“Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.” ― Terence McKenna Gre…

“Sativa to change the things I can, Indica to accept the things I can’t.”- Bob Marley Greetings and welcome to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 84 “Hazy History of 420”. In this episode we visit the origins of ’420’. There are many versions, but we have the real deal detailng some Cali teenagers in search of free weed unbeknown to them that they would ca…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, or is that St. Paddy’s Day? Either way, when it comes to beer and brewing, perhaps the real Saint we should be admiring could very well be St. Brigid (more on that in this episode). Speaking of episodes, we start this shindig off by tasting some excellent Irish/St. Paddy’s themed beers and then give it a lash to discuss the…

“Did they get you to trade, Your heroes for ghosts? Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change? Did you exchange, A walk-on part in the war, For a leading role in a cage?” Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd Greetings and welcome to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 81 “Wish You Were Beer”. In this installment we have our old frie…

“Still don't know what I was waitin' for, and my time was runnin' wild. A million dead end streets. And every time I thought I'd got it made, It seemed the taste was not so sweet” – Changes / David Bowie An appropriate line for this show from one of my favorite artists, Ziggy Stardust A.K.A. David Bowie. Welcome to Episode 80 – What Will Be - 2022 …

“Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.” – Frank Costanza Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars episode 79 - Beer Festivus for the Rest of Us! In this podcast we unabashedly borrow from the Seinfeld episode…

Festivals are happy places, and you don’t really want to enjoy them on your own.– Christine and the Queens Welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars Episode 78. Festivals are back…oh yea! In this episode we bring back our longtime friend and cofounder of Rockford IL Screw City Beer Festival Aaron Sleeger to talk about the 2021 Screw City Beer Festival c…

“Put a lime in the coconut and drink 'em both together; Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better; Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both down; Put the lime in the coconut, and call me in the morning” Put the Lime in the Coconut This popular novelty song from the 1972 album Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson finds a girl in tummy trou…

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine. Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind. Summer breeze makes me feel fine. Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind. – Summer Breeze/Seals & Croft What a great song! It’s one of those that take me back to my teen years, not a care in the world. Long hair, cruising around town, throwing the Frisbee, getting high and a…

“Summer nights and my radio. Well that's all we need, baby, don'tcha know? We celebrate when the gang's all here. Ah, hot summer nights, that's my time of the year.” Summer Nights/ Van Halen- 5150 I don’t know about you listeners but for me summer is the best season of the year! Cookouts, drinks with friends on warm summer nights under the stars, w…

“Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck” – George Carlin Hello everybody! Welcome to episode 74 this is part 2 of 2 ‘Beer questions and a hangover’. Things get a bit boozier in this episode as the guys seem to be having a very good time. Believe me they did! The discussion swerves all over the …

“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” – Alan Dundes Hello everybody! Welcome to episode 73 (can’t believe we have not been ‘cancelled’ yet) this is part 1 of 2 we call ‘Beer questions and a hangover’. The guys pulled questions from our ‘listeners’ and gave their responses. Some questions…

“Malt is the soul of a beer, hops are the personality and yeast is the heart” - Unknown Welcome! This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 72 which is part 2 of our conversation with Omega Yeast. In this episode we continue with Lance Shaner of Omega Yeast and his path to opening Omega Yeast. Lance is the co-owner of Omega Yeast headquartered in Chicago, …

“They say there is more to life than beer. Who is ‘they’ and why the hell would I trust them??” - Unknown “Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about” (remember the Wecome Back Kotter theme song?)This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 71 which is part 1 of 2 with Omega Yeast. In this episode we visit with Lance Shaner of Omega Yeast ab…

“Give a man a beer, waste an hour. Teach a man to brew and waste a lifetime!” – Bill Owen Welcome and glad to have you back! This is HomeBrew RockStars Episode 70 part 2 - “Bring it on home-brewer” (Cue up the Led Zeppelin). In this episode we continue our conversation with Jon Lambert. Jon is the head brewer at Hairy Cow located in the town in Byr…

“You can't share your magic with everyone. Your job is to live within your magic. And if other magical people find you, then let’s go and make a brew”. - Brian Tyree Henry Happy New Year and Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 69 part 1 - “Brewin till the cows come home”. It’s been a bit since our last show but we are all fired up for the 20…

“My playground is full of moonshine, mason jars, beer bottles, and bonfires”- Big Smo Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 68 “Be Still- Shinin’& Brewin” So here we are STILL in the thick of a “pandemic” with more threats of lockdowns, masks and God knows what else; so to help us keep our sanity amongst this madness we are moving to some stro…

