28th Sep 2023
By Greig McGill Well, I can’t put it off any more! The Brewshop.co.nz team has been asking me to write this article for … far too long now. I’ve put it off because, no matter how much I think I know…
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5th Sep 2023
By Greig McGill I am not easily surprised or shocked these days. I’m getting on a bit you see, and have been firmly in the “beer nerd” camp for over a quarter of a century, and a brewer (both home a…
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5th Jul 2023
By Greig McGill Often when judging homebrew competitions, I’m surprised by the “repeat offenders” - that is to say, the entries from brewers who have been brewing a while who are still making basic…
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8th Jun 2023
By Greig McGill Carbonation - the amount of “fizz” in our beer caused by dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) - can make all the difference between a good beer and a truly great one. While getting the cor…
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11th Apr 2023
By Greig McGill Apologies to any international readers of this humble Brewshop blog who are unfamiliar with the term “flash” in this context. It’s a UK/Aussie/Kiwi-ism, and is often used the same wa…
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23rd Mar 2023
Brewing yeast is a vital component of any beer, cider, or mead making process. The yeast converts sugars in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which gives the drink its distinct flavour and aro…
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22nd Feb 2023
By Greig McGill “What have the Aussies ever done for us?”, he asked, in a manner vaguely reminiscent of a member of the People’s Front of Judea. Or was it the Judean People’s Front? I guess that doe…
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19th Jan 2023
Low alcohol brewing is one of the latest trends in brewing, and for good reason. Low alcohol beer is popular for people wanting to drive after a drink or two, or for those wanting the taste of a be…
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30th Nov 2022
By Greig McGill This article might not be for you. If you’re reading this, you’re likely well set up with your own system for brewing, and have lovingly tweaked it over time to be exactly the way yo…
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11th Oct 2022
By Greig McGill There’s been a lot of buzz over the last few years about the supposedly newly discovered phenomenon of hop creep. In fact, hop creep has been a known factor since 1893! But now that…
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28th Jun 2022
By Greig McGillAn old soak’s guide to NZ’s most iconic beer festival The huge and storied beer festival that takes place in Wellington each August (usually) began life as a way to get rid of excess…
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31st May 2022
By Greig McGill Pilot brewing is a process that has undergone a bit of change in purpose over the last decade or so. While many breweries will still brew one (or several) pilot batches to really dia…
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