Author: Joseph Lavoie

Salty Coriander Gose

Gose might be my preferred summer beer. I brewed this Gose ale recipe as a perfect start to any fun sunny evening with friends. It’s not too sour, and the sea salt and coriander seeds give the beer that perfect balance. You could sip on this bad boy by all day long. And I love…
Tokyo Rose Saison

HALO is an amazing brewery in Toronto. I met one of the founders when they were looking for seed funding. Sadly, I was a month too late in pledging my support. I wanted to invest because of this one beer. The brewery has since shared its recipe for the world. I’ve adapted it for one-gallon…
Brewing with Fruits and Spices

Adding fruit beers to your arsenal at home often takes trial and error if you’re building a recipe from scratch. However, when used well, they can elevate your beer to a whole new level. I’m here to help you step it up a notch with this detailed tutorial on how to use fruit and spices…
Introduction to Hopping Methods

Most homebrew recipes give us a clear indication of when to add the hops: the start of the boil for bittering, later in the boil for flavour and the end of the boil for aroma. But we can also add hops before the boil. Or after the boil, or after primary fermentation. Get to know…
How to correct low (or high) original gravity

I was inspired to write this guide after a reader wrote in to complain that despite following my recipe to a tee, his original gravity reading came in very low. As all-grain brewers, we have all had this problem eventually. It has happened to me on more than one occasion, and it is beyond frustrating…
Black IPA

I’m a late convert to this style, long of the view that it was a fad that would pass. Well, the style remains, and I concede that a black IPA is a thing of beauty. It’s a style that elegantly contrasts roasted caramel notes with the grassy or tropical flavours. Why not, right?
Spiced Saison

I could tinker with saison recipes without ever touching another style. Saisons offer so much variety and I just love how spicy you can make it while still producing a balanced beer. This one has a classic spice mix that augments the yeast so well.
Session IPA

There are times when you want a smack of hop flavour all afternoon long. Throwing back double IPAs could make for a punishing morning the next day. If you want to sip slow and long, this IPA recipe stays light on the ABV, intense on the hops.
Managing Fermentation

While we often make a fuss about the importance of sanitization in brewing (it’s important!), there is a separate variable that almost single-handedly accounts for the quality of your beer: fermentation. In fact, most of what can go wrong with your beer happens during fermentation.
Edward Ale

Inspired by Hill Farmstead’s renowned version of American Pale Ale, this beer is flowery, with impressions of citrus and pine.
Boston Lager

It can be easy to forget how tasty the Vienna Lager beer style is, and the powerful role the Boston Brewing Company has played in the craft beer movement with its signature interpretation. I went years without drinking Sam Adams’ Boston Lager, and was inspired to brew it after rediscovering such a classic.
New England IPA

This new beer style isn’t officially a style yet, but it’s rather delicious. Be a pioneer and beer this hazy, soft, tropical, stone-fruity IPA.
How to evaluate your beer

As the Godfather of homebrewing, Charlie Papazian once wrote, “the more you know about beer, the more you will appreciate beer flavors and discover what it is you prefer…” As a home brewer, you already know more about beer than most. Even if you just have one brew under your belt, you’re in a league…
American Wheat Beer

This style should not be confused with its German cousin. This is not a Hefeweizen. You won’t find notes of cloves or banana. However, you will notice prominent hop flavour. Here I’ve opted for New Zealand hops to give this a bright, citrusy profile perfect for warm weather drinking.
Blanche de Leslieville

Blanche de Chambly is one of Quebec’s great beers, and one we Canadians take for granted more than we should. It’s readily available on our store shelves, but when it was new to the market, it was one hell of a revelation. Here’s my version, named after the beloved Toronto neighbourhood I call home.