The Hop Addition

The Hop Addition
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The Hop Addition Podcast is a homebrewing podcast by homebrewers, for homebrewers. Join three UK-based brewers as we dive into beer styles, brewing techniques, hops, yeast, fermentation, and recipe design — with a mix of deep-dive episodes, drink alongs, and expert guests from across the brewing industry. Whether you're into all-grain brewing, IPAs, lagers, sour beer, or improving your homebrew setup, we’ve got practical tips, brewing science, and plenty of beer chat to help you brew better. 🍺

  1. Jul 30

    Episode 143 - LCBF DeBrief and Saturday Night Chinwag!

    We're back with a relaxed catch-up episode as we look back on an incredible weekend at London Craft Beer Festival 2026. We chat about our favourite breweries, standout beers, emerging brewing trends, and what impressed (or surprised!) us most at one of the UK's biggest celebrations of craft beer. We also take some time to catch up on our own brewing projects, discussing recent successes, lessons learned, beers currently in the fermenters, and what's next for The Hop Addition. From future podcast plans and upcoming collaborations to homebrew experiments and competitions, this episode is a chance to join us for an informal beer-fuelled conversation. Grab a pint, settle in, and catch up with everything that's been happening in the world of The Hop Addition. Cheers! 🍻

  2. Jul 28

    Episode 142 - From Homebrew to Brewery: Algebrew with Ed

    This week we're joined by Ed from Algebrew, one of the UK's newest independent craft breweries, to hear the story of taking a passion for homebrewing all the way to launching a commercial brewery. Over a drink-along featuring six of Algebrew's beers—including a Kölsch-style ale, pale ale, sour, NEIPA and DIPA—we discuss recipe development, scaling from homebrew to commercial brewing, hop utilisation, yeast management, water chemistry, oxygen control, equipment, and the realities of starting a modern craft brewery. Whether you're dreaming of turning your homebrew hobby into a business or simply want to hear the technical lessons learned along the way, this episode is packed with practical brewing insights, great beers and plenty of brewery stories. Cheers! 🍻

  3. Jul 28

    Episode 141 – Fictional Brews: Brewing the Beers of Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Film

    What would Duff Beer, Butterbeer, Schraderbräu, Romulan Ale, or Dragon's Breath Ale actually taste like—and more importantly, could you brew them at home? In this fun, slightly chaotic episode of The Hop Addition, we dive into some of the most iconic fictional drinks from TV, film, books and video games. We explore their in-universe lore, the real historical inspirations behind them, and challenge ourselves to design homebrew recipes that capture the spirit of each legendary beverage. From Breaking Bad and The Simpsons to Harry Potter, Skyrim, Star Trek, Fallout, Futurama, The Lord of the Rings, and A Song of Ice and Fire, expect plenty of brewing theory, recipe design, beer history, and geeky discussion—plus a few beers along the way. If you've ever wondered how to brew a beer worthy of a wizard, a dragon, or a starship captain, this one's for you. 🍻

  4. Jul 27

    Episode 140 - West Coast, Old School vs New School

    The West Coast IPA is back—but it isn't the same beer that dominated the craft beer boom of the 2000s. In this episode of The Hop Addition, we explore how one of the world's most influential beer styles has evolved from crystal-heavy, piney bitterness bombs into today's ultra-pale, dry, hop-saturated modern classics. We compare old school and new school recipes, discuss the evolution of malt bills, water chemistry, yeast selection, whirlpool hopping, dry hopping, Cryo and hop extracts, and debate whether Magnum really is the perfect bittering hop. Along the way we review some classic commercial examples and share practical brewing tips to help you brew a competition-worthy West Coast IPA at home. Whether you're a fan of Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Two Hearted, or the latest generation of crystal-clear tropical IPAs, this episode is packed with technical brewing discussion, recipe advice, and plenty of hop geekery. Cheers! 🍻

