Lug Wrench Chart Featured on Brookston Beer Bulletin...Again!

Back in February, Tom and I were floored when one of our Beer Charts was featured by Jay Brooks's Brookston Beer Bulletin.  Both being fans of Jay's site and the information it extolls, we were thrilled to see that our work some how made it onto the pages of a craft brew icon.

Well on March 25th, another of our Beer Charts were featured - this time the ABV Range by Style chart.  Tickled pink is an appropriate expression....

For anyone interested, all the beer charts we've done can be found on this page, including links to download PDF copies of each collection.

Slainte!

-JW


"Be in good cheer, drink only great beer."
-Jay Brooks

Lug Wrench Chart on Brookston Beer Bulletin!

When we started posting Beer Charts on the blog, I remember sending the first chart to Tom and when I asked if it was worth posting, the response was "my wife just saw it, rolled her eyes and mumbled something about beer nerds....you should definitely post it!"  Fifteen charts later, the project has been going strong.

But on Tuesday February 19th, one of our charts were catapulted beyond our expectations when it was featured as an infographic by Jay Brooks's Brookston Beer Bulletin.  Jay and his site are arguably one of the most influential beer blogs in the craft beer industry.  Tom and I have been fans of his for years, so I think the two of us were floating a few inches off the ground when we our chart come up on his site.  Thanks a millon Jay!

For anyone interested, all the beer charts we've done can be found on this page, including links to download PDF copies of each collection.

Slainte!

-Jeff


"Be of good cheer, drink only great beer."
-Jay Brooks

Yeast Strains Used in Brewing Classic Styles

Below is the fourth and final Ingredients Chart in the series that visually compares the amount of ingredients (base malt, specialty grains & sugars, hops, and yeast strains) used in the recipes of Jamil's veritable book "Brewing Classic Styles" (BCS).  As mentioned in the first Ingredients Chart posting, this project came about as I tried to identify the most frequently used brewing ingredients in order to stock my brewing inventory accordingly.

If a brewer were to brew all 80+ recipes in BCS, it would take 1,197 lbs of grains and sugars, 207 ounces (~13 lbs) of hops, and 88 vials of yeast.  Looking specifically at the yeast usage, the chart below illustrates the top 15 yeast strains out of 29 strains mentioned in the book.  Its not a surprise that California Ale yeast (WLP001) was the most used yeast by far.  Called for in a quarter of all the recipes, this workhorse yeast is full of utility.  Cal Ale is the yeast strain I try to harvest the most after a batch of beer is finished, as there are so many uses for it in subsequent brews.

In addition to the above chart, several other charts were generated for other BCS ingredients.  The links for each chart are updated as they are published.

• Base Malts Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 20 Specialty Malts / Sugars Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Hops Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 15 Yeast Strains Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"

This project is a bit open-ended, so please let us know what you think or if there are other ways in which this data can be useful to a fellow homebrewer.

Slainte!

-JW


"This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption ... Beer!"
-Friar Tuck

Hops Used In Brewing Classic Styles

Below is the third Ingredients Chart in the series that visually compares the amount of ingredients (base malt, specialty grains and sugards, hops, and yeast strains) used in the recipes of Jamil's veritable book "Brewing Classic Styles" (BCS).  As mentioned in the first Ingredients Chart posting, this project came about as I tried to identify the most frequently used brewing ingredients in order to stock my brewing inventory accordingly.

If a brewer were to brew all 80+ recipes in BCS, it would take 1,197 lbs of grain and sugars, 207 ounces (~13 lbs) of hops, and 88 vials of yeast.  Looking at the hops usage, the chart below illustrates the 22 different hop varieties called out by the book.  Kent Goldings and the noble Hallertau reign supreme.  This is directly driven by the fact that these are Jamil's generic go-to hops for English and German beers respectively (for instance, all the American light lagers use Hallertau exclusively).  Substitutions can certainly be made if a related hop happens to be in your freezer, but the chart below describes what was called out specifically in the book.

In addition to the above chart, several other charts were generated for other BCS ingredients.  The links for each chart will be updated as they are published.

• Base Malts Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 20 Speciality Malts / Sugars Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Hops Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 15 Yeast Strains Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"

This project is a bit open-ended, so please let us know what you think or if there are other ways in which this data can be useful to fellow homebrewers.

Slainte!

-JW

"Beer is an improvement on water itself."

