Brew Dudes Homebrewing Blog

Tips for Sourcing Homebrew Supplies

On May 6, 2026

We are often asked about where we buy our homebrewing supplies. People see the beers and equipment on the channel and wonder how we source everything. In this discussion, Mike walked through his approach to buying hops, grain, yeast, and brewing gear. A lot of it comes down to consistency, freshness, and buying smarter over time. We also wanted to point out that you do not need expensive equipment to make great beer. We certainly did not start that way ourselves.

How Mike Sources Brewing Ingredients and Equipment

When it comes to hops, Mike prefers buying larger quantities directly from suppliers like Yakima Valley. He usually buys half pound or one pound quantities for varieties he uses often. For lagers, pale ales, and British beers, he likes keeping dependable hops on hand. Cascade, Amarillo, Nugget, and Citra were all mentioned as examples. He has found that larger packages often perform better than small repackaged one ounce bags from local shops. Freshness and storage conditions make a noticeable difference in hop flavor and aroma.

For grain, Mike likes purchasing base malts in 40 to 50 pound quantities. He discussed previously buying from local maltsters when shipping costs were reasonable. These days, he still buys larger amounts because it helps maintain consistency between batches. He mentioned stocking up on Maris Otter, Pilsner malt, Vienna malt, Munich malt, and American two row. Having larger quantities available also makes spontaneous brew days much easier.

Yeast sourcing has changed quite a bit for Mike over the years. He explained that liquid yeast shipping can be inconsistent, especially during warmer months on the East Coast. Because of that, he now uses dry yeast for most beers. The expanding variety of dry yeast strains has made this much easier. When he visits the local homebrew shop to refill CO2 tanks, he usually grabs several dry yeast packets for future brews.

For equipment, Mike tends to shop online through retailers like MoreBeer. He discussed buying Torpedo kegs, SS Brewtech fermenters, and stainless brewing equipment online because local shops nearby focus more on ingredients than equipment. He also shared the story of buying old corny kegs from a soda company liquidation years ago and still using many of them today.

Final Thoughts

The biggest takeaway from this discussion was not to get discouraged by cost. Mike pointed out that many homebrewers online showcase expensive setups, but simple equipment can still produce excellent beer. Fresh ingredients, smart buying habits, and understanding your process matter much more than flashy gear. Whether you buy hops by the pound or just pick up ingredients batch by batch, consistency and freshness are the keys. Hopefully, this discussion helps newer brewers think through their own sourcing homebrew supplies strategy a little more confidently.

Belhaven Best Scottish Ale Clone Recipe

By John Krochune

On April 29, 2026

In Recipes, Videos

Mike brewed a Scottish-style ale inspired by Belhaven’s Best and his time in Scotland. This batch focused on low ABV, malt-forward character, and easy drinkability. It also marked a one-year reflection on that trip and previous attempts.

Belhaven Best Clone Recipe

Batch Size
3.5 gallons

Grain Bill
86% Golden Promise Malt
7% Viking Cookie Malt
3% Crystal 60 Malt
2.5% Honey Malt
Small amount of Carafa Special II for color adjustment

Hops
30 g of UK Goldings hops for 60 minute boil

Yeast
Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale Yeast

Mash Schedule
Mash at 152°F for 75 minutes

Fermentation
Room temperature for 2 weeks
Cleared well after a couple weeks in the keg

Original Gravity (OG): 1.038
Final Gravity (FG): 1.013
%ABV: 3.3%

Tasting Notes and Conclusion

In the glass, the beer showed a rocky, mostly white head with great retention. Color leaned toward dark tan, just under copper, matching the intended style. Aroma had light herbal notes from the Goldings and subtle esters. The malt character delivered pale bread notes with a toasted biscuit edge.

Flavor highlighted that biscuit quality with mild caramel and balanced sweetness. The yeast stayed neutral enough to let the malt remain the focus. The only drawback was a slightly stronger earthy hop character than expected.

This batch hit the goal of a low ABV, malt-forward, highly drinkable Scottish ale. The cookie malt added a distinct toasted quality that stood out nicely. The yeast performed quickly and cleanly while still supporting the malt profile.

We would consider experimenting with this yeast in darker UK styles next. This is a great session beer that could work well on cask or even nitro.

Huell Melon Hops SMaSH Beer Tasting & Review

By John Krochune

On April 22, 2026

In Hops, Videos

In this video, we set out to evaluate Huell Melon hops using our standard SMASH beer approach. We wanted to isolate the hop character and understand what it really brings to a beer. Huell Melon is a German variety that often gets labeled as fruity and melon-forward. We have talked about it before, but never fully tested it this way. This batch gave us a clean way to break it down and see what stands out.

We brewed a one-gallon SMASH beer using a simple and repeatable process. The batch used two pounds of grain, two gallons of water, and one ounce of hops. We followed our typical hopping schedule with early boil, flameout, and dry hop additions. Fermentation ran about one week before cold crashing and packaging.

