze at a pleasurable 6% ABV with dank hops of Columbus and Simcoe, plus two dry hop additions. Then the 420 Mango Kush, a second sticky hit from 420 Strain that is an American Wheat packed with herbal, juicy mango notes and a distinctive dank nose. #danknevertastedsogood We also sample a wild peche ale from a secret brewery in Lisle, IL that will come to me when that Grape Crusher fades back down. HA! Finally, we sample some rock n roll from WEED, a German/British project/band which was created by Virus krautrock band + Ken Hensley (from Uriah Heep). They recorded one self-titled album in 1971 with music very similar to Uriah Heep (lots of roaring Hensley's organ and guitar pyrotechnics). A hearty SQUEAL to Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Artale & Co. for their awesome support and sponsorship! #drinkitup   True Story Of How April 20 Became ‘Weed Day’ [Huffington Post] The origin of the term 420, celebrated around the world by pot smokers every April 20, has long been obscured by the clouded memories of the folks who made it a phenomenon. Depending on who you ask, or their state of inebriation, there are as many varieties of answers as strains of medical bud in California. It’s the number of active chemicals in marijuana. It’s teatime in Holland. It has something to do with Hitler’s birthday. It’s those numbers in that Bob Dylan song multiplied. The Huffington Post chased the term back to its roots and was able to find it in a lost patch of cannabis in a Point Reyes, California forest. Just as interesting as its origin, it turns out, is how it spread. It starts with the Grateful Dead. It was Christmas week in Oakland, 1990. Steven Bloom was wandering through The Lot - that timeless gathering of hippies that springs up in the parking lot before every Grateful Dead concert - when a Deadhead handed him a yellow flyer. “We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais,” reads the message, which Bloom dug up and forwarded to the Huffington Post. Bloom, then a reporter for High Times magazine and now the publisher of CelebStoner.com and co-author of Pot Culture, had never heard of “420-ing” before. The flyer came complete with a 420 back story: “420 started somewhere in San Rafael, California in the late ‘70s. It started as the police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After local heads heard of the police call, they started using the expression 420 when referring to herb - Let’s Go 420, dude!” Bloom reported his find in the May 1991 issue of High Times, which the magazine found in its archives and provided to the Huffington Post. The story, though, was only partially right. It had nothing to do with a police code — ironically, the San Rafael part was dead on. Indeed, a group of five San Rafael High School friends known as the Waldos - by virtue of their chosen hang-out spot, a wall outside the school - coined the term in 1971. The Huffington Post spoke with Waldo Steve, Waldo Dave and Dave’s older brother, Patrick, and confirmed their full names and identities, which they asked to keep secret for professional reasons. (Pot is still, after all, illegal at this time) The Waldos never envisioned that pot smokers the world over would celebrate each April 20th as a result of their foray into the Point Reyes forest. The day has managed to become something of a national holiday in the face of official condemnation. The code often creeps into popular culture and mainstream settings. Nearly all of the clocks in the pawn shop scene in “Pulp Fiction,” for instance, are set to 4:20. In 2003, when the California legislature codified the medical marijuana law voters had approved, the bill was named SB420. The code pops up in Craig’s List postings when fellow smokers search for “420 friendly” roommates. “It’s just a vaguer way of saying it and it kind of makes it kind of cool,” says Bloom. “Like, you know you’re in the know, but that does show you how it’s in the mainstream.” The Waldos do have proof, however, that they used the term in the early ‘70s in the form of an old 420 flag and numerous letters with 420 references and early ‘70s post marks. They also have a story. It goes like this: One day in the Fall of 1971 - harvest time - the Waldos got word of a Coast Guard service member who could no longer tend his plot of marijuana plants near the Point Reyes Peninsula Coast Guard station. A treasure map in hand, the Waldos decided to pluck some of this free bud. The Waldos were all athletes and agreed to meet at the statue of Louis Pasteur