A new open-source application has hit the Interwebs designed specifically for the homebrewers among us. The application, entitled Brewtarget, is designed to help homebrew enthusiasts create and organize their beer recipes. Apparently, it’s a free, open-source version of Beer Tools. From the Brewtarget homepage,

I was fed up with the lack of good open source beer software, so I thought I would make a small application that would do all the calculations for me.

The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to take a set of user-given constraints and immediately formulate a recipe.

A similar open-source program, Brewsta, was also released recently at Source Forge. Any homebrewers out there have any experience with either of these programs?

[Via LifeHacker]

This is a guest post from my friend Jake. Jake is an aspiring home brewer that loves beer, sports, and the state of Maine. Born and raised here in Maine and now living in the suburbs of Portland, he brews his own beers and loves to try any new brew. He is co-editor of incessantrambling.com along with fellow BlogAboutBeer.com guest contributor Hokie. You can follow Jake on Twitter @IRdCjake. If you’d like to contribute a post to BlogAboutBeer.com, please contact me.

Beer is good…at least I hope you believe that. If you’re reading this blog, I will assume you agree with me. If not, please go somewhere else.

I brew my own beer. I thought I could make a Dogfish Head my first time. Boy, was I wrong. Beer is a complex beverage that takes time to get right. You cannot give it a wing and prayer…good beer is a work of art. Raphael wasn’t a master sculptor every statue, though I’d love to have been that talented.

I’ve brewed Browns, IPAs, Nut Browns, Stouts, Strawberry Wheats, and other assorted beers. Only once did I strike out. My Strawberry Wheat exploded while conditioning and soaked my entire pantry closet. I received a phone call from my better half. “Jake, your beer exploded…you need to clean the closet when you get home.” “Yes dear.”

I love making beer. You are in command every step of the way. You make every decision. How much malt, how much hops, how long do I boil, do I add more hops for flavor or do I say it’s good. It’s all your choice. You get to choose style and then go from there. You can make beer from recipes available online, in books, or from friends or you can just wing it. Every beer is different…even if it’s from a recipe. Just using a different water changes the taste of beer, just imagine if every product in the world was changed by a simple difference like water. Computers chips would have different speeds from the region that the copper came from, quality of video would change depending on the type of silicon used, and sheet metal would be weaker in certain regions of the world.

Beer is the ultimate social equalizer. You can be a millionaire, slumlord, or on welfare, everyone drinks beer. It was the beverage of choice for years…it’s easy to make and everyone can. Humans have been drinking beer longer than any other fermented beverage. It has been around since we’ve lived in the crescent of civilization. It was healthier than drinking water and it still is in many parts of the world. Anyone can make beer and everyone should. Making your own beer is the epitome of local economy.

Have I already said that I love beer? Everyone who enjoys beer needs to home brew. It’s easy and isn’t very expensive. By making your own beer, you will understand what makes beer taste the way it does and where the flavor comes from. Brewing your own beer gives you flexibility and the ability to push the envelope on what you drink. As Ben Franklin said, “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” So go out and get in touch with “God” and brew beer. Relax and have a homebrew, folks…I look forward to trying yours as you can always taste mine. Cheers!

Saw this little tidbit yesterday in the New York Times and thought it was too good of an idea not to pass along. Two Gen Y-ers like myself, Stephen Valand, 23, and Erica Shea, 25 of Brooklyn have quit their respective day jobs to start their own homebrew supply shop, of sorts. Their new venture, the Brooklyn Brew Shop, makes one gallon-sized homebrewing kits, specially designed for New York City apartments.

The couple starting selling the kits in early July at the Brooklyn Flea Market and online. But before deciding to jump into business together, they went on a seven-week backpacking trip to Europe to see if they were compatible.

I really think Valand and Shea are on to something here. I really like the idea of one gallon brewing kits. 5 gallons is a lot of beer to make all at once. Being the craft beer fan I am, I like to drink as many different beers as possible. So being stuck with two full cases of the same beer at the same time is a lot to go through and I often find myself giving a lot of my homebrew away so that I can get back to variety faster.

