In this episode we're all over the place. Current apiary updates. Successful and unsuccessful mite treatments. What's up with all these people calling honey bees invasive?! Learning from our mistakes and more! Herb Corner is about one of our favorites - Goldenrod! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out their natural skin ca…

Can we all admit that Houston makes some damn good Pilsners? This week Ryan and Drew set up another spectacular blind tasting to crown Houston’s Best German Pilsner in an episode rife with controversy. Will Lil’ Snack from 11 Below hold onto its blind tasting crown, or will one of the new challengers steal their thunder? Listen to find out! Feature…

Summer is on its way out which means we've been harvesting honey and we need to make sure our bees are on the right track to survive winter. Kara and Greg talk about the current state of their apiaries and some ideal hive timelines that get big honey yields while allowing the bees to go through their natural cycles. Kara Jo finishes up with Herb Co…

After many months on the road gathering the latest and greatest beer news, Ryan and Drew highlight the highs and the lows, the ups and the downs, and the the rising and falling breweries of the Houston area and beyond. It’s not all gloom and doom my friends… in the words of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, craft beer is “not dead yet.” Featured Bee…

What up! We're talking about chicken life on the farm, selling bees, following up about splits, queen introductions and some crazy hive situations we've experienced. Kara Jo's Herb Corner dives into the beautiful and powerful - Passion Flower! Hope you dig it. This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare and @KaraJoBeeFarm. Checkout their whol…

We're talking about the best time to be a beekeeper - the spring! Spring time is swarm time and swarm time is splittin' time. Amongst other things, we dive into bee math aka the bee life cycle and how it allows us to make decisions and prevent swarms. Herb corner is all about dandelion and we crack open a beautiful saison from our friends at The Se…

Kara and I hop over to the mics straight out of the apiary after the 2024 seasons first inspections. Our spring has been cold and rainy so far and we're definitely a few weeks behind previous seasons but we're feeling great! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our newly upgraded Bug Repellent! Proven to work in even the …

And the winner is… America, obviously. The Beering Ain’t Easy podcast embarks on a blind tasting adventure through the most recognizable American Lager macro beers and one notable exception - Troy Aikman’s patented Eight Beer. Can Troy’s beer redeem the Cowboys playoff losing streak, or will he be relegated to the Keystone Light division? Will Ryan…

First we talk how understanding bee biology can help in decision making with a deep dive on the effects of pollen feeding followed by whether we think you can stop your bees from swarming. Finishing up with an 'Herb Corner' about medicinal mushrooms for both bees and humans! All while sipping a lovely witbier from Referend Bier Blendery in Kutztown…

We drink two of the best sours in Texas, Atrial Rubacite from Jester King and Sea of Waves from True Anomaly, all while sharing our opinions and detailed instructions on how to perform the biggest faux pas when visiting breweries. Ryan brings it home with some beer news and Drew shares his toddler woes on airplanes. Featured Beers: Atrial Rubacite.…

It is almost spring!! And for many that means starting their first year keeping bees. We're answering some common beginner questions including equipment, buying bees and bad teachers (luckily we know some good ones!), how we handle spring mites, and more. We finish up with Kara Jo's Herb Corner segment on Propolis! This episode is brought to you by…

Bee Side Episode! We're hanging out with Chris Stoudt of Stout Lawn and Pest and host of The Root Zone Podcast. We talk winter lawn practices, spring prep and that middle ground where your lawn can be more than just a green desert! This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare (karajoskincare.com). Check out our winter skin care products! --- S…

We back? It’s been a minute since our last episode, so we pay penance to the beer gods by drinking weird beers while we bring you up-to-speed with the state of affairs in craft beer and in our hoods. Tarot cards, anonymous Facebook posts, and Troy Aikman branded beer, all in the same episode? Featured Beers: Slice Sipper. Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn…

We're talking about beekeeping with a purpose and how it can help in your decision making, why hive deaths aren't necessarily bad and how we developed our style of hive management...and of course all the tangents those topics took us on before ending with an 'herb corner' about Thyme! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out …

We're talking off-season prep, building our forest apiary, revisiting Bee Venom Therapy and answering your questions! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. New winter skin care is out now and available for shipping! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support…

We're talking our current November beekeeping including adding some robbing screens to help against Yellow Jackets and taking a trip down memory lane about our start working Farmers' Markets. Also a message to vegans...honey is a by-product of plants, not animals...listen to find out why.This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, gift pa…

There are lots of ways to beekeep but some styles (people?) really bother us...we're talking pet peeves, how we determine our top queen lines, mite follow-ups, overwintering our garden and more. This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. For online orders (listen for a promo code!) go to www.KaraJoSkinCare.com. @KaraJoSkinCare@…