outside the school at 4:20, after practice, to begin the hunt. Waldo Steve tells it, “We would remind each other in the hallways we were supposed to meet up at 4:20. It originally started out 4:20-Louis and we eventually dropped the Louis,” The first forays out were unsuccessful, but the group kept looking for the hidden crop. “We’d meet at 4:20 and get in my old ‘66 Chevy Impala and, of course, we’d smoke instantly and smoke all the way out to Pt. Reyes and smoke the entire time we were out there. We did it week after week,” says Steve. “We never actually found the patch.” But they did find a useful codeword. “I could say to one of my friends, I’d go, 420, and it was telepathic. He would know if I was saying, ‘Hey, do you wanna go smoke some?’ Or, ‘Do you have any?’ Or, ‘Are you stoned right now?’ It was kind of telepathic just from the way you said it,” Steve says. “Our teachers didn’t know what we were talking about. Our parents didn’t know what we were talking about.” It’s one thing to identify the origin of the term. Indeed, Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary already include references to the Waldos. The bigger question: How did 420 spread from a circle of California stoners across the globe? BEER BREAK>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> As fortune would have it, the collapse of San Francisco’s hippie utopia in the late ‘60s set the stage. As speed freaks, thugs and con artists took over The Haight, the Grateful Dead picked up and moved to the Marin County hills - just blocks from San Rafael High School. “Marin Country was kind of ground zero for the counter culture,” says Steve. The Waldos had more than just a geographic connection to the Dead. Mark Waldo’s father took care of real estate for the Dead. And Waldo Dave’s older brother, Patrick, managed a Dead sideband and was good friends with bassist Phil Lesh. Patrick smoked with Lesh on numerous occasions. He couldn’t recall if he used the term 420 around him, but guessed that he must have. The Dead, recalls Waldo Dave Reddix, “had this rehearsal hall on Front Street, San Rafael, California, and they used to practice there. So we used to go hang out and listen to them play music and get high while they’re practicing for gigs. But I think it’s possible my brother Patrick might have spread it through Phil Lesh. And me, too, because I was hanging out with Lesh and his band [as a roadie] when they were doing a summer tour my brother was managing.” The Waldos also had open access to Dead parties and rehearsals. “We’d go with [Mark’s] dad, who was a hip dad from the ‘60s,” says Steve. “There was a place called Winterland and we’d always be backstage running around or onstage and, of course, we’re using those phrases. When somebody passes a joint or something, ‘Hey, 420.’ So it started spreading through that community.” As the Grateful Dead toured the globe through the ‘70s and ‘80s, playing hundreds of shows a year - the term spread though the Dead underground. Once High Times got hip to it, the magazine helped take it global. Sometime in the early ‘90s, High Times wisely purchased the web domain 420.com. The Waldos say that within a few years the term had spread throughout San Rafael and was cropping up elsewhere in the state. By the early ‘90s, it had penetrated deep enough that Dave and Steve started hearing people use it in unexpected places - Ohio, Florida, Canada - and spotted it painted on signs and etched into park benches. In 1997, the Waldos decided to set the record straight and got in touch with High Times. “They said, ‘The fact is, there is no 420 [police] code in California. You guys ever look it up?’” Blooms recalls. He had to admit that no, he had never looked it up. Hager flew out to San Rafael, met the Waldos, examined their evidence, spoke with others in town, and concluded they were telling the truth. Hager still believes them. “No one’s ever been able to come up with any use of 420 that predates the 1971 usage, which they had established. So unless somebody can come up with something that predates them, then I don’t think anybody’s going to get credit for it other than them,” he says. “We never made a dime on the thing,” says Waldo Dave, but he does take pride in his role, though. “I still have a lot of friends who tell their friends that they know one of the guys that started the 420 thing. So it’s kind of like a cult celebrity thing. Two years ago I went to the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. High Times magazine flew me out,” says Dave.