Q. How far can you walk into a forest? A. Half way, then you start walking out. Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 67 “Not outa the woods yet”. This is part two of a two part episode where we revisit (has been almost 2 years?!) with the creators of Urban Forest, in this episode we delve further into brewing during a pandemic, brewing with w…

“The forest is not a resource for us, it is life itself. It is the only place for us to live.” –Evaristo Nugkuag Ikanan Welcome back to HomeBrew RockStars Episode 66. Unlike our last episode (#65) where we recorded from Kent’s porch we are back in the Batcave… Home Sweet Home! This is part one of a two part episode where we revisit (has been almost…

"You don’t need to be burned out to go on hiatus." This quote rings so true. Welcome back to HomeBrew Rockstars EPISODE – 65 were calling unGreatest Hiatus. This welcome back has a special meaning to us as we took almost 3 months off during the mandatory lockdown which we explain why in the podcast. We missed all of you! We hope you missed us! In t…

Yo! So how’s everybody doing? COVID-19 continues to change our routines and lifestyles as we are now facing mandatory ‘shutter in place’ and closings. Hopefully everybody has plenty of home brew and brewing supplies to ease their minds. If you’re like us, you’re most likely filled up on coronavirus news reports and getting all streamed out on telev…

Dia Duit, (PRONOUNCED - dee-ah gwit) and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Welcome back to HomeBrew Rockstars. A fitting greeting as it is Irish meaning "God to you". We Hope you are enjoying your St. Patricks Day. Since our last few episodes a lot has changed in our world, as COVID-19 seems to be in all the news and on our minds. “Social distancing” has be…

Greetings and welcome back to Home Brew Rock Stars! We come out of a short hiatus while Sears took a long overdue trip to the Yucatan Peninsula for some much-needed R&R. Plenty of sun, sand, ocean and of course beer. Doesn’t get much better than that while the snow and cold assaulted our home turf. Now that we’re all back in the Midwest and Sears h…

We welcome back guest Ron Derry Jr., a.k.a. "Legenderry", to discuss extreme beer collecting. Ron is an avid collector, especially Barleywines and Barrel-aged by products. The Home Brew Rock Stars crew review a beer event bucket list in the US and abroad, and they dig in for an interesting, if not humorous discussion on how, when where and why beer…

Home Brew Rock Stars welcomes guest and fellow homebrewer, Ron Derry Jr., as this 'tis the season moment calls for a discussion on honey and its value to the many uses in beer and mead. Mr. "Legenderry" offers his experience with both brewing with honey, and seeking out some of the best honey-brewed beer and mead in the United States. One other int…

Trick or Treat? That's what we're finding out in this show about Fall Beers, what to drink, brew, why and when. The dead rock stars of recent memory (Rick Ocasek, Eddie Money, Robert Hunter...) lead us into the temptation of Halloween 2019, and a fun revision of The Official Halloween Night Handing-out-Candy Drinking Game (revised for beer drinkers…

This podcast episode features a commercial pilot that homebrews, Mr. Jeremy Kreiger. We explore the history of beer flights (who's got the good ones around the world), flying with beer (how to pack it in your luggage) and talk to Jeremy about being a pilot and a home brewer...how traveling influences that hobby and where to find cool beers and brew…

It's was another year at the Screw City Beer Fest in Rockford, IL with the Forest City Brewers serving home brew. This year the home brewing club served up a whopping 30+ home brews (see list below). Home Brew Rock Stars created a home brew lounge, complete with a couch pit, mustache rides ("stache your glass") and 18 interviews with some of the ho…

Beer Festivals are rampant in the US and we preview one of the hottest tickets in the Midwest, Screw City Beer Fest 2019, which sells out each year in under an hour. Co-founder Aaron Sleger fills us in on what's new for their 9th annual festival, with a fun look back on the early days of this in-demand beer tasting event and a bit of forecasting fo…

Welcome to HomeBrewRockStars episode #52 and where we’re talking Beer Brewed in CHI-Town, good ole Chicago, the windy city on the big lake, and one of, if not the most booming major craft brewing metropolitans in the world, definitely in the US. Chicago now ranks #1 in the country for craft breweries and it's not slowing down anytime soon. The crew…

As we often do on this podcast, this episode explores the connection of music and beer, the great songs about beer, beer names inspired by thee music world, and we do our best to pair summer music tours with beer styles. Our beer tastings are personal picks of craft beer names that would make a great name for a band, including Pig Minds Brewing's "…

if you like UFO’s, Astronauts, Space Travel, Black Holes and beer, the theme for our 50th episode is music and beer in space as the US celebrates the 50th anniversary of the day a we put a man on the moon. We drink from a list of space themed beers, chat remote with "unsilent" Jay" and listen to samples from the new album from Name the Moon called …

