Balance

In the world of brewing, we can precisely measure and define certain things—and those things don’t have a whole lot to do with how we smell, taste, and feel about beer.

When it comes to building your malt bill, go smarter, not harder. Here are some key insights from two award-winning brewers on purposeful malt choices that can elevate beers, not muddle them.

Whether aiming for soft and hazy or lean and bitter, successful brewers rely on some bedrock strategies for building higher-strength IPAs with sneaky drinkability.

Modified yeast strains and products such as Phantasm have unlocked the massive aromatic and flavor potential of thiols. Now, brewers are learning how best to tame that power in service of balance and nuance.

Brewers who want to build an enjoyable level of acidity into a beer have a growing number of options. Gordon Schuck, who cofounded Funkwerks as well as Jessup Farm Barrel House in Colorado, digs into those techniques and explains the pros and cons.

Tony Lawrence, founder and brewer at Boneyard Beer in Bend, Oregon, talks about the importance of balance in IPAs, as well as his brewery's approach to fermenting, dry hopping, and sticking with what they like to brew and drink.