Craft Beer & Brewing magazine

[Yooper]

Does anyone else get this? I just got the first issue today, and it's big, glossy, readable, and I like it.

I had never heard of it prior to being interviewed for it, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But I am pleasantly surprised! Of course, the fact that the cover story is all about IPAs doesn't hurt. There are other good articles in there as well, and it's more of a "sit and read and browse" magazine, while I find BYO is more of a "flip through" magazine.

There are articles about barrel aging, recipes on beer and food pairing, beer reviews, brewing tips, etc. It's much more focused on beer knowledge than I expected.

 

[cjgenever]

Haven't seen it but I'm going to check out out. Sounds like it's right up my alley. thanks!

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[akillys]

I would totally get a subscription if it wasn't so expensive and for only 4 issues. I wish these magazines came out monthly instead of ever 2-3 months. With the money I would spend on the magazine I could by a year's membership to hbt and get better help and information. I could also by ingredients with that money. In my opinion hbt is way better than any magazine available.

 

[Teromous]

I've never seen it before. Normally with magazines I pick them up in the store and read through them, if I like it enough I'll buy them one at a time. If I find that I constantly buy them from the store, I'll end up subscribing. That's what I did with BYO. I would buy them individually until I realized I was going to the store all the time to buy them and eventually subscribed. This magazine appears to be twice the price of BYO though!

I would be interested in checking it out in the bookstore though. I might end up buying a few that way, but not without browsing some of the articles. This Craft Beer & Brewing does look like a magazine geared towards homebrewers though. I checked out Draft magazine, and it was interesting...but I rarely buy it. I like reading about beer but I guess I just enjoy reading about brewing more

 

[darrenbrews]

In my opinion hbt is way better than any magazine available.

BYO is definitely worth the cost.

 

[Yooper]

I've never seen it before. Normally with magazines I pick them up in the store and read through them, if I like it enough I'll buy them one at a time. If I find that I constantly buy them from the store, I'll end up subscribing. That's what I did with BYO. I would buy them individually until I realized I was going to the store all the time to buy them and eventually subscribed. This magazine appears to be twice the price of BYO though!

I would be interested in checking it out in the bookstore though. I might end up buying a few that way, but not without browsing some of the articles. This Craft Beer & Brewing does look like a magazine geared towards homebrewers though. I checked out Draft magazine, and it was interesting...but I rarely buy it. I like reading about beer but I guess I just enjoy reading about brewing more

I know- the price struck me too. But the magazine is really thick, with lots of pages and interesting articles and it will take me a long time to read it. For BYO, it's about an hour or so at best (that's why I stopped my subscription), and for Zymurgy it is generally a page-through as well unless something strikes my fancy. I like Zymurgy better than BYO for it's layout and information. BYO generally has some nice articles, but nothing memorable for me over the last couple of years.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I feel like I just read a script for an infomercial.

If I act now, do I get two years for the price of one?!!!

 

[Yooper]

I feel like I just read a script for an infomercial.

If I act now, do I get two years for the price of one?!!!

Wouldn't that be nice?!? Two years at $30ish would be much more affordable!

I just got it in the mail yesterday, and I like it alot. That's all. It definitely isn't cheap, and I think I'm trying to decide (or talk myself into) if the cost for 4 issues a year at about $30 is worth it or not.

I no longer subscribe to BYO, although I like it ok. It just seemed to "recycle" most of the same things I already knew or had seen in there before. I like Zymurgy a bit better, but I don't read it cover to cover either.

I haven't read this magazine much yet- but there is really a lot more in there that I'd call "teeth" and in depth on various topics that I'd be interested it. I'm not sure it how much it would have to cost per year for me to recommend it, or to continue to read it. But I like it so far!

 

[Teromous]

I know- the price struck me too. But the magazine is really thick, with lots of pages and interesting articles and it will take me a long time to read it. For BYO, it's about an hour or so at best (that's why I stopped my subscription), and for Zymurgy it is generally a page-through as well unless something strikes my fancy. I like Zymurgy better than BYO for it's layout and information. BYO generally has some nice articles, but nothing memorable for me over the last couple of years.