  5. Jun 4

    Episode 139 - Chasing the Landlord

    In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we take on one of the greatest challenges in British brewing: cloning the legendary Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. We dive deep into the ingredients, process, and brewing science behind this iconic Yorkshire pale ale — from Golden Promise malt and Styrian Goldings hops to the famously characterful West Yorkshire yeast strain and the magic of traditional Yorkshire Square fermentation. To put theory into practice, the three of us each brewed our own Landlord-inspired clone using different approaches, equipment, yeast choices, and water profiles — then put them head-to-head in a taste off against the commercial benchmark. Expect a deep dive into:🍺 Why Golden Promise is essential to the Landlord profile🧪 Water chemistry and sulfate-driven bitterness🌿 The importance of Styrian Goldings late hopping🦠 Wyeast 1469 and the Yorkshire ester profile🏛️ The history and mechanics of Yorkshire Squares We also explore how fermentation management, mineral balance, and heritage ingredients shape one of the most award-winning beers in British brewing history. Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — including the new Prysma liquid hop products and the dedicated Hop Addition recipe section. 💬 Have you ever tried cloning a commercial beer? Let us know your favourite British ale clone projects on socials and tell us which version you’d most like to try. 👉 Next up: we’re diving into the modern West Coast IPA revival — tune in June 6th!

  6. Jun 3

    Episode 138 - Regional Water Profiles

    In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we dive back into the wonderfully murky world of water chemistry — this time exploring the famous regional water profiles that shaped some of the world’s most iconic beer styles. From the ultra-soft water of Pilsen to the sulfate-heavy wells of Burton-on-Trent, we explore how geology influenced brewing history, flavour, process, and style evolution across Europe and the British Isles. Expect a deep dive into:💧 Sulfate vs chloride — the “hops vs malt” balancing act🪨 Why water is basically “liquid geology”🍺 How Dublin created stout, Burton created IPA, and Pilsen created pilsner⚗️ Mash pH, alkalinity, hardness & mineral additions🧪 Whether replicating historic water profiles is actually worth it for modern brewers We also tackle the practical side of water treatment for homebrewers, including RO water, Burtonisation, Campden tablets, and the modern philosophy of “designing water for the beer” rather than chasing historic city profiles. Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew. Don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there. 💬 Do you build your water from scratch or keep it simple? Let us know your approach on socials and join the discussion.

  7. Apr 21

    Episode 137 - Czech Beer with Radim from Budvar

    In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re heading to the heart of Czech brewing tradition with a very special guest — Radim from Budvar. Together, we explore what makes Czech lager some of the most revered beer in the world, while tasting through classic Budvar examples and breaking down how to recreate these iconic styles at home. Expect a proper deep dive into:🍺 The magic of decoction mashing — what it really does to flavour💧 The role of ultra-soft Czech water in balancing bitterness🌿 Saaz hops and their signature spicy, herbal character🌑 The underrated beauty of dark Czech lagers (Tmavý Ležák)🧪 Traditional techniques like open fermentation & krausen skimming We also tackle the big questions — does decoction really make a difference? And how do Czech brewers achieve such incredible depth and drinkability in every pint? Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there. 💬 Brewing a Czech lager or drinking along with us? Share your thoughts on socials — we’d love to hear how you get on.

  8. Apr 20

    Episode 136 - BJCP Drink Along - Commonwealth Beers

    In this episode of The Hop Addition Podcast, we’re exploring BJCP Category 12: Pale Commonwealth Beers — a trio of styles that share British roots but have evolved across the globe. We’re pouring and reviewing classic examples of:🍺 British Golden Ale (Exmoor Gold)🍺 Australian Sparkling Ale (Coopers Sparkling Ale)🍺 English IPA (Hook Norton Flagship) Along the way, we break down the history, flavour profiles, and style guidelines behind each beer — from the crisp, refreshing pintability of Golden Ales, to the unique, yeast-driven character of Australian Sparkling Ale, and the balanced, mineral-forward bitterness of a traditional English IPA. Expect plenty of discussion on:🌍 How these styles evolved across the Commonwealth⚖️ Key differences in hops, yeast, and water profiles🧪 What judges look for in each category🏠 Practical brewing tips to help you nail these styles at home Whether you’re brewing for competition or just looking to better understand these classic styles, this episode is packed with insight to help you hit the mark. Huge thanks to our partner The Malt Miller, your go-to for all things homebrew — don’t forget to check out the Hop Addition recipe section while you’re there.

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About

The Hop Addition Podcast is a homebrewing podcast by homebrewers, for homebrewers. Join three UK-based brewers as we dive into beer styles, brewing techniques, hops, yeast, fermentation, and recipe design — with a mix of deep-dive episodes, drink alongs, and expert guests from across the brewing industry. Whether you're into all-grain brewing, IPAs, lagers, sour beer, or improving your homebrew setup, we’ve got practical tips, brewing science, and plenty of beer chat to help you brew better. 🍺

Information

  • Creator
    The Hop Addition
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    146
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Hop Addition
  • Show Website
    The Hop Addition

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