Podcast: We drink 10 beers in 30 minutes and match each style with the proper glassware! Beer list is below: On tap this episode is a whirlwind of beer tasting as the crew bucks it's normal format to tackle drinking 10 beers in 30 minutes. After each beer, we make a case for the proper glassware for that particular style, although the line-up is so good, almost any vessel would suffice. Maybe for our upcoming 4/20 episode, we'll utilize this same format again...why not! Victory at Sea - Ballast Point (San Diego, CA): A 10.0% Imperial Porter is a bold, smooth brew with just the right amount of sweetness, infused with vanilla and San Diego’s own Caffe Calabria coffee beans. Hazyish IPA - Avery Brewing (Boulder, CO): A 7.0% juicy, hazyIndia Pale Ale brewed for a with low bitterness, an expressive aroma of four hops; Simcoe, Amarillo, Azacca and Mosaic. Arabicadabra - Bells (Kalamazoo, MI): A 5.5% Coffee Milk Stout brewed with a cold coffee extract made at the brewery using a combination of fair trade, organic Nicaraguan coffee beans and Sumatra coffee beans...plus lactose. Pilsner - Wernesgruner (Germany): A 4.9% brilliant straw color, with floral and hop aromas. The flavor is incredibly smooth, crisp and refreshing. Available at ALDI's. Rugged Coalminer - Scorched Earth (Algonquin, IL): A 5.9% rich, chocolatey, Robust Porter. It pours like the perfect shot of espresso, dark and rich, with a creamy head. The smooth caramel body softly balances the chocolate coffee-like notes.  Pazuzu’s Pedals - Illuminated Brew Works (Chicago, IL): A 6.3% Farmhouse Porter w/Black Cardamom features flavors of bitter chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, smoke and herb. Fuel Cafe - Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee, WI): A 6.4% coffee stout combines roasted malts and Milwaukee’s renowned organic Fuel Café coffee.  Four Chord Wonder - PollyAnna (Petaluma, CA): A 5.5% single hopped American Pale Ale is brewed with Vienna Malt, Amarillo Hops and American Yeast.  Southy Bitch Slap - Pig Minds (Machesney Park, IL): A 5.2% abv, Our flagship brew, a malty delicious Irish/American Red ale. Cream Ale - Genesee (Rochester, NY): A 5.2% traditional cream ale. Smooth like a lager. Crisp like an ale, and readily purchased for less than $0.50/12 ounce can. POST-Eagles: We finish up with just released music samples from Don Felder, featuring a who's who of celebrity rockers on his new solo album titled American Rock-n-Roll, out April 5. Don is best known for his work as a lead guitarist of the Eagles from 1974 until his departure in 2001. A hearty SQUEAL to Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Artele & Co. for their awesome support and sponsorship! #drinkitup

PODCAST: The crew explores wine beer hybrids, harvesting 130 year-old shipwrecked yeast, beer "only" lent and Marcus King Band. Wine beers ... they're not new, but the interest to create them from American craft brewers is growing. The idea of combining grapes and malt is not that far fetched. We have seen a few ales in the past that have been aged in a wine barrel, with the results being a pleasant surprise. The newest trend called Brut ales are an example, although they do not use grapes but rather an enzyme to achieve the champagne like results. For home brewers, until the BJCP releases its next update of style categories these vinocervisia type of brews (much like Brut IPA) it will fall under Category 19, Experimental Beer. Of course, we do some beer tastings, including Sparkling Swan Ale - Lagunitas, a 6.5% sparkling beer-wine hybrid brewed with a moderate hops, a light malt backbone and wine grapes that's super bubbly like champagne. We also sip on Always the Hard Way from Pig Minds, an 8.7% American Imperial IPA with a traditional piney-citrus hop front and boozy backend...yum yum in a can! We also taste Brent's NEIPA style home brew from 2018, which has surprisingly help it's nice hop character. BEER NEWS: An Ohio man is consuming only beer for Lent That's right, just like the monks used to do it back in the 1600s, Del Hall, director of sales at Fifty West Brewing Company, plans to spend Lent fasting, using beer as his only calorie intake. Del started his first meal replacement with Spare Parts, a chocolate maple and tasted almond stout is 8.1 percent ABV and a week into Lent and he'd lost 15.2 pounds. Yeast from bottles in 1886 shipwreck makes new brew[AP] The most distinguishing feature of Jamie Adams’ new ale, brewed at Saint James Brewery in Long Island, isn’t its hoppy bite but its compelling backstory — brewed from yeast in bottles of beer that went down on a doomed steamship and languished on the ocean floor for 131 years. Adams says his beer grew out of his love of scuba diving. It was brewed with yeast extracted from bottles he and fellow divers salvaged from the SS Oregon, a luxury liner from Liverpool to New York that sank off Fire Island in 1886. ROCK OUT! We finish up listening to sound samples from the Marcus King Band, featuring a whirlwind of Warren Haynes inspired blues rock with a jazz fusion twist. Check out their masterpiece 20 minute set at Paste Studio ... simply amazing music from a 22 year-old guitar phenom ... expect more gold from these cats in the years to come. A hearty SQUEAL to Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Artele & Co. for their awesome support and sponsorship! #drinkitup    

