Messages

1

Beer Recipes / Re: Conversion from brewery to homebrew system/math help

« on: Today at 07:18:23 PM »

They're racking on top of bagged coarse ground Kona after fermentation. The beer has great coffee aromatics and I'd say it's certainly the most forward flavor in the beer. I'm liking the 4oz number. I think I'll boil a hop bag, add the "dry beans" and chuck that in the keg. Maybe bottle when the flavor is right? Or do you think flavor extraction will max out at some point?

I've done coffee that way and used that procedure. The coffee flavor may max out, but after about a week it tasted how I wanted it, so I bottled.

2

Beer Travel / Re: Chicago in October?

« on: June 14, 2013, 12:18:08 PM »

Revolution's brewpub is a must, IMHO. Bacon fat popcorn!

Monk's Pub is close to where you're staying. They usually have a decent lineup, but they're closed weekends.

I love Hopleaf, but it is a hike from the Loop.

And this place just opened: http://www.dryhopchicago.com/

There's also a Mariano's market east on Randolph that has  a pretty good selection of local beers and does mixed six packs. It's a bit of a walk, but there's a good breakfast place on the way
It's the Lakeshore East store: http://www.marianos.com/StoreLocator.aspx
http://www.wildberrycafe.com/

3

The Pub / Re: Naming a beer Isn't that easy

« on: June 11, 2013, 04:00:06 PM »

There could be a silver lining here:

Maybe, eventually, all hop/rye puns will be used up and breweries will be forced to use less stupid-sounding names:

"Hoppopotamus IPA", "Ryenheitsgebot American Lager", "Hoptimus Prime", "Golden Hopportunity blah blah", etc.

Ugh.

+1 I thought I might be the only one that was sick of this BS.

I'm hopping it ends soon.

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Priming sugar

« on: June 08, 2013, 07:10:16 AM »

Cane or beet sugar- which is widely available at supermarkets. You know- sugar...

Yep, sugar is sugar. Here's a handy tool for calculating how much to use
http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing this Weekend - 6/1 edition?

« on: May 30, 2013, 07:47:03 PM »

No brewing, but I'm taking the Anchor tour on Monday. I'm pretty psyched about that.

6

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale

« on: May 28, 2013, 04:34:11 PM »

I got it at the Kimbark Liquors in Hyde Park so I'm sure Binny's will have it. I live in the south 'burbs and haven't seen it in any grocery stores.

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Commercial Beer Reviews / Goose Island 25th Anniversary Ale

« on: May 28, 2013, 11:34:30 AM »

They say on the web site it's based on an unreleased beer called Honker’s Deluxe. It's a very nice ESB, with good malt and hops balance and a little sweetness in the finish. It left me in the mind of fresh Fuller's ESB, but with a little more alcohol and carbonation. I will buy more while it's available.

I'm not sure if this is only a local thing or if it will get wider distribution than the Chicago area. I've seen complaints on some rating sites that they didn't do some big stout/Belgian thing, but this is a tribute to the beers that inspired John Hall to open a brewpub back in 1988, when that was a pretty risky move.

8

The Pub / Re: American Brewery Architecture

« on: May 24, 2013, 02:30:26 PM »

the Argus Brewery in chicago is kind of cool also.  It is from the old Schlitz building where they housed their horses.  still has the functioning old elevator the sized of a wagon

The horse heads are a nice touch, too.



I go by there twice a day on the Metra. I love the old Schlitz tied house up the road that has the Schlitz logo in the stonework.

9

All Grain Brewing / Re: Collecting Cooling Water for Future Brews

« on: May 22, 2013, 06:29:17 AM »

I actually just did this a couple weeks ago. The water sat overnight then I used the water for brewing 2 more batches. I collected the water in a 20 gallon food safe garbage can. The wort from both batches tasted good. Now to taste the beers since they are done fermenting!
Cheers,
Brandon

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks, I'm going to give it a go this weekend.  Gonna save the water from Saturday's brew and use it for the mash and sparge for the Sunday brew.

I've been doing this for awhile when I'm brewing again within a few days. I used to run off into the washing machine, but I got a newfangled one that can't handle being pre-filled.

10

Beer Recipes / Re: Ballast Point Homework Series...

« on: May 16, 2013, 02:25:57 PM »

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/community/news/show?title=ballast-point-homework-series

dayum! 18% crystal.  i'd like to taste this before making it sometime...

Dude, you (and many others) have to get over your fear of crystal.  It's how you use it, not the amount that's there.

I've had a few Ballast Point beers while visiting California and they were all terrific. They just hit Illinois, but I imagine this won't

I brewed an Anchor Porter clone I got from the Northern Brewer forum and it used 15% crystal. I loved it. I just went looking for the thread and there was blatz

thanks for the great work korbinian - be sure to update once you have brewed it.

korbinian wrote:
15% crystal 40 (he said I could even use more)


whoa??!! :shock:

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=89557

11

The Pub / Re: NTSB Recommends 0.05% BAC Limit

« on: May 16, 2013, 08:35:51 AM »

This leads me to another aspect of this whole conversation. I've always believed that driving tests in the US are way too easy. Knowing how to parallel park and make a K-Turn is a joke in the grand scheme of driving. I think everyone should be subjected to a few different courses, maybe even over a few days.

I was really lucky that my dad and grandfather both took the time to teach me the skills i really needed for driving on the road. They would take me to this bus depot parking lot when it was raining and make me spin the car on purpose to get a grasp of what it was like to lose control of the vehicle, how to avoid it and how to recover from it. They also did this with 2 different cars in both the rain and the snow and I have to tell you, the first time you do it its scary as hell but after 4 or 5 times it becomes natural to just turn into the skid and recover from it. And when that skid happens in the real world, and it will, you won't panic, you'll just react.

Just think about what you learned in your driving class and what its really like on the road. Its a huge difference and unfortunately it takes time to build up the experience needed to actually be a good competent driver.

Can you imagine if we let people fly planes with the same amount of training?

I worked as a letter carrier for awhile and the best part of the training was the driving instruction. We spent time in class and on the road with instructors. It was pretty eye-opening after having been licensed for 15+ years.

Of course I still took the door off a postal vehicle one day because of the ridiculous built-in blindspot on the Grumman LLV A utility pole can completely disappear behind the side view mirrors.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Goose Island beer

« on: May 15, 2013, 05:14:39 PM »

I think there's been a bit of a diaspora since the ownership change, though I think to some degree there were always people leaking out to other local breweries.  This is good for the local craft beer scene. I'm not sure if the rate has increased, but I bet it has.

There's a bunch of former GI brewers in this video celebrating 25 years (It's  too long and doesn't mention InBev, but oh well.)
http://beerpulse.com/2013/05/goose-island-beer-company-celebrates-25-years-video/

The brewpub still does some great stuff. And I too wish they'd bring back the oatmeal stout.

13

The Pub / Re: A bomber is rarely a good deal

« on: May 12, 2013, 12:31:15 PM »

I actually really enjoy Rogue's 7oz beers. That seemed like a good size for a big beer, for me. I don't think they were very popular though.

I bottle part of a batch of my RIS in 7oz bottles for my wife. She usually doesn't want a full 12oz of something big.

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Beer Recipes / Re: Is this a 3F Gumball clone?

« on: May 10, 2013, 04:45:19 AM »

Maybe not a clone, but it looks like it will get you in the neighborhood.

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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What's Brewing This Weekend - 3/8 Edition

« on: March 07, 2013, 08:13:35 PM »

Got a starter going for a wit. I'm using Wyeast 3944 for the first time, as the LHBS was out of Forbidden Fruit.