Homebrew Happy Hour

Lots of you asked for it so I’m proud to welcome my buddy (and the AHA Homebrewer of the Year), Wayne Doucette, back on the show. This week, he’s talking all about pH in brewing and why it matters. From the mash, to the boil, and all the way thru fermentation! So buckle up because it’s time for the Homebrew Happy Hour podcast!… THE home brew #podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer! A NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER: If you appreciate the things we do here at Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Trub Club! —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635 On Today’s Show: Brewing Water Chemistry: Understanding Mash, Boil, and Fermentation pH with Wayne Doucette Links for this episode:APERA Digital pH Meter: https://amzn.to/4kJjaInMilwaukee Digital pH Meter: https://amzn.to/4qLKHdLpH Test Strips: https://amzn.to/4bVW7I7 We want to hear from you! If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. Let us know what you think and enjoy the show! cheers, joshua ———————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Hops Direct! Family owned and operated, Hops Direct provides a wide variety of hop selection and ships directly to your door. Learn more by visiting https://hopsdirect.com/?utm_source=HHH&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=HHH+link ————————– This episode is brought to you by, Muntons Malts – a company that is passionate about providing premium malts to brewers worldwide. YOU can experience the difference Muntons offers by joining a recipe receiving tier of our Trub Club because every kit that ships out now includes premium Muntons Malt, join at https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour ————————– This episode is brought to you by Brewer’s Friend! Brewing beer at home isn’t just about the ingredients, it’s about precision. And that’s where BrewersFriend.com comes in. Whether you’re dialing in your very first recipe or perfecting your hundredth, Brewers Friend gives you the tools to brew with confidence. Their recipe builder, mash calculators, and water profile database helps take the guesswork out of the process so you can focus on what matters: making great beer! Plus, Brewers Friend isn’t just software, it’s a community of passionate homebrewers, sharing recipes, tips, and feedback. It’s like having a brew club in your pocket! Head over to BrewersFriend.com today and take your homebrewing to the next level. Use promo code HAPPYHOUR to save 25% OFF premium memberships! That’s BrewersFriend.com…because better brewing starts with better tools! Click here to use our link: https://bit.ly/3N7uQbm ————————– Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our TRUB CLUB via our Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour #homebrewing #homebrewers #craftbeer #beer #brewing #craftbrew #kolsch #webcast #show

What a wild 10+ days it’s been down here in Texas! The winter storm was fun (meh) and I also have other news to update y’all with on a future episode but, for the time being, I’m so happy you could join me this week. You’re in for a special treat because my dear friend, Lorena Evans, is helping me take YOUR questions and hanging out as I undoubtedly derail the show at some point. Either way – I hope you’re ready because it’s officially time for the Homebrew Happy Hour podcast!… THE home brew #podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer! A NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER: If you appreciate the things we do here at Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Trub Club! —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635 On Today’s Show: Parti-Gyle Brewing, IPA Freshness, & Backsweetening Kombucha 00:00:00 – 00:12:51 Sponsors & Small Talk00:12:52 – 00:28:04 Parti-Gyle Brewing00:28:05 – 00:39:55 IPA Freshness00:39:56 – 00:55:38 Backsweetening Kombucha Links for this episode:16 Gallon Brew Kettle: https://amzn.to/4qt4heMHomebrew Kegs: https://amzn.to/4qm3X0ZKombucha Starter Kit: https://amzn.to/3OmhbgW We want to hear from you! If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. Let us know what you think and enjoy the show! cheers, joshua ———————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Hops Direct! Family owned and operated, Hops Direct provides a wide variety of hop selection and ships directly to your door. Learn more by visiting https://hopsdirect.com/?utm_source=HHH&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=HHH+link ————————– This episode is brought to you by, Muntons Malts – a company that is passionate about providing premium malts to brewers worldwide. YOU can experience the difference Muntons offers by joining a recipe receiving tier of our Trub Club because every kit that ships out now includes premium Muntons Malt, join at https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour ————————– This episode is brought to you by Brewer’s Friend! Brewing beer at home isn’t just about the ingredients, it’s about precision. And that’s where BrewersFriend.com comes in. Whether you’re dialing in your very first recipe or perfecting your hundredth, Brewers Friend gives you the tools to brew with confidence. Their recipe builder, mash calculators, and water profile database helps take the guesswork out of the process so you can focus on what matters: making great beer! Plus, Brewers Friend isn’t just software, it’s a community of passionate homebrewers, sharing recipes, tips, and feedback. It’s like having a brew club in your pocket! Head over to BrewersFriend.com today and take your homebrewing to the next level. Use promo code HAPPYHOUR to save 25% OFF premium memberships! That’s BrewersFriend.com…because better brewing starts with better tools! Click here to use our link: https://bit.ly/3N7uQbm ————————– Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our TRUB CLUB via our Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour #homebrewing #homebrewers #craftbeer #beer #brewing #craftbrew #kolsch #webcast #show