Podcast: Small Batch episode about cannabis beverages are the feature topic, with beer tastings from DarkHorse and Pig Minds, plus music of Rival Sons Another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars delves into the fast growing industry of cannabis beverages. With cannabis laws becoming more relaxed and more states (Illinois sounds like the next state) passing legislation for recreational cannabis, the time has come. Infusing cannabis in beverages is only the tip of the iceberg regarding possibilities that marijuana can play in our daily lives. In beverages, portions are regulated for safe intake, and standardized for repeat production. The day when beverages such as these become widely distributed around the globe, gives us cause to raise our glasses in celebration. The team reviews 8 THC-infused beverages breaking ground right now. The crew also talks beer news regarding Boston Brewing Company recently announcing that revenues nearly eclipsed $1 billion in 2018. The nation’s second largest craft beer company — which makes Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly Hard Seltzer, as well as other products, posted double-digit growth in depletions, shipments and sales last year. Could cannabis beverages be on their near future menu? Weed love to know! We sample some delicious craft beer from popular vegan brewry Pig Minds - Sweep the Leg IPA, now in the cans, and a unique pale ale from Dark Horse - Scary Jesus Rockstar, acollaboration beer made with Chef Cleetus Friedman of Chicago's Fountainhead featuring aromas of chamomile and earthy fresh apricots that hit your palate and rock your tastebuds finishing dry and hoppy...and let's not to forget Kent's very impressive Brown Ale makes another appearance. Finally, we sample some rock n roll from Rival Sons. A hearty SQUEAL to Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Artele & Co. for their awesome support and sponsorship! #drinkitup

PODCAST: Salute to Charlie Papazian, the godfather of homebrewing, with craft beer tastings and news It's another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars where we dive in short form and discuss the Papazian influence on home brewing and celebrate Charlie's retirement! It wasn’t just Papazian’s expertise that he had honed since that first homebrewing experience in in 1970, that resonated with readers. It was also his light and humorous tone, making learning about homebrewing fun, peppered by those words became a kind of catchphrase for Papazian, “Relax. Don’t worry. Have a homebrew”. The crew also talks beer news regarding MillerCoors bailing out on the Beer Alliance after Bud Light’s Corn Syrup Ads during the Super Bowl. Hey, either you put corn syrup in your beer, or you put rice in it...who cares. The gist is the beer alliance was supposed to be a big effort to compete with the 11 billion servings the big beer companies lost to wine and spirits last year. OUCH!...that might take some healing. (just rub corn syrup on it) We sample some craft beer from Pig Minds' Southy Bitch Slap, now in the cans, and a delish double IPA w/Sorachi Ace Hops from Pipeworks called Just Drink Dummy, and not to forget Kent's very impressive Brown Ale as he finally gets the brew set up back up and running from a recent move. Finally, we sample some rock stars from the music world called Trapper Schoeppand the Shades A hearty SQUEAL to Pig Minds Brewing Co. and Artele & Co. for their awesome support and sponsorship! #drinkitup

Download Episode! PODCAST: 2019 A.H.A. Craft Beer Clone Recipes List and Tips for Better Bottle Carbonation for Home Brewers Looking for some good clone beer recipes? Greetings and welcome to another "small batch" podcast episode where we talk about some the 2019 AHA Craft Beer Clone Recipes (each year the American Homebrews Association picks one craft beer from each state for their list) that includes a Brut IPA, New England IPA, Grisette, Histotical Beer, Sour Farmhouse and pretty much everything you could possibly brew. We also run down . short list of upcoming AHA contest events throughout the US in February. The home brew topic topic this show is Better Bottle Carbonation, as Mike reads through some of the important steps home brewers should take to achieve the