-Grant Johnson

Specialty Grains/Sugars Used In Brewing Classic Styles

Below is the second Ingredients Chart in the series that visually compares the amount of ingredients (base malt, specialty grains and sugars, hops, and yeast strains) used in recipes of Jamil's veritable book "Brewing Classic Styles" (BCS).  As mentioned in the first Ingredient Chart posting, this project came about as I tried to identify the most frequently used brewing ingredients in order to stock my brewing inventory accordingly.

If a brewer were to brew all 80+ recipes in BCS, it would take 1,197 lbs of grains and sugars, 207 ounces (~13 lbs) of hops, and 88 vials of yeast. With regards to specialty grains and sugars, the chart below illustrates the top 20 grains/sugars that are used in highest quantity.  It became immediately apparent the importance of keeping Crystal 40 on hand, as it is used in 27 different recipes (keeping Crystal 80 and 120 may also not be a bad idea either).  Flaked wheat, on the other hand, is the only top ingredient that is a little deceiving.  It is ranked 5th on the list, but it is only called for in Witbiers and Lambics (5 lbs each), which minimizes the neccessity to stock it (unless those are your favorite styles).

In addition to the above chart, several other charts were generated for other BCS ingredients.  The links for each chart will be updated as they are published.

• Base Malts Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 20 Specialty Malts / Sugars Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Hops Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 15 Yeast Strains Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"

This project is a bit open-ended, so please let me know what you think or if there are other ways in which this data can be useful to fellow homebrewers.

Slainte!

-JW


"He was a wise man who invented beer."
-Plato

Base Malts Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"

At some point, I decided to build a series of spreadsheets where I could enter my current grain/hops/yeast inventory and the document would output which recipes in Jamil's "Brewing Classic Styles" (BCS) book that I could brew. It is a fun little tool and is useful for assessing the 'what to brew?' question if I wake up one morning with an itch to get something in a fermentor.  BCS is a marvelous resource for learning unfamiliar styles or to be used as a "style-barometer'.  If you do not have a copy of BCS, please don't ask me for the spreadsheet.  Go buy the book - its the best book in both Tom and my collections.

To make the recipe/inventory spreadsheet work, I loaded in all the ingredients for each BCS recipe to act as a look-up table.  In doing so, I kept finding myself look at which ingredients were used most often throughout the 80+ recipes in the book.  As I started analyzing them, I noticed that the use of certain malts or hops was more predominate than others.  By examining this, I was able to uncover several holes in my personal inventory where I did not have some of these popular ingredients.  Eventually, I found the information useful/interesting enough that the light bulb went off to share some of this information on the blog.   

If a brewer were to brew all 80+ recipes in BCS, it would take 1,197 lbs of grains and sugars, 207 ounces (~13 lbs) of hops, and 88 vials of yeast.  With regards to base malt, the chart below illustrates which types of base malt are used in highest quantity.  After putting this bar chart together, I almost immediately made a note to pick up some Maris Otter malt as my inventory is currently void of English Pale Malt

In addition to the above chart, several other charts were generated for other BCS Ingredient.  The links for each chart will be updated as they are published.

• Base Malts Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 20 Specialty Malts / Sugars Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Hops Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"
• Top 15 Yeast Strains Used in "Brewing Classic Styles"

This project is a bit open-ended, so please let me know what you think or if there are other ways in which this data can be useful to fellow homebrewers.

Slainte!

-JW

"The best way to die is to sit under a tree, eat lots of bologna and salami, drink a case of beer, then blow up."

-Art Donovan

Visual Brewing Charts by Lug Wrench

Ever since I posted the very first brewing chart I did, we've been getting lots of positive feedback and praise from the readers.  About once every other week, I get an email from someone asking for the PDF versions of the charts, which is great.  However, navigating through the site to get at all of the charts has been a mild complaint which I wanted to rectify.

Eventually, Tom and I will create a static page that contains similar information to what is below, but in the meantime, I wanted to list out all the current charts in a single post that can be used for everyone's reference.

BJCP Beer Style Visual Regerence Charts

1. SRM Color Ranges by Style
2. IBU Bitterness Ranges by Style
3. OG and FG Ranges by Style
4. Alcohol by Volume Ranges by Style
5. "Apparent" Bitterness (IBU/OG) Ranges by Style

White Labs Yeast Visual Reference Charts

1. Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Strain
2. Floculation Ranges by Strain
3. Optimal Temperature Ranges by Strain
4. Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Strain

Wyeast Labs Yeast Visual Reference Charts

1. Fermenation Attenuation Ranges by Strain
2. Flocuation Ranges by Strain
3. Optimal Temperature Ranges by Strain
4. Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Strain

Hop Union Hop Variety Visual Reference Charts

1. Alpha Acid Ranges by Hop Variety
2. Cohumulone Ranges by Hop Variety

In addition, I have uploaded PDFs of each collection to a public folder on DropBox, which should give access to anyone who wants the higher resolution PDFs of the charts.  If the link below do not work, please leave us a comment and I'll try to fix them again.

