Messages

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Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

« on: March 28, 2011, 09:09:00 PM »

Lucky I spend a week on the Delaware shore every year and pick up a case of 60m IPA right from the brewery. It's fresh and a little cheaper than I pay in MD. Top 3 fav IPA's for me. Always do a trip to the brew pub in Rehoboth to taste taps not readily available  and take the brew tour in Milton, DE too and enjoy some superb samples, great tour and nice gift shop. Plan your next vacation on the DE shore. You'll be glad you did...

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Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: Canned Microbrews

« on: March 28, 2011, 09:02:14 PM »

I've dumped a case of various 21st A cans down the drain (watermelon, B n B etc).  Never had a bad can o' Dale's Pale, Brewer's Art Resurrection, or Butternuts anything though... So might just be 21st A's supplier or the temp during shipment? So I'll try anything in cans but 21st A.

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Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: 21 A's "Back in black"

« on: January 19, 2011, 04:18:53 PM »

Just had BinB on tap at my local favorite watering hole in Baltimore. It was very very tasty. I'm still horribly disappointed in the same product in cans. I still wish I could have mailed them back the nasty 1/2 case that I dumped down the drain; I tried several cans and the taste of metal was overwhelming and the beer had an oily consistency and taste as well. I've had this same experience with their IPA, watermelon and BinB. The Monk's Blood in cans was just OK but I've never had it on tap. Hop Crisis on tap was sublime...Can anyone explain why their beer is wonderful on tap but undrinkable from the can?

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Are 2 yeast strains OK?

« on: December 25, 2010, 06:33:24 PM »

Thanks for the advice. I did a little starter today and pitched an active starter. Hope this helps. If not, well the final beer will be a tad sweet. Not all bad really since all beer is good

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Are 2 yeast strains OK?

« on: December 24, 2010, 08:40:09 PM »

Just pitched the one pack of Safale 04 on Wed afternoon and the fermentation was very low key and din't ramp up until Thursday afternoon and it was pretty unimpressive. Just don't think I'll get time to do a reading. Quickly entered into Beer Alchemy and it said I should have pitched 2 packs. Maybe I'll just pitch a pack of some 05 I have and see what happens or maybe I will just not worry and have a homebrew...

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Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Are 2 yeast strains OK?

« on: December 24, 2010, 07:58:53 PM »

Here's the recipe for the Extract batch I did of a Peace Coffee Porter Stout (a Northern Brewer beer) that I modified a bit:

US Chocolate Malt          0.50 lb    5.6 %    33.1    In Mash/Steeped
US Black Malt                  0.50 lb    5.6 %    47.3    In Mash/Steeped
Dark Crystal                    0.50 lb    5.6 %    10.4    In Mash/Steeped
Golden Malt Extract          6.00 lb    66.7 %    18.6    15 min before End Of Boil
**Sugar -Dried Honey          1.50 lb    16.7 %    0.6    15 min before End Of Boil My Addition
UK Golding                  5.5 %    1.00 oz    26.7    Bagged Pellet Hops    60 Min From End
Czech Saaz                  3.0 %    1.00 oz    8.8    Bagged Pellet Hops    20 Min From End My Addition
1 package Safale 04 pitched Wed 12/22 at 4:30p

Overall the fermentation was really very quiet and I don't know why I pitched the yeast at such a cold temp--just added the wort to a couple of gals of filtered water I'd had out on the porch forgetting it was so cold out. Nothing like my other fermentations. Would it hurt to pitch a 2nd pack of a diff strain at 48h? I'm so busy w/ Christmas and visiting family that there's little time to take a reading and so easy just to sterilize a pack of dry and toss in. I'm not usually this lazy but I'm pooped from all the work that comes w/ a family visit.

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Yeast and Fermentation / Are 2 yeast strains OK?

« on: December 24, 2010, 07:16:27 PM »

Pitched my Safale 04 too cold by mistake (50 degrees) and as a result got a pretty lame fermentation after 20 hours and now 48 hours later is almost coming to a close . Can I pitch a Safale 05 on top? Did a coffee stout and jacked it up w/ some dried honey and think I should have pitched a 2nd package anyway but didn't but is it ok to mix strains like this?

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Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: 21 A's "Back in black"

« on: November 30, 2010, 05:16:12 PM »

I just had this and thought it was awful. It was greasy and metallic tasting and pretty much undrinkable. It's kinda put me off this brewery a bit. And I found their watermelon brew and Monk's Blood were just OK. But maybe I've just gotten unlucky w/ the couple of 6's that I've bought here on the East Coast since I recently enjoyed their "Hop Crisis" on tap and it was truly fantastic but I will not be buying the B in B or the others again. Be curious to hear what others think.

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Beer Travel / Re: Baltimore, MD Beer-cation

« on: June 14, 2010, 07:36:36 PM »

Forgot to add: I would not recommend Red Brick Station. No offense to the previous poster but I have had their beer 2x in the last year and the last time I had their stout and it was not drinkable. I left 2/3 of a pint on the table. And their food was horrible. Really.

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Beer Travel / Re: Baltimore, MD Beer-cation

« on: June 14, 2010, 07:31:58 PM »

I second Max's. If you don't make it to the Brewer's Art, Max's has their beers on tap--do sample some of BA beer. The Brewer's Art does have very good food though. If you are near the Inner Harbor, you might also go a little further South to the Metropolitan: http://www.metrobalto.com/ Give a call first to see what they have on tap--they sometimes have interesting stuff w/ diff selections at up & downstairs bars--I suggest this also because you can walk back to your hotel IF staying in the Inner Harbor area. Clipper City is at the very SW edge of Baltimore and if you can fit a tour in, I would.  Link to virtual tour: http://www.hsbeer.com/virtual-tour-brewery Cheers

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Beer Travel / Re: BreweryBrew/Pub near Denver Airport or Aurora?

« on: April 06, 2010, 09:25:05 AM »

Wow, thanks everyone! I'll definitely be visiting Dry Dock since it's right in Aurora and hopefully have time before departure to drop in on one of the recommended pubs for a sampling (or two). So wish I had time to also go into Denver and visit Fallin Rock--always willing to meet up with a local for the inside scoop on what's best on tap... But, since I'm visiting a sick family member w/ limited energy, I must control my self! Cheers, ET

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Beer Travel / Re: BreweryBrew/Pub near Denver Airport or Aurora?

« on: April 05, 2010, 10:44:54 AM »

Thanks so much! They seem like a great little brewery. I was starting to get bummed thinking I woud not get to visit any brewery will out in CO.

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Beer Travel / BreweryBrew/Pub near Denver Airport or Aurora?

« on: April 02, 2010, 07:36:29 PM »

Hi, I'll be traveling to the Denver area in mid-May for about 4 days . My main objective is to visit an ailing relative in nearby Aurora (approx 30 min from airport) but I would like to hit at least one Brewery/BrewPub while in that region and do some fresh tasting. There are many choices w/in an hour and hour and a half drive but I'm looking for a recommendation that is an easy drive (less than 40 min) from the airport or from Aurora. As much as I would like to visit New Belgium Brewery, it is an hour an a half from either Denver or Aurora and that's not really realistic for my situation. Can anyone suggest a really excellent pit stop w/ a fine selection of local brews either from the airport to Aurora or from Aurora, CO to the Brewery? Cheers, ET