ultimate carbonation in a number of different (see full details pasted below). Of course we imbibe in some beer tastings from the likes of Generations Wintergreen IPA (brewed with spruce tips), Founders Blushing Monk and Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll. All representing a nice winter variety of beer for the many moods we experience living through a polar vortex! Kent also previews music from a veteran singer songwriter from Connecticut named Brian Dolzani, so get your Neil Young on and ride that horse to the promised land! All very tasty treats for you listeners! Share this podcast with your friends (below) and send us your feedback for what you’d like us to talk about on the Home Brew Rock Stars Facebook page. You can now buy our Home Brew Rock Stars stuff on Threadless. Plus…tune in next episodes for a preview of 2 new breweries in the stateline area and more small batch quick hits in February and March! #drinkitup                     Tips To Avoid Inconsistent Bottle Carbonation That bottle you opened a couple of nights ago was perfectly carbonated, the one you just opened was flat, and the next one may gush all over the floor like Ol’ Faithful. Sound familiar? Then it’s time to take a closer look at your priming technique. Bottle carbonation occurs when yeast consumes the added sugar and releases carbon dioxide, which, since the bottle is sealed, dissolves into the beer. The following factors and how you control them contribute to that perfectly carbonated beer. Amount of beer to be carbonated - Priming Sugar - Carbonation temp - CO2 volume Amount of beer - It is important to have an accurate amount of finished beer. It doesn’t matter if you have 1 gallon or 10 gallons, just have an accurate amount. It is vital to make sure your beer has completed fermentation (finished beer), using a hydrometer will insure fermentation is complete. Types of Priming Sugar Corn Sugar (Dextrose) & Table Sugar (Sucrose) – most common Also used is - Maple Syrup, Honey or Molasses If you prefer not to use sugar? Dry Malt Extract (DME) or A bit more complex method Krausening – the use of fresh wort to carbonate the beer. Whichever type of sugar you use it is important to thoroughly mix the priming sugar into the finished beer. BE GENTLE as excessive stirring can introduce unwanted oxygen to your beer. Also available is Carbonation Tablets –Typically sized for 12 oz bottles. Although very easy to use, it is difficult to customize carbonation level. Carbonation temperature - The temperature of the bottles during carbonation period is vital. Too cold it will be under carbonated too warm it will be over carbonated. CO2 volume - The style of beer will determine how carbonated your beer should be. The combination of priming sugar to beer ratio and temperature create different levels of carbonation. The most accurate way to calculate for proper carbonation volume is to use a carbonation calculator. Ok so now you have a perfect carbonated beer, how do you keep it that way? Firstly, be sure you do not have too much head space in your bottles. The more head space the better chance of oxidation as the beer ages. Keep it dark. Light will diminish beer quality quickly, even in a dark brown bottle. Consistent temperature during storage. The warmer the beer is stored the faster chemical reactions occur. A beer store at cellar temps (approx. 54°F) will stay fresher 2 times longer than at room temp. If the beer is stored at refrigeration level (approx. 36-38°F) it will stay fresh for 4 – 5 months.      

Download Episode! PODCAST: The Government Shutdown chokes small breweries, and how to name your home brew beers. Welcome to our new "Small Batch" format (approx. 30 minutes) that features a shorter show where we talk about craft beer and home brewing news, beer related events, home brewing tips, new music and we taste some new beers, of course! Yes, as we post this podcast, the knuckleheads in Washington DC have opened the government for 3 weeks, but the longest partial government shutdown in US history had an impact on small and independent craft breweries. The closure of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has created a similar abundance of requests for Brewer’s permits and created a backlog of Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) requests, all costing breweries, related businesses and their communities a huge hardship. the crew spells it all out in less than 10 minutes! We also shared that the 2019 National Homebrew Competition (NHC) Open Enrollment Application Starts January 22, 2019 at 10 a.m. MT and closes on January 29, 2019 at 3 p.m. MT., visit homebrewersassociation.org for more details. And speaking of home brew, Mike runs down a handy list of things every home brewer may want to consider when their naming their beers...just don't name it after any current government officials as they tend to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Thirsty? It wouldn't be a beer podcast without beer, so we take in some samples of 10 Barrel Apocolypse IPA, Sierra Nevada Brut IPA, Left Hand Death by Disco Porter. All three were excellent and highly recommended if your out and about. And speaking of getting out, Kent turns us on to a young rock-n-roller named Jake O'McCluskey. #drinkitup

