By The Mash Tun

After multiple years and over 50 episodes Cal and Mike have decided to shake things up a bit with a brand new season and a brand new format. But before starting that we thought we'd tie up some of the loose ends of Season 1 by trying some of our finished brews. In this Final Gravity Extravaganza we combine the self indulgence of the Christmas Special with our Final Gravity sections at the end of episodes to give you our tastings and thoughts on: American Stout (episode 46) Session Märzen (episode 48) Belgian Tripel (episode 49) and even talk about the episode that never was, a Tonka Bean Birthday Cake Imperial Stout that would have been episode 50. Find out what went right, what went wrong and what we learned by brewing. See you all in a few weeks for the start of Season 2!

Oktoberfest didn't really happen for many of us this year, so why not bring a little bit of that celebratory spirit into your homes regardless. Märzens are crisp refreshing amber lagers with a easy dry biscuity finish, and go perfect at this time of year. Mike decided to do a session version of this famous yearly style as well as dipping his toes into the complex world of decoction mashes! We tried very hard but couldn't find any Märzens to try, and so ended up going on an impromptu "journey". In this tasty meander we tried: Warka - "Strong" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warka_Brewery Eight Arch - Little Dragon - https://www.8archbrewing.co.uk/ Steam Town - "Disco Town" - https://www.steamtownbrewco.co.uk/ Triple fff - "Gilbert White" - https://www.triplefff.com/ There are reasons for all of these, trust us, but you're gonna have to listen to the episode to find out why! If you're interested in brewing this recipe for yourself, you can find it at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

As the nights draw in and the evenings get colder, why not turn to something darker, but with a twist? Take a robust English Porter and add a huge boost of dark seasonal fruits and you end up with something deliciously rich and autumnal. In this episode we brew a Fruited Porter as well as trying these commerical examples: Weird Beard - Dead By Dawn - https://www.weirdbeardbrewco.com/ Titanic - Plum Porter - https://www.titanicbrewery.co.uk/ St Peter's - Old-Style Porter - https://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/ St Peter's - Plum Porter If you're interested in brewing this recipe yourself, you can find it at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk

What do you get if you cross a traditional Dry Stout with a Black IPA? Why, the American Stout of course! All the rich malty body of a stout balanced but not dominated by the extra addition of new world hops. Mike tries this style with an addition of Sabro, a new(ish) variety of hop! As usual we brew one ourselves, talk about the recipe before trying these commercial (sort of) examples: The Kernal Brewery - India Porter - https://www.thekernelbrewery.com/ Chorlton & Alphabet Brewing Co - Dank Matter - https://alphabetbrewing.co.uk/ Siren Craft Brew - Let The Night In - https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try 3 of the beers that were brewed earlier this year, the Berliner Weisse from Episode 37, The IPL from episode 44 and the Kit Brew from Back To Basics Episode 4. Find out what went right, what went wrong and what we learned by brewing. If you’re interested in brewing the recipe talked about in this episode, you can find the recipe at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

After taking a short break during the ongoing situation, Mike and Cal are back, this time recording remotely! And in this time, after kicking one of his kegs Mike decided to take a punt going "Back To Basics" by trying out his first ever Kit Brew. Many homebrewers begin their journey with Kit Brews, so we decided to talk about why they're such a great place to start! We also talk a little about the current beer climate as well as trying something super rare these days, some Cask Beer from Almasty and Pamona Island. You can find the Kit Brew that Mike brews in the episode here https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/juicy-session-ipa/ as well as the basic bits of kit you'll need here https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/mangrove-jacks-starter-brewery-kit/

In this episode Mike and Cal were invited to judge for the Reading Amateur Brewers homebrew competition that had one interesting brief, brewing a beer that accentuates Sabro hops. We recorded live on the judging night, chatting to the organisers of the event, the people who won third, second and third place about the beers they brewed as well as the other two judges about how they found the experience. If you're interested and are local to Reading, please check out Reading Amateur Brewers http://readingamateurbrewers.co.uk/ who have built a fantastic community in a relatively short space of time, and that we are particularly pleased to be a part of. Please note this was recorded a few weeks ago before the current lockdown was in place. For those who are bored self isolating or working from home, The Malt Miller (https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/) are a fantastic resource for homebrew ingredients and equipment and are currently stocking Sabor hops, so get involved!

