Messages

1

Homebrew Clubs / Re: Newbie Here

« on: May 17, 2013, 02:06:12 PM »

Brewers Best Kits are usually very high quality.

Don't let anyone tell you brewing beer is hard.  It is way easier than you think it is at this point.  As theDarkside said your most difficult thing will be keeping it cool while it ferments.  Do a search on swamp chillers and ice baths (using frozen soda bottles filled with water) to control your temps.

Be careful about sanitation and have fun!

Ask any questions you have here on the forum.  Everyone here is happy to teach.

Welcome to the best and most interesting hobby I have ever had.

Paul

2

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Bottles Bursting with Flavor

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:21:17 AM »

I agree with everything said so far.  I'm guessing you didn't chill the bottles before he took them.  It might have kept them from exploding if they were really cold while he transported them.  They would still be over carbed but they might not have exploded.

Paul

3

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Beers for the non-craft drinker

« on: May 17, 2013, 06:30:36 AM »

The last person who asked me for a lite beer got "Pour a half glass of something and there's a faucet over there.  Make it as lite as you have to."  They tried a Blonde at full strength and have never asked for lite beer at house again.

I've also  been know to tell people the light switch is by the door.

I make kolsch, blonde, farmhouse ales, American wheat and usually have at one on tap at anytime.  they find something they like.  Except that one guy who brings his own 12 pack of Coors Lite to every party.

Paul

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Most and Least

« on: May 17, 2013, 05:48:39 AM »

Of the upgrades I've made over the years:

1) My grain mill - controlling your crush really helps stabilize your numbers.
2) Kegs - They make the process so much easier over all
3) The carboy cleaner thing that attaches to my drill (can't remember the name right now).  - Saves a ton of work with a brush.

Temp control would be great but I just don't have room for another freezer right now.

Paul

5

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Cowboy Brewers

« on: May 16, 2013, 09:46:45 AM »

It worries me that he wants to shake your tree. 

Paul

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: When did you switch to all grain?

« on: May 15, 2013, 12:00:58 PM »

Started in '91 and was taught by one of my cousins, who had been brewing for a while, all grain.  So I started with all grain.  Speaking of pre-internet, who remembers "The Cat's Meow"?  I still have copy on one of my brew book shelves.

Oh, yeah!  Worst recipe database ever!  Did you do rec.cafts.brewing, too?

I read a lot post on rec.crafts.  I don't think I ever posted though.

Paul

7

The Pub / Re: NTSB Recommends 0.05% BAC Limit

« on: May 15, 2013, 11:26:38 AM »

When my Dad was a kid in a small rural community one guy would drive his wagon in on Saturday night.  This wagon was pulled by a horse.  He would give the horse some hay and oats, make sure it had water and then go to one of the bars.  At the end of the night the farmers friends would dump him in the wagon and untie the horse.  The horse would go home on it's own and the guy's wife would wake him up and he would unhook the horse put it back in the barn.  The next morning they would drive the car into town for Mass.

It would be really funny to know if his horse was named Goggle.  And if the Patent Office would consider that prior art? 

Paul

8

The Pub / Re: NTSB Recommends 0.05% BAC Limit

« on: May 14, 2013, 02:25:39 PM »

I could support this if it came with other changes to the laws.

2.  Rezone to allow more bars near houses.  The closest brewery to my house is about nine miles away.  The nearest pub is over four miles.  The nearest place to buy packaged beer is the grocery store over a mile away.  If there was a bar in my neighborhood we would hang out there, now we just rotate houses between about five families.  I miss living in the city

In the PA coal region, neighborhood bars that literally double as people's homes are a common thing.  However, a friend of mine was busted for trying to walk home, which was three doors away from a bar.  An undercover liquor control guy followed him outside.

What was the charge?  Walking while intoxicated?  Public staggering/shuffling?  Excessive eye watering?

Paul

Public drunkenness.  If they want ya, they're gonna get you.  The PA Liquor Control Board (they control distribution and enforcement, that's another discussion) is famous (infamous?) for overstepping its boundaries.