Download Episode! PODCAST: The End of Year Recap of 19 Home Brewing Episodes and a Sneak Peek at 2019 HAPPY NEW YEAR!! This episode takes a look back at our interviews with the home brewers, brew masters, rock stars and brewing topics we covered throughout the 2018 podcast season. After 19 episodes, more than 20 guests, 40 interviews and 100 beer tastings, it's time to reminisce the highlights of an awesome year. We also imbibe in a slurry of incredible beer tastings that include a new home brew from Brent, his session hazy IPA featuring Cashmere hops, the traditional scotch ale of Bell's Christmas Ale, and three big boy beers all over 10 AVB with Ridgeway's Insanely Bad Santa, New Holland's Dragon's Milk S'mores and Flying Monkey's Arcadian Groove Imperial Maple Porter. Episodes recap of 2018 home brewing topics includes: E16 Beer Fitness, Health, Resolutions - Two Brothers, Surly, FoundersHome Brewer Eric Johnson, music from Go Go Torpedo E17 Taxes, Casks, Beer News - Revolution, Hopslam, Home BrewHome Brewer Matt Berthiaume, music from Purple Hell E18 Brewery Startups & Hiccups - Brian Endl of Pig MindsPig Minds founder Brian Endl, music from Minneapolis guitar virtuoso Jon James E19 St. Patrick's Day Beers and Prairie Street Brewing CoMaster Brewer Steve Lenox with Shawn Steiner, music from Havana Honey E20 March Madness Beer: Cinderella, DMS, Holy CityCharleston Brewer Chris Brown of Holy City, music from guitarist Bill Dolan/Das Boton E21 Carson Souza - A Midwest Craft Brewing SoundtrackRemote show at Pig Minds w/master brewer Carson sSouza, Shane Johnson, +FCB home brewers E22 If It Ferments?! with Homebrewer Mike CoismanMike Coisman talks fermenting anything, music from Minneapolis brood rock band The Phones E23 Big Brew 2018 with Forest City BrewersRemote show at the ballpark, Cincinnati Irish Red was Ron Derry, Mike Bohn with his Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Jerry Machula and his Hefeweizen, Mike Coisman beer with Centennial hops. E24 Wanna Quickie? Home Brew Fast LagersA lesson in brewing lagers in half the time, music from Tin Tin Can E25 Best Day Drinking Beers and BrewsDarin Kolls, music from Maggie’s Dream E26 Great Taste of the Midwest Pre-Fest Podcast 2018Guest Corey Kuczynski, music by Brain Kingdom E27 Adjunct Brewing and Ryan Brewing One-Barrel StartupRyan Brewing master brewer, Todd Ryan, music from Crash Kings E28 Pre: Screw City Beer Fest 2018Guest Aaron Sleger, mucic from by Stuart Davis E29 Screw City Beer Fest 2018: Mustache BashInterviews with event founds Aaron Sleger and Chris Wachowiak, plus a slew of home brewers from Forest City Brewers talk about their festival beer prep E30 Beards & Beers in the Urban ForestUrban Forest founders Alex Cando And Heath Meyers, music by Darwin’s Waiting Room, Five Bolt Main, Alston and Silence is Broken E31 Couples Brewing - Takes Two To TangoHayley Dickinson and David Setiawan, music by Shawm Smith E32 Off Kilter Brewing - Palate FatigueOff Kilter Brewing Founder Jim Goecks, music by Elgin Park E34 Rock-n-Roll Beers on the TundrasBrian Mastrangeli and Cory Wicklund of Tundras share beer drinking philosophy and their music Tune in for the 2019 kick off in January with NEW short episodes and guest from all over this blessed nation! Please share this podcast with your friends (below) and send us your feedback for what you’d like us to talk about on the Home Brew Rock Stars Facebook page. Plus, you can now buy our Home Brew Rock Stars T-shirts on Threadless. See ya next episode! #drinkitup  

PODCAST: Tundras talk Rock-n-Roll Beers and why craft beer melds well with music. This episode goes untraditional for the Home Brew Rock Stars crew while perhaps getting to the root of the podcast's namesake, as we feature Brian Mastrangeli and Cory Wicklund from TUNDRAS, a progressive Midwest band with a passion for well-made craft beer. Tundras talk about their musical beginnings, influences and tales of keeping a band relevant. They also share some musings regarding their introduction to the craft beer world, pointing to a well-timed situation where legal drinking age aligns with an American beer invasion. Add to this a love for the British invasion of rock-n-roll and now you've gotten the gist of this episode. The show kicks off with a segment reviewing a list of beers that were released by rock bands, which could be