
How to Make Traditional BalsamicThe production process for traditional balsamic vinegar is different from the standard wine vinegar production process in many ways. Extra skills, equipment, and ingredients are required, and a whole lot of patience.
Wine Tap System For Home There are many benefits to choosing draft wine over bottling. This guide discusses the why and how of kegging wine.
Improve Red Wine Body & FlavorLearn about techniques to extract and polymerize the best tannins in your red wine, producing soft and lush mouthfeel.
Managing Oxygen in the Wine BottleLearn best-practices in limiting oxygen exposure in your wine bottles to extend the shelf life and improve wine quality.
Mysterious Malolactic in WineThis article discusses the why and how of performing MLF on your wine including MLF strain selection, best practices for success, encouraging or discouraging buttery diacetyl production, and the greatest mystery of them all---determining whether the MLF fermentation has completed.
Preventing Spontaneous MLFThe underlying issue is that the winemaker always needs to address the malic acid before bottling any wine, one way or the other.
Hop Water RecipeThis quick and easy recipe makes a delicious and refreshing non-alcoholic, hop-focused soda to compliment your beers and other drinks at home.
Sparkling Water on TapInstructions to set up your draft system, carbonate water, and then make Italian Sodas, Flavored Sparkling Waters, Hard Seltzers, Tonics, and Hop Waters.
Brewing Malt GuideBrewing Malt Guide by The Beverage People. A reference guide for brewing malts available at The Beverage People.
Hops - An Emoji-Based GuideCompare hop varietals by aromatic character, aromatic intensity, and bittering potential.
Barrel Care ProceduresA reference guide for general barrel care including swelling, acidifying, cleaning, as well as short and long term storage.
Harvest and Wine MathUnits of measurement, estimating the grape crop, bucket needs for harvest, fermentation, bulk storage, and wine press needs. Plus, equations for adjusting sugar and acidity levels.
Learn to brew an "IPA" in any colorLearn to brew an "IPA" in any color. Includes instructions on recipe design for American IPA, Black IPA, Wheat IPA, and Rye IPA.
Moving from Extract to All-GrainWhile many brewers are happy with extract brewing for a long time, many others get the urge to exercise more control and creativity over their homebrews. If that’s the way you feel, you may be ready to move on up to all-grain brewing. Three main areas are impacted by a decision to go all-grain: the mash process, additional equipment, and new ingredient choices.
BREWERY DESIGN OPTIONSConsider the equipment options for all-grain brewing, and review some of our example all-grain brewery systems. Or...design your own system to suit your preferences.
Simplifying the Adjustment of Brewing WaterBrewing water is a complicated topic. The profile of the water coming out of your tap can vary from day to day. At The Beverage People we have been making use of HACH water quality test strips to check the critical compounds and ensure that we have adjusted them into our ideal range.
Adjusting Acidity in Sour BeerHow To Make Sour Beer Balanced? Learn about Titratable Acidity. An addition of 2.8 grams of potassium bicarbonate per gallon will reduce lactic acid titratable acidity by 0.1%.
Strong and Sour Beer in BarrelsThe use of barrels in brewing is not a new idea. They have been used historically as fermentors, such as the Burton Union systems popular a century ago in Burton-upon-Trent; they have transported beer to the far flung corners of the British Empire, as India Pale Ales were shipped from England around the world in wooden casks; also they have been used to impart oak and aged flavors in many beers out of Belgium such as Flanders Red Ale, Lambic, and Geuze.
Sanke Kegs for Brewing & DistillingA disussion of why and how to use Sanke Kegs for fermentation, serving on draft, and distillation.
Island Harmony Coconut PorterI suppose it was inevitable that some Hawaiian brewmaster, surrounded by tourists refreshing themselves with coconut water, drank straight from the coconuts, would be unable to stop himself from putting that coconut in the beer.
Nitrogenate Your HomebrewHow Does It Work? Nitrogenated beer is conditioned and served at higher than normal keg pressures. The higher than normal pressure results in the formation of very small bubbles when the beer is forced through a restrictor plate in the faucet at the time of serving.
What Milk is Best For Cheesemaking?What Brand Is The Best Milk For Cheese Making? We set out to test for ourselves how much difference we could detect between store bought cow's milk of different brands and prices.
Wine Bottle Types - An InfographicEnjoy our infographic and quickly learn the popular type of bottles including options for bottle shapes, colors, sizes, and closure options.
ValencayThis cheese is a decadent french-style soft goat cheese that comes with its own mythology explaining its unique pyramidical shape.
Soft Cultured MozzarellaSoft cultured fresh mozzarella cheese generates the most interest in home cheesemaking. The allure of its soft texture, varied uses, speed of production, and the fun of stretching the curd make it a very attractive beginner cheese.
Baby GoudaThis recipe is a "Baby Gouda" adaptation of Margaret Morris's recipe published in The Cheesemaker's Manual and a recipe published by Peter Dixon.
Cream CheeseCream Cheese is an easy and fast cheese that is good for beginners, and will be familiar to anyone with experience making chevre, creme fraiche, fromage blanc, mascarpone, or even yogurt.
CAM & GROOVE DISCONNECTSEngineer your system to operate with ease by incorporating stainless steel cam and groove quick disconnect fittings.
Carbonation Stone InstructionsA better solution for speeding up carbonation would be to use a Carbonating Stone. This is a piece of stainless steel, perforated throughout with a huge number 0.5 - 2 micron holes.
Using Sous Vide for CheesemakingFor most of our home cheesemakers, using this Sous Vide simplifies your cheesemaking day by automating temperature control.
Cheese Starter Culture GuideA guide to understanding the composition and use of the cheese starter cultures carried by The Beverage People.
Large Batch Cheese AdventureA local dairyman came into The Beverage People to make a unique offer. He was going on vacation and would have about 15 gallons of Jersey milk available if we wanted it. Of course we said yes!
Olive Mills In Sonoma AreaHere is a list of some local olive mills in the Sonoma County area that might be able to help you process your olives into oil. Additionally, there is a review of the olive oil production process.
How to Measure Vinegar StrengthAmateur vinegar making hobbyists often wonder if their wine (or beer, or cider) has successfully turned completely into vinegar. Acidity testing provides a way to determine if the anticipated acidity increase has occurred, and thereby, whether the conversion into vinegar has been successful.
How To Save Money HomebrewingHomebrewing is one of the best ways to keep the costs down in your pursuit of tasty pints! Let’s jump into the Top 10 Ways to Save Money Homebrewing.