It has been well established on our Podcast that host Ryan likes his beers (and other drinks) unadulterated. So what did we do to him? We made him face his fears and drink a wide range of beer mixed drinks for the first time ever, tournament style! And let him talk about more conspiracy theories. Featured Beer Mixed Drinks: Michelada: Spicy Michela…

Kara Jo and Greg are talking about their apiary after the late summer mite treatments. The varroa debacle in Australia. A surprise swarm catch. What to expect in the coming fall. And another great Herb Corner with Kara Jo discussing the medicine of garlic. Cheers y'all!This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. You can find the…

Ryan and Drew crack into some of the best beers from Belgium and Germany while sitting outside on the edge of the Austin, TX wilderness. In an episode rife with bad accents and pronunciations, your hosts discuss why Euro beers have fallen down so far on the Beer Advocate ratings while paying homage to these classic styles. Will Ryan learn to apprec…

The battle against mites hits its peak this time of year. We're talking testing for varroa and how we keep our bees healthy NOW before going into winter while being fueled by beautiful wild ales from Plan Bee Farm Brewery in Poughkeepsie, NY. Cheers!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support…

In this episode, we do what we love best - beer news and blind tastings - but also answer some pretty important questions. Mexican Lagers are often considered basic beers, but are craft Mexican lagers an exception? And more importantly, could you pick them out of a lineup? And while we’re at it, where do you stand on putting fruit in your beer? It'…

In this episode we're talking about building our new farm, moving bees unexpectedly and how crazy life has been the past few months. We're drinking a Little Did you Know (our collab with Threes Brewing and Forest & Main) and when you listen to the episode you'll understand why that beer name really hits home! Hope you enjoy! --- Support this podcas…

The Beering Ain’t Easy podcast has evolved into a new form fueled by Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence, or in short, Beer GPT. We test out the capabilities of current AI and whether it poses a risk to white collar jobs, the writer’s guild, or at a minimum the low-grade humor you come to love on our podcast. We play around with AI generated beer …

We are talking all about how we make splits while sipping on our newest collaboration beer from Threes Brewing in NYC. The beer name is 'Little Did We Know' and that sure sums up our lives as beekeepers! We have had a ton of success growing our apiary without buying bees for years using this split method and hope you can all learn from our experien…

One of the earliest US craft beer icons from New Belgium, the one and only Fat Tire, has gone through a major overhaul. New recipe, new logo, and new branding with sustainability at the forefront. We pull out our last batch of the old recipe and drink it side by side with the new and debate which tastes better, what does it mean to be a carbon neut…

So, you’re supposed to drink IPA’s fresh, right? Well it may be common sense to you but we’re going to test it in an experiment anyway as is tradition. We sample three Saint Arnold Art Car IPA’s at varying levels of freshness and answer why do IPA’s degrade, how do they degrade, and what are the best and worst types of beers to age? And just in cas…

Asa Hanrahan, General Manager of the Houston Flying Saucer, joins the podcast to share his experiences spanning 16 years at the cornerstone beer bar and landmark of Downtown Houston! We discuss the craft beer evolution in Texas, Houston new downtown patio space along Main Street, the staying power of the franchise, and the resurgence of Euro beers.…

This week we talk about the one topic Ryan enjoys more than beer… conspiracy theories. We go through a series of wacky beer-related conspiracy theories and make up a few unsubstantiated theories of our own. Plus Ryan runs down Birds Aren’t Real and his favorite conspiracy theories of all time and Drew explains the myth of the Sumerian beer goddess …

Happy Spring! We're letting y'all know what we're seeing in our apiaries this time of year and how we approach the spring season. We finish up the episode with a little chat about what to expect if you're a beginner and you're just getting into beekeeping right now...Enjoy! As always, each episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, please go …

Does the color of your beer affect how it tastes? Is Saint Patrick’s day and its green beer ruining your favorite lager? You better believe that the Beering Ain’t Easy podcast is here to conduct the experiments that no one asked to be conducted. Featured Beers: Cloud Punch. Bad Astronaut Brewing. Houston, TX. German Pilsner. 5.2% ABV. Loggerbier. E…

Adam returns on this episode to share some great beers from Austin and we gush all about the beer scene in Dripping Springs! And of course in addition to the beer we stray off course with some truly ridiculous and hilarious stories (as is tradition when Adam joins the podcast). Featured Beers: Hamilton Pale Ale. Family Business Beer Company, Drippi…

It's the beekeeper's offseason and we're answering your questions! Thanks for asking 'em. All episodes are brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com and special shoutout to Plan Bee Farm Brewery (Poughkeepsie, NY) for the killer Barn Beer. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support…

After we had so much fun tasting verticals and horizontals during our Eureka Heights episode, Ryan and Drew are back at it again with none other than the Negative Space Milk Stout from 11 Below Brewing! Come find out all about the awesome Negative Space variants and whether this beer is better fresh or slightly aged (and our thoughts on beer aging …