PDF Versions of the Above Collections

1. BCJP Beer Style Visual Reference Charts
2. White Labs Yeast Visual Reference Charts
3. Wyeast Labs Yeast Visual Reference Charts
4. Hop Union Hop Variety Visual Reference Charts

If you have any suggestions for future chart topics or have any feedback on the above, please let us know - we love to hear it!

Slainte!

-JW


"Mmmmm....Beer."
-Homer Simpson

Cohumulone Ranges by Hop Variety (Hop Union)

Below is the second Hop Variety Chart, which visually compares the cohumulone ranges of each hop variety from Hop Union's Hop Variety Handbook.  Cohumulone, an alpha acid found in hops, in higher levels is widely believed to present a harsh, unpleasant bitterness as well as have a negative impact on head retention.

As mentioned in the first Hop Variety Chart, this project is intended to visually compare the critical parameters of each hop variety to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other Hop Variety chart(s) previously posted:

• Alpha Acid Ranges by Hop Variety

If you would like a higher resolution PDF of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"I adore simple pleasures.  They are the last refuge of the complex."
-Oscar Wilde

Alpha Acid Ranges by Hop Variety (Hop Union)

After the Style Profile Charts and Yeast Charts we've featured in the past, I was searching for another topic to explore for the next series of charts.  The Hop Union's Hop Variety Data Booklet provided the perfect data set for the next topic: Hops.  Which varieties would be best for a high IBU brew?  Which varieties will produce the smoothest bitterness?

The first comparative hop chart in the series is the Alpha Acid Ranges by Hop Variety, which is presented below.  Alpha acid is a staple for every brewer in determining the bitterness imparted in a beer.  Click on the thumbnail to get a higher resolution image of the chart.  The other hop charts in the series will be added in subsequent posts.

In addition to the above, check out the other Hop Variety chart(s) previously posted:

• Cohumulone Ranges by Hop Variety

If you would like a high resolution PDF of this or any of the other charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share.

Slainte!

-JW


"A quart of ale is a dish for a king."
-William Shakespeare

Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain (Wyeast Labs)

Below is the fourth and final Yeast Strain Chart in the Wyeast Labs series, which visually compares the alcohol tolerance ranges of each yeast strain in the Wyeast Labs homebrewer product line.  As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other Wyeast Lab yeast strain charts previously posted:

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Floculation Rating Ranges by Yeast Stain
• Optimal Fermentation temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like a higher resolution PDF of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
-Oscar Wilde

Optimal Fermentation Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain (Wyeast Labs)

Below is the third Yeast Strain Chart in the series, which visually compares the preferrable fermentation temperatures of each yeast strain in Wyeast's stable.  As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart

In addition to the above, check out the other yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Floculation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolution PDFs of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch?
-W.C. Fields

Floculation Rating Ranges by Yeast Strain (Wyeast)

Below is the second Yeast Strain Chart in the series, which visually compares the relative floculation rating of each yeast strain in the Wyeast catalog. As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

 
In addition to the above, check out the other Wyeast yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Optimal Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolution PDF's of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email. I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into."

-Don Marquis

Fermentation Attenuation Ranges By Yeast Strain (Wyeast)

Similar to White Lab Yeast Charts that have been featured in past posts, I wanted to replicate the same type of charts with the Wyeast catalog.  The goal of the entire project is to to see how the different strains compared against one another.  Which yeast strains can take a cold ferment?  Which yeast flocculates out like a ton of bricks?

The first comparative yeast chart in this series is the Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain, which is presented below.  Click on the thumbnail to get a higher resolution image of the chart.  The other yeast charts in the series will be added in subsequent posts.

In addition to the above, check out the other Wyeast yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Flocculation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Optimal Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you would like a high resolution PDF of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"If God had intended us to drink beer, He would have given us stomachs."
-David Daye

“Apparent” Bitterness (IBU/OG) Ranges By Beer Style

After the completion of the initial four BJCP style charts that we published, a reader (thanks Andrew D.) suggested publishing a fifth chart looking at the IBU to OG ratios or “Apparent” bitterness of each style. Given that bitterness is typically set to offset the residual sweetness in a beer, looking at the relative OG and IBU values allows a brewer to gauge whether the style will typically be sweet, balanced, or bitter in the final product.