Are you a big fan of hops, but love the refreshing ease of a lager? Why not have both? An India Pale Lager (or IPL) takes the subtle complexity of a lager and boosts those fruity hop notes with liberal additions of delicious hops. As usual we brew one ourselves, talk about the recipe before trying these commercial examples: Lost & Grounded - Running With Sceptres - http://lostandgrounded.co.uk/ Siren Craft Brew - Santo - https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/ Weird Beard - Kill Pils - http://www.weirdbeardbrewco.com/ Camden - Show Off - https://www.camdentownbrewery.com/ If you're interested in brewing this beer for yourself, you can find the recipe at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

Table Beer is a fantastically versatile beer. It’s the perfect beer to enjoy at the table with a meal, to have all day if you’re settling in for a long session, or maybe if you’re just warming up and want something to whet your whistle before taking the plunge in the deep end. Lower in abv, this style stays pale, crisp and refreshing whilst keeping a notable hop hit. We brew one ourselves and talk about our recipe before trying these other examples: Double-Barrelled - Elbow https://doublebarrelled.co.uk/ Cloudwater - Light Lager https://cloudwaterbrew.co/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try the Green Hop Pale Ale from episode 32 and the New Zealand Pilsner from episode 35. Find out what went right, what went wrong and what we learned by brewing. If you're interested in brewing the beer from this episode, you can buy the recipe kit from https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

If you have a hankering for something big, sweet and strong but subtle enough to give delicate floral flavours, then you might have the need for mead. In the second of our "Fermentation Variation" specials, Mike visits mead brewer Simon Claybourn who has not only brewed lots of mead in his time but also knows a lot about bees! We brew a mead, as well as trying one of Simon's older batches. We then also try: Highland Wineries - Moniack Mead http://www.highlandwineries.co.uk/ Lime Bay Winery - Traditional Mead https://www.lymebaywinery.co.uk/

A tradition in that there London for hundreds of years Porter was designed to be dark, rich, and yet easy going. A good version will let you know you're drinking it without slowing you down. We brew one ourselves and talk about our recipe before trying these other examples: Mike's Old Homebrew - Smoked Porter Meantime - London Porter - https://www.meantimebrewing.com/ Fuller's - London Porter - https://www.fullers.co.uk/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try a bottle of the Kveik Helles brewed in episode 30. Find out what went right, what went wrong and what we learned by brewing. If you're interested in brewing this beer, yourself you can find the recipe for this beer at www.themaltmiller.co.uk Follow Us On Twitter Follow Us On Instagram Check out other great KaijuFM shows

If you're a fan of easy going beers with a malty edge that you can guzzle by the pint then Session Bitters (or Ordinary Bitters) might be for you. Lower in ABV than other types of Bitter, this traditional English style can hide a lot of subtlety in a very tiny package.

In this slightly festive (yearly?) episode, Mike and Cal take a break from brewing and reflect on the past year. We discuss our favourite brews and which beers we learned the most from, as well as taking some time to really appreciate the beers in front of our faces. We try "Holly Cutter" by West Berkshire Brewery, that was featured in episode 34, we try the Brutx Fizz experiment that was brewed all the way back in episode 17 (!) and we also have a Siren beer because we like them and the beers they do. Good times, good beers, good company. See you next year!

In the first of our new series on fermented bevarages other than beer, Cal and Mike take a look at a potentially delicious way of using up a lot of spare fruit. Fruit Wines can be quick and simple to make, and most of the kit needed will already be owned by most homebrewers. So why not try something against the grain? In the episode we also try other examples of fruit wine: A bottle of last year's batch (which was mango and grapefruit) Cherry Wine "Cherry B" (no website) Little Earth Project and Neon Raptor - "Damsons In Excess" (technically still a beer, but Damsons were added pre fermentation so maybe technically a fruit wine/beer hybrid) https://www.littleearthproject.com/ https://www.neonraptorbrewingco.com/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try a beer from a previous episode, the Rye IPA from episode 25. Find out what went right, what went wrong and what we learned by brewing.

