Beer

[Southtown]

Well, you've had a week bud. I've drank quite a bit since then.

 

My latest batch turned out bad, just like my last one. But this time I don't think it was soap that made it taste bad, though the dishsoap may have contributed to the funkiness of my last batch. This time, I think it's the priming sugar. The carbonation fades fast and it still tastes like priming sugar. Just like last time, I added cane sugar to some boiled water and called it sanitized, when I should have boiled it after adding the sugar. The cane sugar had been sitting in the pantry for a while and probably was not sanitized anymore. The problem is figuring out how to boil only one cup of water for 10 minutes.

 

This time, better bottle scrubbing and some pre-packaged corn sugar. :( I got a kit this time, Imperial Stout. :) (trashing the malto-dextrin, though, of course)

[alexander]

Any of you guys like belgian style ale?

 

See attatchment (lol iphone takes huge photos)

 

an interesting historic note on beer:

 

Witbier - or white beer, a variety of wheat beer, at that a very old traditional one, an ale brewed primarily in belgium, it is very peculiar tasting, mainly due to the fact that it is not brewed with hops, well i should day that hops are not added in the process of mashing, and that they are not the main spice in those beers; hops are added in the gruut (or sometimes spelled gruit), a mix of spices, sometimes including hops, well most times today, but generally a mix of sweet gale, yarrow, rosemary, juniper, mugwort, wormwood, labrador tea, heather, licorice, sage, lemon zest or any combination of them added after the mashing process, in the process of boliling, and very commonly at various, speciffic times of that process, like 60 minutes before end, 30, 15... etc. This makes the beer taste a little to a lot sour, which is very refresing in the summer time (think mmmm lemonade). Anyways, Belgian brewers using this method of beer flavoring very commonly added hops to the gruut, in fact that helped recognize hops as the one, de facto, spice for flavoring beer.

 

Now historical aspect of this: in the 14th century, French king passed a law prohibiting the use of hops in gruut. Methinks the brewers compensated by adding more raw wheat to the mix... But i thought that was an interesting historical note on beer....

[Southtown]

That's sounds pretty interesting. I hope I can find it. I'm still trying to develop a taste for pales, but something as complex as you describe is surely worth the buckage.

 

Here's my latest discovery. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout from the North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg, CA. (9% ABV, and 75 IBUs) I just paid 2.29 per 12 ouncer for some rediculous reason, but wouldn't ya know it, they're worth every penny. :thumbs_up

 

[alexander]

yep that imperial stout is kick *** :confused:

 

an example of witbier is hoegaarden (either Grand Cru or regular are fine)

 

they taste bitter, but on a hot day, it's quite refreshing... I am going to find a more local belgian witbier brew if i can...

 

also the Berliner Weisse, interesting beer, barley beer at that, that i have yet to try, brewed only around Berlin. It is very low on alcohol content, but it is very sour, and very commonly mixed with raspberry, lemon or woodruff syrup. It makes the mixed drink extremely refreshing in the hot summer sun :)

[Southtown]

Rasputin is more toasty than sweet and more bitter than malty. A nice change from the other stouts I've tried. Also it's both caramelly and chocolaty. I can only hope to come close to such a balance with my homebrew. Muah! ps I bought two more Rasputins which I'll probably save for last, after my twelve of porter and two pints of Lagunitas Imperial Stout which I have yet to try and Lagunitas 13 Red which was nice and hoppy. Both hi-grav so I have to space 'em out. lol

[alexander]

Have you had Young's Double Chocolate stout yet? I love it, mmmm, but its no excuse for not going out and getting some Rasputin and Dogfish Head.... planning that (the trip) for like mid day-ish

[Southtown]

Yes! I did find Young's on accident a few weeks ago. It is definitely an awesome brew. I don't really have a sweet tooth, but the chocolate actually did seem to balance out the dark-roast flavor and compliment it. Who would have thought to put chocolate in beer? haha :shrug:

[alexander]

I dunno... like aztecs...

 

no, really

 

Joe Sixpack - Reporting and drinking beer in Philly and beyond

 

i am waiting for the Theobroma dogfish head brew too, cant wait!!! :shrug:

 

But yeah, i love how smooth it is, and even those (ooh its chocolate, chocolate is for girls) people taste it and fall back in astonishment...

[alexander]

Earliest uses for that wonderous plant were alcohol-related, in fact to make wine, if i am not mistaken, and that insane beer that i linked to, above :shrug:

[InfiniteNow]

I reaquainted myself with a very old and dear friend last night...

 

 

Negra Modelo

 

 

[freeztar]

I reaquainted myself with a very old and dear friend last night...

 

 

Negra Modelo

 

That's all I drink when I go out for mexican food. Unless they have Carta Blanca...

 

[Moontanman]

 

 

 

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't.

 

As Ben Franklin said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in

water there is bacteria.

 

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop.

 

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

 

Remember: Water = Poop, Wine = Health

 

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of ****.

 

There is no need to thank me for this valuable information: I'm doing it as a public service.

 

I love that reasoning, I knew there had to be reason I don't like to drink water! I do like Guinness and Heineken Dark but my real fav is "Three Philosophers" 10.5% alcohol beer!!!!

[alexander]

10.5% alcohol beer!!!!

lol that's not all that special you know :)

 

beers i generally drink start at around 5% for the lightest of light (stella and spaten) to about 7.5-average for most of my beer, to doppelbock (ayinger) which is 10%, to DogFish Head 120IPA which is 40 proof, or 20%, and lastly, beer i have yet to get and try, Sam Adams Utopias, it comes in at 24-27%, it is not carbonated, and cost over $100 a bottle... (intricate bottles though)

[Moontanman]

lol that's not all that special you know :eek_big:

 

beers i generally drink start at around 5% for the lightest of light (stella and spaten) to about 7.5-average for most of my beer, to doppelbock (ayinger) which is 10%, to DogFish Head 120IPA which is 40 proof, or 20%, and lastly, beer i have yet to get and try, Sam Adams Utopias, it comes in at 24-27%, it is not carbonated, and cost over $100 a bottle... (intricate bottles though)

 

You obviously never lived in NC, until the 1980's or 90's even coors was banned because it had too much alcohol:doh:

[alexander]

Thank God, no... besides i was not of age in those time spans :eek_big:

[Southtown]

I reaquainted myself with a very old and dear friend last night...

 

 

Negra Modelo

I know I've seen that one before. I'll give it a try.

 

Thank God, no... besides i was not of age in those time spans

Ya... so what's your point?

[alexander]

until the 90s i was 6, that is my point