Around October 2025, I came up with an idea for our 2026 Trub Club recipe kits (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635). My plan – to feature clone recipe kits of our country’s most popular and longstanding craft beer AND I wanted to interview the brewmaster each month to learn more about the history of their brewery and the beer that made them so popular. Think about it! How cool is it to chat with brewmasters that are responsible for beer that have pioneered and shaped craft beer as we know it? With all of that being said, I am so thrilled that we’re starting off 2026 VERY strong by featuring a Texas OG: Shiner Bock. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve certainly heard about and likely have consumed your fair share of Shiner Bock. I was so excited when their brewmaster, Greg Hybner, replied to my email and agreed to come on the show. Not only did we have a great conversation for the podcast, he was also an exceptional host and gave me a true VIP tour of the campus. I can’t say enough nice things about Greg and the beer speaks for itself so make sure you grab yourself a six pack or even a case sometime soon.With all of that being said, I hope you’re ready because it’s officially time for the Homebrew Happy Hour podcast!… THE home brew #podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer! A NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER: If you appreciate the things we do here at Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Trub Club! —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635 On Today’s Show: A Texas Craft Beer Tradition: Inside Spoetzel Brewery w/ Shiner Brewmaster Greg Hybner – ep.462 Links for this episode:Shiner’s Website: https://shiner.com/Homebrew Kegs: https://amzn.to/4b75pk5Shiner Beer Metal Sign: https://amzn.to/4qCDv4q We want to hear from you! If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. Let us know what you think and enjoy the show! cheers, joshua ———————– https://www.kegconnection.com/ Each and every episode is made possible by Kegconnection.com! Build the kegerator or keezer of your dreams using Kegconnection.com’s unique customizable product options that allows you to get exactly what you need. Kegconnection.com also stocks products and solutions for kegging kits, draft systems, hardware, components, cleaning and much much more. Kegconnection.com has been operating for more than 20 years in the industry and has established expertise and superior customer service. ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Imperial Yeast, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about why we LOVE Imperial Yeast by checking out their entire line, available at https://www.imperialyeast.com/ ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Hops Direct! Family owned and operated, Hops Direct provides a wide variety of hop selection and ships directly to your door. Learn more by visiting https://hopsdirect.com/?utm_source=HHH&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=HHH+link ————————– This episode is brought to you by, Muntons Malts – a company that is passionate about providing premium malts to brewers worldwide. YOU can experience the difference Muntons offers by joining a recipe receiving tier of our Trub Club because every kit that ships out now includes premium Muntons Malt, join at https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour ————————– This episode is brought to you by Brewer’s Friend! Brewing beer at home isn’t just about the ingredients, it’s about precision. And that’s where BrewersFriend.com comes in. Whether you’re dialing in your very first recipe or perfecting your hundredth, Brewers Friend gives you the tools to brew with confidence. Their recipe builder, mash calculators, and water profile database helps take the guesswork out of the process so you can focus on what matters: making great beer! Plus, Brewers Friend isn’t just software, it’s a community of passionate homebrewers, sharing recipes, tips, and feedback. It’s like having a brew club in your pocket! Head over to BrewersFriend.com today and take your homebrewing to the next level. Use promo code HAPPYHOUR to save 25% OFF premium memberships! That’s BrewersFriend.com…because better brewing starts with better tools! Click here to use our link: https://bit.ly/3N7uQbm ————————– Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our TRUB CLUB via our Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour #homebrewing #homebrewers #craftbeer #beer #brewing #craftbrew #kolsch #webcast #show