I also like to experiment with my homebrews — isn’t that half the point? — and am the first to admit that I’m still no brewmaster. So, with those two things in mind, five gallons of beer is, or can be, a pretty risky investment. If I could brew batches by the single gallon (and had the proper equipment to do so), I would be a lot less worried about losing a hefty investment and could be more adventuresome in my brewing.

Valand and Shea are bootstrapping their project and reinvesting every dollar of profit they make into the company to help it grow. It’s great to see an original idea and that kind of drive and motivation from the young folks — and young Better Beer fans — out there. Congratulations on the first step and good luck with the future, guys! (Note: you can follow the Brooklyn Brew Shop on Twitter @bklynbrewshop

[image via brooklynbrewshop.com]

I saw this photo on Mashable.com late last night and couldn’t help but pass it along. Looks like Mashable author Ben Parr was invited on an unofficial tour of the Twitter offices in San Fransisco, CA. The post of the tour features lots of neat photos and insights into what goes into the day-to-day operations of one of the Web’s largest social networks. One of the better photos is this one below and the description that follows it. It’s great to see some homebrew carboys popping up in random places and getting some “airtime” on one of the Internet’s largest blogs. Hopefully it helps raise more awareness of the hobby we all love. Well done Twitterati!

This was maybe the second or third thing I noticed after walking into Twitter’s spacious offices. The story is that some of the Twitter team is trying to brew and ferment their own beer. You can see the yeast doing its magic. When I asked Biz and others about what type of beer they were making, or what grain they used, they had no answer.

PS – If you’re not yet following me on Twitter, please do so! Check me out @livingstonmedia.

[image via Mashable.com]

The following is a guest post from the good folks at AllBarStools.com. If you would like to submit a guest post to BlogAboutBeer.com, please visit the Write for BAB page.

Anyone who has the space has to agree that having a home bar would be an ideal situation. After all, who could complain about having a space to entertain friend and stock your favorite cold ones. And while the effort and costs that are put into putting together a bar can seem daunting, it really isn’t as hard as you think providing that you have the tools and the time. If you do decide to build a bar the overall design and outcome will be determined by your building skills and personal preference, but we can help out by giving a few simple tips that should hopefully help you put your bar dreams into action.

Function First

You’ll want to ideally pick a style that is functional but simple enough so that you can design and build it yourself. Most traditional anchored bars might have ample storage space, but will likely need to be professionally installed unless of course you are a carpenter or woodworker by trade. Most of us aren’t so it might be better to go with a freestanding design that will be easier to construct but should still provide adequate storage and socializing room.

Find the Right Complimentary Pieces

You are going to want to stick to a consistent theme when designing your bar to give it character, so want to make sure that any posters, signs, and other types of décor and accent pieces are complimentary. A good place to look for these items would be at a local bar; sometimes they might be looking to give away extra decorative pieces for cheap.

The same goes for the bar stools as well. You want to make sure that the stools match the wood grain and color of the bar. Size is important as well, the seat of the stool should be around 10-12 inches below the bar top. As long as it is in this range anyone who is seated should be adequately comfortable.

Proper Refrigeration and Storage

If you are planning on stocking a lot of beer, refrigeration is of course essential, and cold storage also might be needed if you’re ever planning on serving champagne and some other types of wine. A mini-fridge is compact and usually will be able hold enough to satisfy most beer drinkers’ demands.

But if you’re planning on hosting any raging parties (or happen to be in college), you might want to consider purchasing a kegerator system instead. Although this will cost more money upfront, it’s a less expensive and more practical long-term option for people who are planning on making good use of their bar setup.

These are just a few tips that hopefully will be able to help you get started on the big project. Designing your own bar isn’t as daunting as it seems; even if you decide to go for a more involved setup, there are some companies out there who are experienced in bar design and installation. In the end, all you need as a dream and a thirst.