Keystone Homebrew Supply

Welcome
Keystone Homebrew Supply brings you the best service and supplies for making beer and wine at home.

There's more brewing and winemaking ingredients, kits, equipment, and whatnot being added to our shopping cart all the time. Still, only a fraction of the items we carry are listed online. If you don't see what you're looking for, please call or e-mail your requests and we will gladly quote you a price. Please note some items are not shipping friendly, but you would be amazed at the homebrew stuff we ship.

Our Summer Newsletter is now online, complete with coupons (print out and use at the store), tons of summer events and brewing news, and some news and one very special coupon for winemakers too. Also see previous newsletters. Don't miss out on the news: sign up for our newsletter today.

Wine Kit Specials: Limited Time Only!
We're taking pre-orders now for two special seasonal wine kits from Winexpert: the fantastic Chocolate Raspberry Port, and the brand new Okanagan Peach Icewine Style. Both are full strength kits (no water needed!) designed to make 3 gallons of finished wine. Call either of our stores or stop by with payment information (we need a $50 deposit to secure your order) between now and Thursday, August 7 to reserve your kits. Online ordering will also be available shortly at www.keystonehomebrew.com

Chocolate Raspberry Port
Back by tremendous popular demand, the Chocolate Raspberry Port offers traditional rich Port character, supported by a racy zing of bright raspberry and deep flavors of luscious dark, bittersweet chocolate. Toasty hints of oak guide the way to a long, rich finish. The Chocolate Raspberry Port sells for $108.95.

Okanagan Peach Icewine Style
The new Okanagan Peach Icewine Style kit tantalizes with notes of honey, apricot, and spice. Featuring Vidal grapes from the Okanagan Valley, the finished wine will feature deep floral notes, stone fruit and perfect sweetness, balanced with the sun-ripened perfume of a luscious peach. The Okanagan Peach Icewine Style sells for $117.95.

Pre-order your Winexpert Summer Season Special kit online here.

Brehm Frozen Grapes and Juice
Spring Sale Is Over, But Year-Round Varieties Available
The best wines come from the best grapes. Brehm provides select grapes and juices, picked fresh and frozen for winemaking later.

Here are the varieties available year-round.

Winexpert Selection Limited Edition Wine Kits
2008 Winexpert Limited Edition and
RJ Spagnols Restricted Quantity Wine Kits
Just a Few Left in Store Now
Try the very best in wine kits: a super easy way to make 6 gallons of wine.

Every year from January to April, Winexpert and RJ Spagnols release a special wine kit each month. These unique varietals are available for just one month. The deadline to reserve yours has past, but we ordered some extras so a lucky few could still get them. Call, e-mail, or stop by to see our current availability.

More details here.

Brew at the Zoo Beer Festival
July 26, 6 to 10 p.m.
The third annual brew fest, this year at the Philadelphia Zoo. Not only do you get to walk with the animals, you get to drink with the animals. Admission gets you a glass and free samples from Victory, Yards, Iron Hill, and a whole bunch of other fine breweries (updated list at www.brewatthezoo.net).

Best of all, this event benefits the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, a very worthwhile organization dedicated to finding a cure for this tragic cellular disease that strikes children and adults. Read more about them online at www.umdf.org.

We won’t let the microbreweries take all the glory; Keystone Homebrew will also be there showcasing the winning homebrewed beer from the KO Competition. Show your homebrewed pride by wearing your Keystone colors: Anyone spotted wearing a Keystone Homebrew T-shirt at the festival will receive a $5 coupon to the store.

Hop Policy
It pains us to refuse to sell customers as much hops as they want. But with the impending hop shortages (see Washington Post article) we need to do something to keep as many of our customers happy as possible.

In order to ensure that we will be able to provide hops to our brewing customers now and throughout the coming year, we will be limiting the sale of hops to each customer based on the amount of grains and/or malt extract that is purchased at the same time. The following amounts represent the maximum hops that can be purchased until further notice:

1 oz of hops per pound of malt extract (syrup or dry)
1 oz of hops for every 2 pounds of grains

These amounts will be reviewed on a regular basis to determine whether our policy needs to be amended or is no longer needed. Thank you for your understanding as we try to do what best for all of our homebrewing customers!

New Hop Limited Offer
Argentine Cascade
Even with the hop shortage in full effect, we’ve been able to obtain a supply of a brand new hop (for us) this year called Argentine Cascade. Don’t be fooled! This hop bears little if any resemblance to American Cascade. It actually exhibits characteristics of certain German noble hops (namely Tettnang and Spalt), and works very well as an aroma hop. With the practical disappearance of Tettnang this year, this is a welcome addition indeed! Argentine Cascade weighs in at 3.2% alpha acid, and sells for $4.09 per ounce. It is in stock now, and orders can be placed online or by phone. Order this special, hard-to-find hop on-line.

Help Wanted
We need more full-time help at both of our locations. Details here.

Photos from Keystone Events
Brew at the Zoo, 2007

We keep digging through our photos, and here are a few updates from past events: Last year's Brewer's Brawl--Keg Only Competition in Montgomeryville. Winning beers were served at the Brew at the Zoo, 2007. Speaking of which, this year's Brew at the Zoo is coming up (more).

Can't wait for our summertime Family Picnic? Here are recently further updated pictures from 2007. See a list of all our photo pages here.

The Keystone Cup
First Round Ranking Posted
Click here for current ranking of clubs.

war of the worts 2008 keystone cup
The War of the Worts was the first contest couting toward winning the Keystone Cup, pictured above at the WOW. Lehigh Valley Homebrewers are in the lead, followed by Keystone Hops, and several other clubs proudly represented by winning ribbons in War of the Worts. See all of the clubs' winning representatives at the Keystone Hops Web site.

But the game isn't over yet! The Malt Madness homebrew contest is coming up (Sept. 6) and is the second and final competition for this year's Keystone Cup, with the winningest club triumphantly carrying the cup back to its lair. So start brewing like mad and get your entries into Malt Madness. Most importantly, don't forget to indicate your homebrew club on the entry form.

Click here to see the rules.

Steve Robson Takes the Title
This regional beer competition -- brought to you by Keystone Homebrew Supply and Carolyn Smagalski (the Beer Fox) -- will challenge the overall beer knowledge and enthusiasm of area beer fans.

More info, and maybe a video, will be posted soon (once our hangovers clear up) at Philly Beer Geek.

Philly Beer Geek was just one of many fun events happening during Philly Beer Week. Check out all the "hop-la" that happened March 7-16 at Philly Beer Week's site.

E-Mail Updates from Keystone Homebrew Supply
Thinking about signing up for our e-mail updates, but still not sure? samples of our concise, text-only, news-you-can-use e-mails here. Most often they are friendly reminders of winemaking or brewing events or special, limited offers. Sign up today. You can cancel at any time.

Check out our archive of emails here.

How-To Articles on Making Wine and Beer
Here is our growing collection of directions, tips, and techniques on home beer- and winemaking from our newsletters.

Click here for wine.
Click here for beer.