Another thing to be happy I live in Iowa for.  Here you can't be arrested because they watched you have some drinks.  You actually have to do something that gives them probable cause.  Walking three houses down to go home, assuming you don't start screaming, throwing things or wondering out into the street may get you watched by an officer who happens to be around but they'll leave you alone if you make it home.  Most officers will help you get to your door if you're weaving.  It seems hard to believe that there wasn't more to the story but I don't live there so I'll take your word for it.

Paul

9

The Pub / Re: NTSB Recommends 0.05% BAC Limit

« on: May 14, 2013, 01:53:19 PM »

I could support this if it came with other changes to the laws.

2.  Rezone to allow more bars near houses.  The closest brewery to my house is about nine miles away.  The nearest pub is over four miles.  The nearest place to buy packaged beer is the grocery store over a mile away.  If there was a bar in my neighborhood we would hang out there, now we just rotate houses between about five families.  I miss living in the city

In the PA coal region, neighborhood bars that literally double as people's homes are a common thing.  However, a friend of mine was busted for trying to walk home, which was three doors away from a bar.  An undercover liquor control guy followed him outside.

What was the charge?  Walking while intoxicated?  Public staggering/shuffling?  Excessive eye watering?

Paul

10

The Pub / Re: A Free Kindle Book

« on: May 14, 2013, 06:50:06 AM »

Very true.  It is not a "how-to brew" book.  It covers a fair amount of history, current (as of 2010) world beer market stuff and anecdotes from his career as a brewer for the companies like AB.

Paul

11

All Grain Brewing / Re: Grains on hand

« on: May 14, 2013, 04:05:37 AM »

Every fall I pick up 2 bags of MO, 1 bag of white wheat and 1 bag of Rahr 2 row.  These typically last until the next fall.

Any other grains I need, I buy based on need before I brew.  As others have said I normally buy 2#s or 2x what I actually need.  It saves a few trips to the LHBS and I always make more than one batch of each recipe.

Having the correct hops on hand is the biggest pain in my brewery.  For some reason I never seem to have exactly what I'm looking for on hand.  That's probably another thread though. 

Paul

12

The Pub / Re: A Free Kindle Book

« on: May 14, 2013, 03:51:53 AM »

I read this book in 2011.  It isn't a bad read.  It gets a bit dry at times and is more about the macro-brew world but it covers a lot of ground.

Paul

13

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Beginner's question

« on: May 13, 2013, 02:09:10 PM »

If you need a boil kettle, I would go with the Mountain Homebrew kit.  You get some interesting bells and whistles with the other but for $10 I'd get the kettle and forgo the stainless turkey baster.  I actually have never seen a stainless steel turkey baster but that's beside the point.

Paul

14

Equipment and Software / Re: pH Meter

« on: May 13, 2013, 10:04:49 AM »

This thread actually made be pull out my ph meter on Saturday while I was brewing.  I've had for 1.5 years and had not taken it out of the box.  I had reasons for not using it but none that really held up to scrutiny.  I intended to start tracking my water more closely but a lot of "life" got in the way.

My basic American Wheat mash gave me a reading of 5.4 with no water treatments or chemical additions.  Not bad for "blindly brewing through the new millennium".  8^)  One of these days I'll get a Ward Labs test done on my water and see where I'm at.

The meter is a Milwaukee pH56.  Basic meter from Northern Brewer's site.  Seems to work fine.

Paul

15

The Pub / Re: Do you hate to be corrected?

« on: May 13, 2013, 09:35:06 AM »

No one likes to be wrong and no one likes to have it publicly pointed out. 

I used to respond to family members directly with no CC's on stupid, blatantly incorrect info they would send out and gently inform them of what was incorrect and where they could check such things.  It seemed to work for awhile, or so it seemed, until I found out that they just removed me from their mailing lists.  I don't necessarily miss knowing about the next family reunion but it seemed extreme to need to make my younger brother promise to notify if Mom dies.  I really would like to go to the funeral (and not to defend my position in the estate  ).

Now I've decided that I will just delete/ignore info that I disagree with (assuming I'm ever added back to the mail lists).  And I have no use for Facebook, Twitter or any sites that expose person information to the world, even when setup your security "correctly", and just waste time.

Paul (The Old fuddie-duddie and curmudgeon)