Join the Beering Ain’t Easy podcast as we jump in a time machine to drink the top 5 beers of 2010 (hint hint one is a big one!). But that’s not all - we’re going to give you the full and unadulterated 2010 experience. This means top 2010 news stories, top music, top movies, slang, and of course after 5 beers we engage in passionate discussions on t…

Chickens have been a part of our little farm's ecosystem since before we even had bees. On this Bee Side we're talking about our backyard chicken journey. From the original scrap wood chicken tractor to now we've learned how to manage mites, bumblefoot, predators, sour crop, water belly, trauma eggs, blood crazed hens, chicken dances and so much mo…

Ryan and Drew use their extensive research to tell you about beer-related world records so you don’t have to google them for yourself! And don’t google them, because we may have made some of these up. Plus, do kids ever throw up where you want them to and is Wade Boggs full of shit? Beer: Dunkel. Klaus Brewing Company. Houston, TX. 4.8% ABV Fake La…

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a fun one. We're talking about the current state of our hives, a recent deer tick bite, some mind blowing herbalism, and Greg's favorite Honey Bee Tale - Redhook Brooklyn's infamous red honey and how it took down a Cannabis Kingpin (or did it?).. Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com for some awesome Holiday Gift Packages on sale…

Stout Season is here! Ryan and Drew go full-on “nucular” by tasting a variety of Eureka Heights Nuke the Whales Imperial Milk Stouts aged across multiple years and their variants. What can go wrong with drinking four 11% ABV stouts? Apparently a lot of things. Beer: Nuke the Whales (2021). Eureka Heights Brew Co. Nuke the Whales (2020). Eureka Heig…

We recorded this episode in early October and discuss our final winter preparations and a look back into some of the trends from the 2022 season. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

Come join us this week while we take a trip down memory lane, rattling off some of our best beer memories as we discovered beer and craft beer, and of course some of the most painful experiences to keep it from being too sappy! And on that topic, sometimes there is a fine line between a great beer experience and a painful beer experience. Is it pos…

Do you hate a beer that everyone loves? Love a brewery that everyone hates? Are you the type of person who holds back your opinions for fear of how stupid you sound, or do you just put it out there in the open for all to dissect? Well, Ryan and Drew choose the latter path, letting rip their beer industry Hot Takes and Unpopular Opinions. Beer: Clou…

We’re back with the third annual Oktoberfest Episode! This time we ramp things up by not only tasting our beers blind, but also taking our reigning champ, Paulaner, and putting it head to head with three Houston beers. And if that isn’t enough for you, Ryan and Drew test the myth of “Das Boot” with a good ole’ fashioned beer boot chug! Oktoberfest …

On this episode of the Bee Side we're talking with Farmer Thom from Everwild Farm in Ambler, PA! There's so much crossover to how Everwild approaches farming and how Kara Jo Bee Farm approaches beekeeping so we threw a suit on Thom, went into some hives then sat down for a chat! We hope you get a glimpse into why we love knowing where our food is c…

This week we take our beer Adjunct Series into the wild world of blueberries! That’s right, we’re trying four different styles of beers from four different breweries to tell you the best way to enjoy fruit in your beer. While we’re at it, we’ll tell you the many different ways of how to brew with blueberries! Blueberry Beers: Blueberry Blonde Ale. …

Preparing your bees for winter starts in the spring, but right now is CRUCIAL. It's right now that winter bees aka FAT bees are being made. We're talking all things preparing for that final winter prep. Why are winter bees so important? What are we doing to help them? Do you know your flow? Tune in and find out. Cheers y'all! Check out our Kara Jo …

The Beering Ain’t Easy Podcast is celebrating it’s two year anniversary! We bring back original co-founder Adam onto the show to talk about his move to Austin, Drew turning forty, and Ryan’s bathroom etiquette conundrum. Plus we do micro-recaps of the HTown Brewery challenge and cover Turkey Forrest, Elder Son, and Klaus Brewing! Beers We’re Drinki…

On this Bee Side - we're talking to Philadelphia Mixologist Mike Landers about cocktails. We dive into honey simple syrup, herb / flower infusions, drink history, batch cocktails and more! Check out our instagram (@mindyourhives) for the recipes and checkout @LandersDrinks and @BarSylviaPhilly for more from our special guest. Enjoy!--- Support this…

It’s been a wild month for the Beering Ain’t Easy podcast, and we’re glad to be back on the air bringing you another one of our patented beer experiments, this time testing whether specialty beer glassware makes a difference on the taste of your beer! Plus, we bring back friend-of-the-show Sylvia, aka @houstonbeermother, to promote the upcoming and…

We're talking our recent State Inspector visit, bad bee sellers, harvesting honey, Formic Pro for mites and more - all while weathering some wicked storms in Pittsburg, NH!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support