As was described in the first Style Chart posting, this project started out as a simple impulse, but turned into a series of graphical charts demonstrating how each BJCP style compare to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other four Beer Style Charts:

• SRM Color Ranges By Style
• IBU Bitterness Range By Style
• Original & Final Gravity Ranges By Style
• Alcohol By Volume Ranges By Style

Please click here for a higher resolution PDF of this chart or any of the other charts – I’m more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"No soldier can fight unless he is properly fed on beef and beer."
-John Churchill, First Duke of Marlborough

Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain (White Labs)

Below is the fourth and final Yeast Strain Chart in the White Labs series, which visually compares the alcohol tolerance ranges of each yeast strain in the White Labs homebrewer product line.  As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other White Lab yeast strain charts previously posted:

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Floculation Rating Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Optimal Fermentation Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolutiom PDFs of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


“Alcohol is good for you. My grandfather proved it irrevocably. He drank two quarts of booze every mature day of his life and lived to the age of 103. I was at the cremation – that fire would not go out.”
- Dave Astor

Optimal Fermentation Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain (White Labs)

Below is the third Yeast Strain Chart in the series, which visually compares the preferrable fermentation temperatures of each yeast strain in the White Labs homebrewer product line.  As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Floculation Rating Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolution PDFs of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health."
-Thomas Jefferson

Floculation Rating Ranges by Yeast Strain (White Labs)

Below is the second Yeast Strain Chart in the series, which visually compares the relative floculation rating of each yeast strain in the White Labs catalog.  As mentioned in the first Yeast Strain Chart posting, this project intends to visually compare the critical parameters of each yeast strain to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Fermentation Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Optimal Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolution PDF's of this or any of the charts, just shoot me an email. I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"If God had wanted us to filter our beer, he wouldn't have given us livers."
-Larry Bell

Fermentation Attenuation Ranges By Yeast Strain (White Labs)

In a manner akin to the Visual Beer Style Charts that were featured in prior posts, I turned my attention to comparing some of the most common brewing yeasts available to homebrewers.  Focusing specifically on the White Labs Brewing Yeasts (sorry Wyeast users), I wanted to see how the different strains compared against one another.  Which yeasts were notorious for attenuating a ferment on the low end of the spectrum?  Which yeasts have the best shot at fermenting a high alcohol beer?

The first comparative yeast chart - Attenuation Ranges by Yeast Strain - is preseted below.  Click on the thumbnail to get a higher resolution image of the chart.  The other yeast charts in the series will be added in susequent posts.

In addition to the above, check out the other yeast strain charts (all the links will be updated when the charts are posted):

• Floculation Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Optimal Temperature Ranges by Yeast Strain
• Alcohol Tolerance Ranges by Yeast Strain

If you'd like higher resolution PDF's of this or any of the chats, just shoot me an email.  I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"Not everybody is strong enough to endure life without an anesthetic.  Drink probably averts more gross crime that it causes."
-George Bernard Shaw

Alcohol By Volume Ranges By Beer Style

Below is the last Style Chart in the series demonstrates the comparitive Alcohol By Volume (ABV) ranges for each of the BJCP Beer Styles. As was described in the first Stlye Chart posting, this project started out as a simple impulse, but turned into a series of graphical charts demonstrating how each BJCP style compare to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other Beer Style Charts:

• SRM Color Ranges By Style
• IBU Bitterness Ranges By Style
• Original & Final Gravity Ranges By Style
• 'Apparent' Bitterness (IBU/OG) Ranges By Style

Please click here for a higher resolution PDF of this or any of the charts.  I'm more than happy to share them.
 
Slainte!
 
-JW
 
 
"I am a firm believer in the people.  If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis.  The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer."
-Abraham Lincoln

Original and Final Gravity Ranges By Beer Style Chart

The third Style Chart in the series demonstrates the comparitive Original and Final Gravity ranges for each of the BJCP Beer Styles.  As was described in the first Stlye Chart posting, this project started out as a simple impulse, but turned into a series of graphical charts demonstrating how each BJCP style compare to one another.

Click on the thumbnail below to get a higher resolution image of the chart.

In addition to the above, check out the other Beer Style Charts in the series (all links will be updated when the respective charts are posted)"

• SRM Color Ranges By Style
• IBU Bitterness Ranges By Style
• Alcohol By Volume Ranges By Style
• 'Apparent' Bitterness (IBU/OG) Ranges By Style

Please click here for a higher resolution PDF's of this chart or any other chart in the series - I'm more than happy to share them.

Slainte!

-JW


"We drink all we can.  The rest we sell."
-Utica Club Brewery