Improving foam stability with malt is an important part of brewing great beer. A stable, creamy head enhances aroma, improves visual appeal, and contributes to the overall drinking experience. When …
Read more “Improving foam stability with malt: building a better head”
A Certificate of Analysis arrives with every bag of malt. Most brewers glance at extract, check the colour, and move on. They are leaving most of the information on the …
Read more “Reading a malt COA – line by line through a Swaen© Pilsner COA”
Crop update August 2026: the harvest is now in across the Netherlands, France, the UK and Denmark. Our July update flagged the heatwaves rolling across Europe as combines started on winter cereals …
The right caramel malt can define the character of your beer. From subtle sweetness to deep colour and rich mouthfeel, caramel malts shape both flavour and structure. Used well, they …
Read more “Choosing the right caramel malt: temperature, technique, and the full range”
The Hazy IPA has settled down. The extreme cloudiness and syrupy weight of the style’s early years have given way to something more refined. Soft, juicy, and genuinely drinkable, with …
Read more “Designing a modern Hazy IPA grist: building softness, haze, and hop expression”
For a decade, craft beer ran on intensity. Hazy, tropical, resinous – the glass as a delivery system for aroma. It was a remarkable era, and it produced remarkable beers. …
Read more “After the haze: the styles that always rewarded great malt”
With heatwaves crossing Europe, the harvest of winter wheat and winter barley is now underway. Two-row spring malting barley is developing rapidly under the current warm conditions. We continue to …
Read more “Crop update July 2026 – heatwave impacts and market outlook”
There is a version of every dark beer that is too harsh. The bitterness arrives early and sits at the back of the palate long after the last sip. The …
Read more “Layered roast — building dark beers without harsh bitterness”
Brewing a perfect Pilsner is one of the greatest challenges in brewing. It looks simple on paper. Pale colour, clean bitterness, crisp finish. Yet every detail matters. There is nowhere …
Read more “Brewing a perfect Pilsner – Clean, crisp, and unforgiving”
In modern brewing, balance is everything. Brewers want beers that feel full and satisfying, yet remain highly drinkable. That balance often comes down to one key relationship: body versus fermentability. …
Read more “Dextrin malt – How to build fullness without increasing alcohol”