appropriately named "the good, the bad and the undrinkable". These would include (ratings from Beer Advocate): Badass American Lager from Kid Rock (19/200), Bastards Lager from Motorhead (49/200), Destroyer from KISS (50/200), Australian Hardrock from AC/DC (19/200), *Razor Hoof from High on Fire (91/200), Trooper Ale from Iron Maiden (94/200), *Toxic Revolution from Municipal Waste (196/200) and *Permanent Funeral from Pig Destroyer (199/200). *collaborations with Three Floyds BEER TASTING! Of course, it's not a brewing podcast without beer. Thanks to five great beer samples form craft breweries that include: Iron Maiden's Trooper Lager, Pig Minds's Royal Bitch Slap, Rogue's Rolling Thunder, Brent's Peruvian Coffee Porter (home-brew) and Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. TUNES: We play a quick round of Beer Tag recalling the best and worst and best band names that were featured in Paste and Ranker magazine (who doesn't like Dick Tator and the Tots, or Gringo Star!?). And of course, we have samples of Tundras music sprinkled throughout the show, including samples from their most recent album called Only Bones Inside, available at Tundras Bandcamp (https://tundrasil.bandcamp.com/) and on Spotify. Please share this podcast with your friends (below) and send us your feedback for what you’d like us to talk about on the Home Brew Rock Stars Facebook page. Plus, you can now buy our Home Brew Rock Stars T-shirts on Threadless. See ya next episode! #drinkitup    

PODCAST: The Curious Phenom of Palate Fatigue with Off Kilter Brewing Founder Jim Goecks This episode features a focus on palate fatigue with no better way to approach the subject than a fun interview with Off Kilter Brewing founder/brewer Jim Goecks. This up-and-coming brewery was born out of a passion for home brewing at Jim's home in South Beloit, IL. Jim shares his knowledge and purposed techniques for brewing malt forward craft beer without the harsh bitterness that has dominated the craft beer revolution. This goal to fill the gap between those traditional American pilsners and hoppier beers that crowd store coolers is no accident, hence the name Off Kilter...it's refreshing! We also dive into a conversation regarding beer palate fatigue as we imbibe some of Jim's awesome craft beer and relate to the thoughtful character given to his brewing style. "Fatigue is a dangerous thing for a beer lover. It plays with your mind, causing you to question what you know to be true and second guess your old favorites. The symptoms of this weariness are familiar and difficult to avoid, even for the most optimistic craft beer enthusiast" (Beer Advocate-Issue 58). BEER TASTING! Of course, it's not a brewing podcast without beer. Thanks to four outstanding beer samples from the Off Kilter line-up, all featured at the Off-Kilter Brewing Taproom at Artisan Pub in South Beloit, and two other stellar beers from 3 Sheeps and Toppling Goliath, we can all assure any palate fatigue is a non-issue. Osmosis - An English/American/Off-Kilter fusion made with authentic English malts and a blend of English and American hops aged in charred oak, that's hoppy yet sports a deep golden color. O Doo Ya - A spring/summer seasonal, but not your traditional Belgian-Style Wit, brewed with imagination for those long summer evenings on the back deck. One-Eyed Jack - This porch pounder is a straw colored ale with a rich white head and a complex malt forward flavor that starts with nice barley richness and a hint of white wheat. Bella Brown - Named after Jim's faithful Great Dane, this winter seasonal a complex Brown Ale with a tightly beaded foam head and hints of citrus, clove and coffee. PLUS!!! Black Kilt Stout - 3 Sheeps - An extremely rare Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout. This collaboration beer was brewed exclusively for BrewFest Partners at 11% ABV. King Sue - Toppling Goliath - At 7.8% ABV and 100+ IBU this hazy double IPA blasts hints of mango, orange, and pineapple from a lot of Citra hops. EXTRAS: We play a quick round of Beer Tag called "You be the judge", and in ode to Jim's home brew beer contest experience, put the test Jim and Mike's judging knowledge. Can you beat them? Our music features groovy samples of San Diego inspired pop rock from ELGIN PARK (aka Micheal Andrews), guitar player for acid jazz legends, Greyboy Allstars (Karl Denson/Robert Walter) but is best known for a cover version of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", which he recorded with Gary Jules for the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Share this podcast with your friends (below) and send us your feedback for what you’d like us to talk about on the Home Brew Rock Stars Facebook page. You can now buy our Home Brew Rock Stars stuff on Threadless. Plus…tune in next episode! #drinkitup