It's been almost 50 years since we put a man on the moon, and it's almost time for our 50th episode on Home Brew Rock Stars ... hmmm, I wonder what that will be about?! To celebrate, we thought an episode with some of our favorite moments from the first 48 episodes seemed appropriate. There have been so many that we'll probably do another favorite …

A bottle rocket for your thoughts?! For our 48th episode as we approach another 4th of July, the crew discusses why 'Merica likes their freedom, and their beer. We dip our toes into some facts about the 4th of July, how our forefathers started our celebration of independence (of who many were home brewers themselves), feature and taste a few beers …

It's officially summer when the BBQ grills get used (and abused) and the beers go down quick in the heat of the moment. The team tackles some grilling tips on how to make the summer cookout a little better (and safer), plus some tips on the best craft beers to sip on when your grilling up some chow. And we review a story of a homebrewer that connec…

If you're fave NBA or NHL team is still in the finals, then we've got the best beer pairings for you. Just about any beer would probably be good during a pro basketball or hockey playoff game (especially home brew), but these should be readily available for the homers and fun to seek out for this special occasion. We also review some beer pairings …

Collaborations with breweries are a home brewers dream event. It's a day that home brew clubs get to learn from the big boys, and in this case, learn what different yeasts (listed below) can do to a common wort. The feeling can be , and should be mutual for the brewery, as well. That's what the Forest City Brewers did with G5 Brewing in Beloit, WI.…

Podcast: The 420 Small Batch episode covering the history of 420, Sweetwater 420 beer tastings, an epic 420 ad fail and a music from Weed. Another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars takes a hard hit on the history of 420, with a great 70's story about a group of high school stoners called the Waldos, who frequent an after school adventur…

Podcast: We drink 10 beers in 30 minutes and match each style with the proper glassware! Beer list is below: On tap this episode is a whirlwind of beer tasting as the crew bucks it's normal format to tackle drinking 10 beers in 30 minutes. After each beer, we make a case for the proper glassware for that particular style, although the line-up is so…

PODCAST: The crew explores wine beer hybrids, harvesting 130 year-old shipwrecked yeast, beer "only" lent and Marcus King Band. Wine beers ... they're not new, but the interest to create them from American craft brewers is growing. The idea of combining grapes and malt is not that far fetched. We have seen a few ales in the past that have been aged…

Podcast: Small Batch episode about cannabis beverages are the feature topic, with beer tastings from DarkHorse and Pig Minds, plus music of Rival Sons Another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars delves into the fast growing industry of cannabis beverages. With cannabis laws becoming more relaxed and more states (Illinois sounds like the n…

PODCAST: Salute to Charlie Papazian, the godfather of homebrewing, with craft beer tastings and news It's another small batch podcast from Home Brew Rock Stars where we dive in short form and discuss the Papazian influence on home brewing and celebrate Charlie's retirement! It wasn’t just Papazian’s expertise that he had honed since that first home…

Download Episode! PODCAST: 2019 A.H.A. Craft Beer Clone Recipes List and Tips for Better Bottle Carbonation for Home Brewers Looking for some good clone beer recipes? Greetings and welcome to another "small batch" podcast episode where we talk about some the 2019 AHA Craft Beer Clone Recipes (each year the American Homebrews Association picks one c…

Download Episode! PODCAST: The Government Shutdown chokes small breweries, and how to name your home brew beers. Welcome to our new "Small Batch" format (approx. 30 minutes) that features a shorter show where we talk about craft beer and home brewing news, beer related events, home brewing tips, new music and we taste some new beers, of course! Yes…

Download Episode! PODCAST: The End of Year Recap of 19 Home Brewing Episodes and a Sneak Peek at 2019 HAPPY NEW YEAR!! This episode takes a look back at our interviews with the home brewers, brew masters, rock stars and brewing topics we covered throughout the 2018 podcast season. After 19 episodes, more than 20 guests, 40 interviews and 100 beer t…

PODCAST: Tundras talk Rock-n-Roll Beers and why craft beer melds well with music. This episode goes untraditional for the Home Brew Rock Stars crew while perhaps getting to the root of the podcast's namesake, as we feature Brian Mastrangeli and Cory Wicklund from TUNDRAS, a progressive Midwest band with a passion for well-made craft beer. Tundras t…