Planning Around Grid Capacity

I recently learned that the global transformer shortage can limit how well we maintain our existing infrastructure and how quickly we can expand our supply with new sources of electricity generation. A constrained supply will impact demand, resulting in negative impacts that range from inconvenient to deadly. Better demand management can ease capacity constraints, but how do we manage that in a fair way?

Yarrow, Drug of the Future (and the Past)

Yarrow has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. Not native to North America, but naturalized, it was an early addition to my garden, and that choice ensured a healthy supply of flowers when I brewed a yarrow ale for a class I was teaching on herbed medieval ales. Even with all my research, it had one more surprise in store for me.

Equity in Brewing, Part 4

Whether you’re new to craft beer or have been around for years, there is always more to learn about new styles, new breweries, and new initiatives to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves. Heading into American Craft Beer Week, we’ll look at what we as individuals can do to promote a more equitable and transparent brewing industry and have more fun while doing it.

Medieval Gatorade, a Plastic-Free July Recap

When the weather gets hot, you need to stay hydrated, but how do you do that if you’ve pledged a Plastic-Free July? Sports drinks come in plastic bottles, and are further secured on flats in layers of plastic film. This summer I turned to an old recipe that predated plastic (and probably the Roman Empire) to help me through the heat and my zero-plastic challenge.