If you're a fan of sour beers, then you've probably already heard of Berliner Weisses. Crisp and refreshing they go down easy, but are these clean modern takes authentic? In this episode Mike tries to brew (to the best of his knowledge) a somewhat traditional take on the Berliner Weisse, something with a mellow sour funk that may end up taking quite a long time to finish... We also try these other examples of the style (or thereabouts): Undisclosed - Mystery Infected Beer Siren Craft Brew - Calypso - https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/ Garage Beer Co - See Watch - https://www.garagebeer.co/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try two beers from previous episodes, the Coffee Stout from Episode 33 and the Imperial Milk Stout from Episode 28. Find out what went right, what went wrong, and what we learned by brewing. If you are interested in brewing this beer yourself you can find the recipe at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

It's easy to look down on American Lagers. They're popular and have flavours so subtle that some would argue slip into the relms of being bland. In reality, brewing something as clean and neutral can be very difficult and as a homebrewer creating something this flawless is possibly the ultimate challenge of your abilities. As usual, we brew one ourselves and talk about it, then try these examples: Coors Light - https://www.coorslight.com/ Budweiser - https://www.budweiser.co.uk/ Pabst Blue Ribbon - https://pabstblueribbon.com/ And if you're interested in brewing this beer yourself, you can find the recipe at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

When choosing hops for your recipe, location and "terroir" can be just as important as variety. Hops from New Zealand in particular are highly regarded not only for having unusual intense flavours but also keeping things deliciously subtle in a well balanced beer. What better style to try them out than a New Zealand Pilsner, a crisp refreshing lager balanced with those new world hop notes. As usual, we brew one ourselves and talk about it, then try these examples: Mac's - Hop Rocker - https://macs.co.nz/ Cloudwater - It Took Over The Airports - https://cloudwaterbrew.co/ Burnt Mill - Moutere and Mosaic - http://www.burntmillbrewery.com/ FINAL GRAVITY We also try two beers from previous episodes, the Schwarzbier from Episode 23 and the Pineapple Icecream Pale Ale from Episode 29. Find out what went right, what went wrong, and what we learned by brewing.

One of the key parts of beer is the delicious grain that gives it its body, sweetness, colour and potentially many of its other attributes, the malted barley. If you're a fan of a big malt character in your beers, then Old Ale might be a great style to try, since it's packed full of big, biting and tasty malt flavours. In this episode Mike chats with Will Twomey, head brewer of West Berkshire Brewery (where Mike also works, which is totally a conflict of interest) about an Old Ale that was brewed recently, named Holly Cutter. We try Holly Cutter and discuss it's recipe, before delving into these other examples of the style: Morland - Old Crafty Hen https://www.oldspeckledhen.co.uk/ Theakston - Old Peculiar https://www.theakstons.co.uk/ Robinsons - Old Tom https://www.robinsonsbrewery.com/ And you can find out more about West Berkshire Brewery's beers at https://www.wbbrew.com/

Many people relish getting nerdy about homebrewing (maybe you’re one?), but there is also another type of brewing that gets equally deep, and that's coffee. Coffee has been well studied and well enjoyed by many nerds and can add fantastic flavours to your beers, from dark lingering roasty bitterness to big rich fruity notes. In this special on-location episode of By The Mash Tun we talk to Siren Craft brewer Kit Karazinov who has a lot of experience adding coffee to beer. Find out how, what, when, where and why to make these additions in order to bring out the exact flavour you’re looking for. We also try all four of this year’s Project Barista series, all by Siren Craft Brew: Double Double, Coffee Negroni, Irish and Bourbon Turkish. https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/ You can find the recipe discussed in the episode at https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

When it comes to hops usually fresh is best. So what could be better than fresh undried hops straight from the bine! Some say it gives grassy and "green" notes, so if you're looking for the freshest hop flavour you can get, why not celebrate harvest season with a beer? We brew a Green Hop Pale Ale in the episode and try these delicious hopped beverages: Hogsback - Hop Garden Gold - https://www.hogsback.co.uk/ Dark Star - Hophead - https://www.darkstarbrewing.co.uk/ Wye Valley Meadery - Honey & Hops - https://www.wyevalleymeadery.co.uk/ We also try some "Herefordshire Hop" a delicious English hopped cheese!

Mike and Cal join award winning homebrewer Daren Fearon a few days after he brewed one of the biggest styles homebrewers can try, the American take on Barleywine. By taking all that is good about beer (the malt bite, the hoppy finish, the yeasty esters and a touch of alcohol), pushing everything as high as it will go and with ABVs ranging from 10% all the way up to 15%, this heavyweight style can pack quite the punch. We also talk with Daren about his work with the Reading Amateur Brewers (http://readingamateurbrewers.co.uk/), his approach at the style, his recipe, then try these delicious examples: Brewdog - AB25 https://www.brewdog.com/uk/ Siren Craft - Maiden 2017 - https://www.sirencraftbrew.com/ Tiny Rebel and Siren Craft - Dark Cherry & Chocolate Barley Wine https://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/