Howdy, folks! Todd and James join me for our first Q&A episode of the new year. It’s time for the Homebrew Happy Hour podcast!… THE home brew #podcast where we answer all of your home brewing questions and discuss anything related to craft beer! A NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER: If you appreciate the things we do here at Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Trub Club! —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635 On Today’s Show: What Upgrades to Spend my Money on, What to do when Fermentation Stalls Out, & Bottling vs Kegging 00:00:00 – 00:011:03 Sponsors & Small Talk00:11:04 – 00:21:02 Upgrading Brew System vs Fermenter00:21:03 – 00:31:39 Stalled Fermentation00:31:40 – 00:53:05 Bottling vs Kegging Links for this episode:Kegging Kits: https://www.kegconnection.com/kegging-kits.htmlHomebrew Kegs: https://www.kegconnection.com/kegs.htmlFLOTit 2.0 Floating Diptube: https://www.kegconnection.com/kp200-flotit-20-stainless-steel-floating-dip-tube-no-beer-left-behind.html We want to hear from you! If you have a question that you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, please click on the “Submit a Question” link at the top of our website or you can now call in your questions via our questions hotline @ 325-305-6107 and leave your message after the beep. Let us know what you think and enjoy the show! cheers, joshua ———————– https://www.kegconnection.com/ Each and every episode is made possible by Kegconnection.com! Build the kegerator or keezer of your dreams using Kegconnection.com’s unique customizable product options that allows you to get exactly what you need. Kegconnection.com also stocks products and solutions for kegging kits, draft systems, hardware, components, cleaning and much much more. Kegconnection.com has been operating for more than 18 years in the industry and has established expertise and superior customer service. ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Imperial Yeast, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about why we LOVE Imperial Yeast by checking out their entire line, available at https://www.imperialyeast.com/ ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Hops Direct! Family owned and operated, Hops Direct provides a wide variety of hop selection and ships directly to your door. Learn more by visiting https://hopsdirect.com/?utm_source=HHH&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=HHH+link ————————– This episode is brought to you by, Muntons Malts – a company that is passionate about providing premium malts to brewers worldwide. YOU can experience the difference Muntons offers by joining a recipe receiving tier of our Trub Club because every kit that ships out now includes premium Muntons Malt, join at https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour ————————– This episode is brought to you by Brewer’s Friend! Brewing beer at home isn’t just about the ingredients, it’s about precision. And that’s where BrewersFriend.com comes in. Whether you’re dialing in your very first recipe or perfecting your hundredth, Brewers Friend gives you the tools to brew with confidence. Their recipe builder, mash calculators, and water profile database helps take the guesswork out of the process so you can focus on what matters: making great beer! Plus, Brewers Friend isn’t just software, it’s a community of passionate homebrewers, sharing recipes, tips, and feedback. It’s like having a brew club in your pocket! Head over to BrewersFriend.com today and take your homebrewing to the next level. Use promo code HAPPYHOUR to save 25% OFF premium memberships! That’s BrewersFriend.com…because better brewing starts with better tools! Click here to use our link: https://bit.ly/3N7uQbm ————————– Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our TRUB CLUB via our Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour #homebrewing #homebrewers #craftbeer #beer #brewing #craftbrew #kolsch #webcast #show

No new episode this week but I wanted to drop in and wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope your day is filled with good food, family fun, and good beer. Be safe and have a wonderful rest of your week, my friends. A NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER: If you appreciate the things we do here at Homebrew Happy Hour, consider joining our Trub Club! —  https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=21132635 ———————– https://www.kegconnection.com/ Each and every episode is made possible by Kegconnection.com! Build the kegerator or keezer of your dreams using Kegconnection.com’s unique customizable product options that allows you to get exactly what you need. Kegconnection.com also stocks products and solutions for kegging kits, draft systems, hardware, components, cleaning and much much more. Kegconnection.com has been operating for more than 18 years in the industry and has established expertise and superior customer service. ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Imperial Yeast, for supporting us and the homebrewing community. Learn more about why we LOVE Imperial Yeast by checking out their entire line, available at https://www.imperialyeast.com/ ————————– Thank you to our show’s sponsor, Hops Direct! Family owned and operated, Hops Direct provides a wide variety of hop selection and ships directly to your door. Learn more by visiting https://hopsdirect.com/?utm_source=HHH&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=HHH+link ————————– This episode is brought to you by, Muntons Malts – a company that is passionate about providing premium malts to brewers worldwide. YOU can experience the difference Muntons offers by joining a recipe receiving tier of our Trub Club because every kit that ships out now includes premium Muntons Malt, join at https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour ————————– Become a Patron!  Reminder that these episodes are ultimately made possible because of YOUR support. Consider becoming a member of our TRUB CLUB via our Patreon page and receive perks such as merch, exclusive group access and content, recipes, and some tiers even get monthly recipe kits mailed to you! https://www.patreon.com/HomebrewHappyHour #homebrewing #homebrewers #craftbeer #beer #brewing #craftbrew #kolsch #webcast #show