BYO has a lot of memorable articles in my experience. Looking back on it, most of my projects came from BYO...my hop spider, my PVC water filter, even my STC-1000 temperature controller. I had the magazine open on my floor while I was building the thing A lot of these will start as online projects, but sometimes I don't see them or I miss a "trend." Also many of the recipes from the magazine stand out to me, like the edition that had all the Sierra Nevada clones, and the one that had the Southern Tier Creme Brulee recipe. There was the edition that had Brooklyn Brewery clone recipes given by Garrett Oliver. I know it's all subjective but I wanted to point out some things that really stood out in my mind. Even though some of these recipes can also be found online, I enjoy reading about the recipes and reading about the breweries as well. I don't know how long it takes me to read magazines because I usually just pop around them, leave them, come back to them...read some more...

I'll have to check out Craft Beer & Brewing if it's available in Barnes & Noble.

 

[Yooper]

I did not pay for this issue- that's why I'm debating the subscription price vs. the benefit to me. I didn't make that clear, I guess, in my OP.

I don't dislike BYO (heck, my brew system has even been featured in it!) but I feel like after many years of subscribing it's "same old, same old" and very little captures my attention any more unless I see a friend or fellow forum member's name or rig in it, I generally just page through it and put it aside. My subscription ran out in December, and I will not renew.

I get zymurgy from the AHA, so I don't have to subscribe. It's worth paging through, and sometimes I read articles (but not all of them).

I just thought this magazine was a surprise, as it seemed to be more varied in scope and the articles are far more in depth (multiple pages generally).

 

[jdauria]

I have enjoyed the first two issues the magazine so far, though they could list more details in their recipes. Tried to enter two recipes from their first issue into BeerSmith and could not hit their numbers.

For example, their Stowaway Oatmeal Stout in the Spring issue lists 68 IBU's. But their hop additions are 1.5 oz whole Hallertau at 60, 1.25 oz Fuggle pellets at 30, 1.25 Tettnanger whole hops at 30. Without AA listed, using BeerSmith's AA numbers, the IBU numbers don't come close, they are only in 40's.

The other example is their Alexander the Blessed Russian Imperial Stout in same issue. Calls for 27.5 lbs of grain with OG of 1.105, but what was the batch size for the recipe? I would need to lower my efficiency to 51% in BS for a 5 gallon batch.

 

[nicklepickles]

My "favorite" part, in the recent issue, is them rating witbiers, and giving blue moon a 90 and shock top an 87, out of 100. Nothing got below an 85. I guess every beer in the world tastes amazing to them...

 

[enthuzed]

Saw this thread and right now with the coupon code "beersmith" the 2 yr subscription to this mag is only $39. Slightly more reasonable IMO.

https://shop.beerandbrewing.com

 

[Spartan1979]

Thanks.

 

[Homercidal]

I must have missed this when you first posted, Yooper, but I feel the same way. I would love to support the AHA, and will probably continue to do so, but the magazine is just a flip-through. With today's online information, the magazine feels like I'm reading the same stuff over and over.

The nice thing about the subscription to the AHA is the back issues, but that's still a small advantage to me.

That magazine looks awesome for a sit down and read through it for hours. Something you can savor over a few days maybe. I'd be interested in reading it myself, but the cost is a bit. I am betting their cost to produce is pretty high. Most of those interest mags with great photos and articles are expensive to make.

 

[Homercidal]

I should order a 2-year subscription and donate it to the homebrew club library...

After I read through them, of course!

 

[Hammy71]

BYO is definitely worth the cost.

I dunno, I just decided to not re-up mine. Like Yooper said, I found my self flipping through it and I was done. Seems to be a rehash of old articles after a while. Hell, the monthly style brews are right out of "Brewing Classic Styles."

So, I went ahead and used the discount code used above (thanks enthuzed!). Hopefully this will replace my BYO fix.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Saw this thread and right now with the coupon code "beersmith" the 2 yr subscription to this mag is only $39. Slightly more reasonable IMO.

https://shop.beerandbrewing.com

Thank you, saved me $10.

 

[darrenbrews]

Seems to be a rehash of old articles after a while. Hell, the monthly style brews are right out of "Brewing Classic Styles."

Maybe after I subscribe for another year or so I'll recognize the articles are rehashed. Also thanks for the tip on "Brewing Classic Styles". I will add it to our brewing library.