The Hop Addition

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we take on one of the greatest challenges in British brewing: cloning the legendary Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.We dive deep into the ingredients, process, and brewing science behind this iconic Yorkshire pale ale — from Golden Promise malt and Styrian Goldings hops to the famously characterful West Yorkshire yeast strain and the magic of traditional Yorkshire Square fermentation.To put theory into practice, the three of us each brewed our own Landlord-inspired clone using different approaches, equipment, yeast choices, and water profiles — then put them head-to-head in a taste off against the commercial benchmark.Expect a deep dive into:🍺 Why Golden Promise is essential to the Landlord profile🧪 Water chemistry and sulfate-driven bitterness🌿 The importance of Styrian Goldings late hopping🦠 Wyeast 1469 and the Yorkshire ester profile🏛️ The history and mechanics of Yorkshire SquaresWe also explore how fermentation management, mineral balance, and heritage ingredients shape one of the most award-winning beers in British brewing history.Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — including the new Prysma liquid hop products and the dedicated Hop Addition recipe section.💬 Have you ever tried cloning a commercial beer? Let us know your favourite British ale clone projects on socials and tell us which version you’d most like to try.👉 Next up: we’re diving into the modern West Coast IPA revival — tune in June 6th!

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re heading to the heart of Czech brewing tradition with a very special guest — Radim from Budvar.Together, we explore what makes Czech lager some of the most revered beer in the world, while tasting through classic Budvar examples and breaking down how to recreate these iconic styles at home.Expect a proper deep dive into:🍺 The magic of decoction mashing — what it really does to flavour💧 The role of ultra-soft Czech water in balancing bitterness🌿 Saaz hops and their signature spicy, herbal character🌑 The underrated beauty of dark Czech lagers (Tmavý Ležák)🧪 Traditional techniques like open fermentation & krausen skimmingWe also tackle the big questions — does decoction really make a difference? And how do Czech brewers achieve such incredible depth and drinkability in every pint?Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there.💬 Brewing a Czech lager or drinking along with us? Share your thoughts on socials — we’d love to hear how you get on.

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re turning up the heat and diving headfirst into the bold, complex world of smoked beers. Joined by Rob from The Malt Miller, we explore how to harness smoke as an ingredient — without turning your brew into a liquid bonfire.We’re tasting a range of homebrewed creations, including a Rauchbier, Smoked Märzen, Smoked Lager, and the legendary Broken Dream, while breaking down recipes, techniques, and lessons learned along the way.Expect a deep dive into:🔥 Different smoked malts — beechwood, cherry, oak, and peat🌍 Historic styles like Rauchbier, Grodziskie, Lichtenhainer & Sahti🧪 Managing phenols and balancing smoke intensity⚖️ Getting your grist percentages just right (and avoiding the peat trap!)🏠 Smoking your own malt at home — techniques, tips & pitfallsWe also cover the key principles behind brewing great smoked beer — from building a solid malt backbone to keeping fermentation clean and letting time mellow those bold smoky flavours.Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — especially if you’re looking to experiment with smoked malts. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there.💬 Got a favourite smoked beer or brewing tip? Let us know on socials and tell us what’s in your glass.

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re joined by Andy Thomason from Four Priests Brewery for a deep dive into brewing, cask beer, and life behind the bar.We crack into a brilliant lineup of beers — including Murgy, Cross Stout (4.2%), DIVINE Hibernation (4.8%), Get Locky (5.8%), and Ginger BEER’D (4.3%) — while chatting all things recipe design, customer expectations, and what it really takes to craft great beer for cask.Expect plenty of insight (and a few strong opinions!) on:🍺 Designing beers for real drinkers🛢️ Cask ale techniques, finings, and conditioning⚙️ Equipment, dispense methods & cellar practices🍻 Hard vs soft spiles, cask breathers & pour perfection🏡 The realities of running a pub in today’s climateHuge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — now stocked up with fresh Kegland equipment. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there!💬 Tried any beers from Four Priests? Let us know your thoughts on socials and tell us what you’re drinking along with us.

In Episode 131 of the Hop Addition Podcast, we’re getting back to brewing basics and diving deep into base malts — the true foundation of flavour in every great beer. From Maris Otter to Pilsner, Planet to Chevallier, we explore how your choice of base malt shapes body, balance, efficiency, and character.A huge thanks to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier of all things homebrew. Don’t forget to check out their Hop Addition recipe section, and take advantage of reduced prices on hop pellets following their successful holiday sale.🍺 Tonight we cover:🌾 What makes a base malt “base” — enzymes, extract, and diastatic power🧪 How barley varieties, terroir, and malting methods affect flavour📊 How to read malt analysis sheets (HWE, colour, friability, screening)🔥 Kilning, Maillard reactions, and flavour development🌍 UK maltsters, sustainability, and the future of barley breeding🎯 Pale vs Pilsner, heritage vs modern varieties, and when yield really mattersWe also explore practical brewing ideas, including blind base-malt tastings and how to test different malts in your own recipes, plus a hop tester and sensory analysis segment.👉 Next episode plans are in the works — keep an eye on our socials for updates.📲 Share your brews, tasting notes, and malt experiments with us online, and join us in the after party.Cheers from the Hop Addition crew! 🍻