Our Huell Melon Takes

On the aroma, the first impression leaned strongly herbal with some surprising notes. We picked up white grape along with a cannabis or thyme-like character. The herbal intensity was noticeable and dominated the aroma profile. There was also a subtle fruit component, but it was not overly sweet or juicy.

The flavor followed a similar path with strong herbal and spicy elements. We noticed green melon rind, similar to honeydew, rather than sweet melon flesh. There were also hints of tea, floral spice, and a slight fruitiness underneath. The overall impression was more herbal and spicy than expected for this hop.

We also discussed how hop characteristics can shift over time due to growing conditions and terroir. Huell Melon may have originally leaned more fruity when released, but now shows more complex herbal traits. This variability makes small-batch testing like this useful for understanding real-world results.

Conclusion

Huell Melon turned out to be more complex and less fruit-forward than expected. The herbal and spicy notes dominated, with fruit playing a supporting role. It is an intriguing hop, but not one that delivers pure melon sweetness. This experiment reinforces the value of brewing small test batches before committing to a full recipe. It also shows that hop expectations do not always match real results.

Oat Malt Stout With House Ale Yeast

By John Krochune

On April 15, 2026

In Recipes, Videos

We have another stout on tap, and this one leans into experimentation. Mike took a familiar stout concept and adjusted the ingredients to create something smoother and less roasty. The goal was to explore how different malts and yeast choices affect the final beer.

What Is An Oat Malt Stout?

We tasted Mike’s latest iteration of what he called an Oat Malt stout, a variation of an Oatmeal Stout though it sits at the lower end of the style. The recipe focused on balance and drinkability rather than intensity.

Batch Size: ~3.5 gallons

Water Profile:
3:2 spring water to tap water
4g gypsum
1g magnesium sulfate

Grain Bill:
61% Pale malt
9% Light Munich (8L)
9% Caramunich II (45L)
11% Oat malt
8% Pale chocolate (220L)
2% Roasted barley (500L)

Hops:
42g Willamette (4% AA) @ 60 minutes

Yeast:
1 packet of Lallemand House yeast

Mash:
152°F for 75 minutes

Stats:

OG: 1.049
FG: 1.016
ABV: ~4.3%
IBUs: 26
Color: 30 SRM

Our Notes

In the glass, the beer poured dark with a tan head and slight brown highlights. The aroma leaned heavily into bread crust and malt sweetness. There were also notes of milk chocolate and hints of hazelnut, likely coming from the pale chocolate malt.

On the palate, the beer carried a strong toasty character. The combination of Munich and Caramunich malts added depth and sweetness. The roast was restrained, but the toastiness made it seem more pronounced than expected. The oat malt contributed noticeable body and a smooth mouthfeel.

Mike noted that the yeast fermented quickly but stayed very clean. That left the malt profile doing most of the work. He suggested that a yeast with more character could enhance complexity in future batches.

This stout experiment showed how small ingredient changes can shift the entire flavor profile. The pale chocolate malt stood out as a key contributor, adding chocolate and nutty notes without harsh roast. The oat malt improved body, while the Caramunich introduced additional toastiness.

If brewed again, Mike would likely swap in a different crystal malt to reduce the bread crust character. He may also try a more expressive yeast to add depth. Overall, the beer was smooth, balanced, and a solid variation worth refining.

Southern Cross Hops SMaSH Beer Tasting & Review

By John Krochune

On April 8, 2026

In Hops, Videos

This SMaSH beer experiment focused on showcasing Southern Cross hops in a simple setup. With a single malt and hop, the goal was to isolate the variety’s aroma and flavor characteristics clearly. I (John) built the recipe to emphasize late hop additions, which would highlight aroma and flavor over bitterness. This approach helps us understand what this New Zealand hop brings to the table without interference.

Tasting The Southern Cross SMaSH Beer

In the glass, this beer leaned heavily into bright, citrus-forward flavors with a noticeable acidity. The first impressions brought a mix of lemon-like citrus and subtle tropical fruit notes. We both picked up hints of kiwi, especially that slightly raw edge you get near the rind. There were also touches of lychee, passion fruit, and even under-ripe guava, giving the beer a layered but not overly sweet profile.

The bitterness came across as soft and restrained, which made sense given the late hop additions. According to hop references, Southern Cross is known for lemon zest and pine characteristics. We did not get much pine, though some of that raw, slightly sharp note could be interpreted that way. If used earlier in the boil, it likely would contribute more bitterness and resinous qualities.

This hop seems versatile depending on how it is used. For a more traditional IPA, it could work well as a bittering hop paired with stronger varieties like Columbus or Chinook. It could also complement hops like Simcoe in later additions to build complexity. In this beer, the late additions kept things bright, citrusy, and slightly tropical without becoming overpowering.

Conclusion

Southern Cross hops delivered a unique combination of bright citrus and subtle tropical flavors in this SMaSH beer. The soft bitterness and lemon-forward profile stood out the most. While it did not show much pine in this version, different brewing techniques could bring that out. This experiment reinforced how much hop timing impacts flavor. It also showed that Southern Cross can play well both as a feature hop or as part of a blend. Availability may be limited, so it is worth grabbing when you can!

BREW ON!