Episode 128 - Q & A Sesh

The Hop Addition

Welcome back to the Hop Addition Podcast! In Episode 128 we’re cracking open a full-on listener Q&A session — with questions ranging from insightful to ridiculous and everything in between. We tackle brewing philosophy, gear, technique debates, and some truly questionable lifestyle advice…

A huge shoutout to our partner sponsor The Malt Miller, the UK’s premier supplier for all things homebrew. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section on their site, and keep an eye out for big discounts on brew pots, BrewZilla and Grainfather systems, the Apollo Titan, and 10% off Muntons malts.

Tonight we dig into:
🍺 Brewing roots & philosophy — why we started, what we’d change, and our top tips for new brewers
🧠 Motivation & lifestyle — avoiding burnout, dodgy claims about Brewer’s Droop, and hiding your latest homebrew purchases
🛠️ Equipment & hacks — DIY gear, favourite gadgets, and building the ultimate home pub
🧪 Techniques & tweaks — recirculation, oxygenation, cold crashing, krausen dry hopping, mash hopping, FWH, and how temp impacts hop flavour
🧼 Cleaning & sanitation — PBW vs Oxi, no-rinse rules, and how clean is clean enough
🧬 Ingredients & yeast — dry vs wet yeast, ALDC, and what “craft” really means
🌿 Hops & adjuncts — best combos, noble hop/thiol experiments, and the weirdest adjuncts that actually worked
🤖 Future trends — AI in brewing, next year’s fashionable beer, and what we want to try in 2026
🍽️ Beer beyond the glass — cooking with beer, favourite parts of the hobby, and whether brewing or drinking wins out

👉 Next episode: We’re joined by Wheatlow Brewery’s Richard Baggaley — don’t miss it!
📲 And as always, tag us on social media with your latest brews, setups, and beer adventures.

Cheers, and we’ll see you at the after party! 🍻