Homebrewing is a hobby that combines art, science and a touch of pet ownership. Virtually every step in the brewing process is about ensuring the livelihood of your billions of little yeast pets. Sometimes you let them down. But other times, together, you can really make something spectacular. This was the case with my latest experiment.

My last project was a shandy, which is basically a beer with lemons or lemonade. I brewed my shandy using half wheat and half pilsner (barley) malt in order to keep the malty taste light and essentially out of the way for the other flavors I wanted. I added lemon and lime peel and Citra hops for flavor and aroma (I did not add any hops for bittering). I love Citra hops, and I try to use them in anything I can. Citra hops are a manmade cross between far too many hops to list. They are extremely aromatic, taste like tropical fruit/citrus and have enough alpha acid in them to potentially be used for bittering. Finally, I chose a Kolsch yeast because it adds a slightly fruity flavor and comes out really drinkable.

I am a member of HAMS (Homebrew Association of Manatee Sarasota) which is filled with brewers of all different ages and experience levels, so it is a great way to get some feedback. At the last meeting, I stood up and poured my shandy into everyone’s glass. I awaited judgment. A flurry of questions, opinions and suggestions flew at me.

First of all, the appearance was a hazy copper, which is a little strange in a shandy. I was hoping for golden or bright yellow. The smell was by far deemed the best aspect of my shandy. Everyone was picking up different citrus fruits by the in your face lemon-lime aroma. When we got to taste, there were opinions every which way. The club loved the taste, but some had suggestions for future batches. The certified craft beer judges in the group suggested that I pull back on the lemon-lime zest to allow a maltier taste for complexity. One member told me to try and make it a little sweeter, but said not to change a thing.

After the experience, there are a few things that I will change in the next batch. I will use more wheat to both bring out the color I was looking for and add a little bit of sweetness. Then, I will pull back on the lemon and lime peel just a touch and replace with a little more Citra hops because, frankly, I love them. Someday I hope to enter this recipe in a homebrew competition!

Alex Smith is a Beer Consultant on 37th Street in Sarasota.

Follow him on Twitter @abcbeeralexs