In this episode of the Hop Addition Podcast we’re joined by one of the UK homebrewing scene’s rising stars — Richard Baggaley of Wheatlow Brewery. Known for his wildly inventive brewing setup and fast-growing YouTube channel, Rich shares his homebrewing journey, the origins of his unique set up, and plenty of entertaining stories along the way. Check him out on YouTube at Wheatlow Brewery for some of the most creative homebrew content out there.A big thanks to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier for all things homebrew. Don’t forget to explore the Hop Addition recipe section on their site, and check out current discounts across BIAB and 3-pot systems, BrewZilla, Grainfather, the Apollo Titan, 10% off Muntons malts — plus the Bucket Blaster at just £49.95 Tonight Rich walks us through the beers he kindly supplied — Sweet Release, Frothson, Blind Pig, and On the Barke Side — with bonus pours of Lederhosen and Spruce Juice.We dive into:🍺 Richard’s YouTube journey and where it’s heading🏗️ The evolution of his brewing setup, including his Burton Union system — what it is, how it works, and why it matters🍻 The art of cask beer, top tips for traditional British styles, and the eternal debate: sparkler or no sparkler?🌾 Favourite styles, ingredients, and the five beers he’d keep on tap forever🎧 What he loves most about the Hop Addition community👉 We’ll be taking a short break — the next episode lands Friday 12th December.Join us for a pint in the after party and share your latest brews on socials. Cheers! 🍻

In this episode of the Hop Addition Podcast, we’re diving deep into one of the most exciting trends in modern brewing: hoppy lagers. From classic Czech and German pilsners to Italian pilsners, New Zealand pilsners, IPLs, Cold IPAs, and West Coast pilsners — we’re breaking down what defines these styles, how they differ from hoppy ales, and how to brew them brilliantly at home.We’re talking:🌾 How to adapt a standard lager recipe💧 Water profiles, pH, and process tweaks🌿 Hopping rates, whirlpool vs dry hop approaches✨ Clarity challenges (and how to fix them)🧪 Yeast strains and modern hop products🎯 Achieving that perfect balance of crisp lager character with big hop expressionWe also debrief on the Love & Beer Festival with Craft Beer Channel and The Malt Miller, share what we’re drinking, and answer live questions from listeners tuning in.Tag us with your latest homebrew, festival pours, or favourite beers — and stay tuned for more from the Hop Addition.

Grab your steins and join us for a deep dive into the golden heart of Germany’s greatest beer celebration — Oktoberfest! In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re cracking open a few classic Festbiers and Märzens to explore what makes these brews the true taste of autumn.We’ll be tasting:🍺 Augustiner Festbier🍺 Ayinger Märzen🍺 Giesinger Festbier…and even Andy’s own homebrewed Festbier!Expect plenty of chat on the origins of Märzen and the rise of Festbier, how to tell them apart, and the brewing science behind each — from malt and yeast selection to fermentation, lagering, and decoction mashing.Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for everything homebrew. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section and grab your tickets to the upcoming Love and Beer Festival, where you can meet us in person and sample some of our own brews!💬 Got a favourite Festbier or Märzen? Let us know on socials and share what’s in your glass.So fill your stein, cue the brass band, and get ready for a Wunderbar evening of German beer talk and good vibes. Prost! 🍻👉 Next up: A special episode discussing all things dispense related, kegs, taps, gas and more!

In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re donning the robes and diving deep into the sacred world of Monastic Ales — the legendary Belgian beers inspired by centuries of Trappist tradition.Join us as we explore BJCP Section 26, tasting our way through all four styles:🍺 Westmalle Extra (Belgian Blonde)🍺 St Bernardus Pater 6 (Dubbel)🍺 Abbaye De Rochefort Triple Extra (Tripel)🍺 Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel (Quad)We’ll break down what makes a beer Monastic versus Trappist, share a bit of brewing history, and (hopefully) keep our pronunciation straight by the time we reach that final Quad!Huge thanks to our sponsor The Malt Miller, your go-to for everything homebrew. Don’t miss their upcoming Love and Beer Festival on October 17th — homebrew bar, brewery collabs, food, bottleshares, and more. Grab your tickets at TheMaltMiller.co.uk, and come meet us for a pint!💬 Got a favourite Trappist or Monastic ale? Join the conversation on our socials — we love hearing what’s in your glass.👉 Next up: we welcome back Maverick Brewing Co. for a special drink-along episode (use code THEHOPADDITION15 for a curated beer pack at maverickbrewingco.com).So pour yourself something Belgian and join us on a spiritual journey through malt, yeast, and devotion.

In Episode 121 of The Hop Addition, we dive into the art and science of advanced lager brewing. From water chemistry adjustments, malt selection, and decoction mashing to yeast health, spunding, and fast lagering methods, this episode is packed with expert tips to help you brew crisp, clean lagers at home.We cover both classic lager styles—Vienna, Märzen, Czech Dark, Baltic Porter—and modern takes like NZ Pilsner, IPL, Rauchbier, and Japanese Rice Lager. Along the way, we share recipe insights, commercial examples, and pro-level hacks to elevate your homebrewing.👉 Whether you’re chasing that perfect Pilsner or experimenting with new lager techniques, this is your complete guide to brewing lager at home like a pro.#AdvancedLagerBrewing #Homebrewing #CraftBeer #LagerBrewingTips #TheHopAddition

A big announcement from founding member Chris

In this hop-forward episode of The Hop Addition, we’re joined by Guy Perry from Hopsteiner, one of the world’s leading hop suppliers and innovators. Guy gives us an inside look at Hopsteiner’s cutting-edge breeding programs, unique hop products, and what … Episode 117 – Guy Perry from Hopsteiner! Read More »

In Episode 115 of The Hop Addition, we dive deep into one of the most critical—and often overlooked—elements of homebrewing: yeast health and fermentation management. We break down everything you need to know to keep your yeast happy and your … Episode 115 – Happy Yeast! Read More »