Messages

16

The Pub / Re: Best tablet not made by Apple

« on: April 29, 2013, 11:53:20 am »

I would take a hard look at why you need the Tablet.

If it was just a want kinda thing I would look to getting an iPhone.

My $0.02. Keep in mind I gravitate to my desktop computer and spend a crapload of time on my laptop for work.

I have to look at well logs all day, so I need a bigger screen than any kind of phone has.  But I get tired of lugging my 17" laptop when I travel, so I'm looking for something in between. My Samsung phone has the biggest screen I can find but it just doesn't let me look at the logs in a useful way. I also have to open Excel and word documents, but I've used products like Open Office so I don't necessarily need  MS Office

17

The Pub / Re: best ereader

« on: April 28, 2013, 08:53:38 pm »

My wife and I both have Kindle Fire mode;s and love then.  The only problem we ever have is downloading books without an internet connection.

18

The Pub / Re: Best tablet not made by Apple

« on: April 28, 2013, 09:19:29 am »

My wife and I have been Android users since the original Droid. We won a Nexus 7 several months ago and are really happy with it. If you're an Android user, or just don't want to give your cash to Apple, then it's worth checking out.

Thanks.  I don't want to give money to Apple, I don't like their business practice.  My wife has an iphone, she can only gets apps from Apple Store and to get the free ones she has to give a valid credit card number.  She refuses (as would I).  I love my Android, I'll look at the Nexus 7.

19

The Pub / Best tablet not made by Apple

« on: April 27, 2013, 05:42:00 pm »

All you tech savvy people, I need your help.  I need (want) a tablet but I really do not like Apple.  I've never owned an Apple product and don't want to start now, so what's my best choice.  I need it mostly for office work and wasting time on beer forums, I play no games so that doesn't matter to me.

20

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: New Hop yard...any advice?

« on: April 27, 2013, 07:10:34 am »

I would use a weak dish soap/water solution instead of manure tea.  ROLL TIDE

21

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Observation

« on: April 25, 2013, 08:56:58 pm »

Jim, I do agree with a lot of what you're saying about commercial beers, I just don't agree with what you say about the quality of most homebrews.  Iv'e been hiring people from all across the country for the past year, before they move out here I send them some money and ask them to bring me the best beers their area can offer-the one rule is that it has to be local.  Only about 1/3 to 1/2 of it would I consider great beer, most was at least good but some of it fairly sucked. 
Over the years I've drunk a lot of beer brewed by friends that was palatable at best.  I live in a small town so all 5 or 6 of us who brew here know each other.  The best brewer I know refuses to use any kind of temp control, his winter beers are not bad but they get pretty bad as spring and summer come along.  Another one always put fresh yeast at bottling so that his beer gave me the whistling farts and screaming runs-it tasted OK but was painful an hour later.
A group of us on another homebrewing forum created a recipe, found a homebrew shop that turned it into a kit and we all brewed the same stuff and shared it. Every person who participated sent 2 bottles to 3 or 4 different people.  The range of quality went from gut wrenchingly bad to magnificent, but you could not have ever known that every beer was brewed with  exactly the same ingredients.  Commercial breweries that produce beer like that won't stay in business long, but homebrewers can go on forever.

22

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Observation

« on: April 25, 2013, 04:47:45 pm »

I consider myself an above average homebrewer, after 21 years of persistent brewing I do a pretty good job of most styles I brew.  But like Denny I can't brew a Rochefort 10, or a great pilsner,  a good Flander's Red or several other beers.  In fact as my homebrewing has improved I find myself buying more commercial stuff than I did 10 years ago, I consider it research.  And though I do prefer my beer over a lot of the beer I buy, there's some really great commercial stuff out there that I'll probably never match.

23

Beer Recipes / Re: Rye pale ale

« on: April 23, 2013, 08:27:43 pm »

I'm drinking a rye pale right now made with 30% rye malt, 70% 2 row pale.  I used all Amarillo in mine,3 ozs  at 60 minutes, then 1.5 ozs at 20, 10,5 and flameout.  (This is a 10 gallon recipe).  With more than 30% I would consider using some rice hulls, this one took forever to sparge.

24

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: The journey

« on: April 22, 2013, 10:56:42 am »

I started in 1992, had never tasted a homebrew, didn't know a homebrewer but something had been pushing me to brew for years.  Armed with The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, a bucket and a can of prehopped malt. I got started.  Now I brew 10 gallon all grain batches in my brewery that fills half a garage.  I've met homebrewers from across the country, and homebrewing has become a lifestyle for me and my wife.  It's given us a love of beer that has taken us across Europe and America enjoying whatever the locals brew.  It's also given us an appreciation of truly homemade food and drinks.  We recently made our first(but not last) batch of homemade bacon, I've made cheese, vinegar, sausages, jerky, etc. 
All of this happened because my wife gave me a $50 homebrewing kit for Christmas so many years ago.  Enjoy the journey, there's no telling where it will take you.

25

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Time to brew....coffee

« on: April 22, 2013, 10:48:28 am »

I brew my coffee with RO water, maybe I'll add some tap water to see if it makes better coffee.

26

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Extending the life of chest freezers question

« on: April 21, 2013, 09:37:36 pm »

$35 will buy you a brand new 12.5-13 cu ft freezer at Sears or Lowes.

$350.

I just saw that too.

27

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Extending the life of chest freezers question

« on: April 21, 2013, 12:46:07 pm »

$350 will buy you a brand new 12.5-13 cu ft freezer at Sears or Lowes.  Use as is and it will easily hold 6 cornies.  They are very efficient, even in my 110F garage mine rarely comes on.  Put a 4 or 6 inch collar on it and you can stack lots of sixers on top of the kegs.

28

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Time can do amazing work on your beer.....remember????

« on: April 19, 2013, 12:03:23 pm »

I  brewed a pale ale, essentially an ESB years ago.  I tried drinking the first keg but couldn't finish it.  I turned the last 4 gallons into excellent malt vinegar.  A year later I was looking in my carbonating fridge and saw the second keg of that batch.  Before I poured it in the yard I tasted it and it was excellent, apparently a year of lagering was all it needed. Several years later I fgured out the problem with the first keg was the WLP 007 I used, I really hate the flavor of that yeast,

29

Beer Recipes / Re: Hopping a Kolsch

« on: April 18, 2013, 08:29:34 pm »

My 2 cents:  I bitter with Perle and have a 20 minute and 5 minute addition with Strisselspalt when I brew a Kolsch.

30

Homebrewer Bios / Re: New Bio: Gary Dubofsky

« on: April 16, 2013, 10:06:36 pm »

Gary Dubofsky
Glenview, IL
Club: The IBU's
Homebrewing since 2010-officially-dabbled prior back in the day.........
Became an AHA member about the same time
Favorite styles are Pales, Belgians and Wheats, both American and German
First Beer Brewed: Midwest Supplies "Black Dog Ale" Turned out surprisingly well and very drinkable but never brewed again
There really is no style I won't brew but I am not a fan of stouts, lambics or Barleywines
My favorite recipes are mostly wheats. I really like the challenge of making a simple beer great and wheat can pose a little challenge to get just right
I brew on a 3 tier gravity system churning out 6 gallon batches and brew outside all year
I generally brew twice per month
I really like Maris Otter and am a big fan of WY1968 for most of my Pales and IPAs
Big fan of Noble hops for most beers and the obvious "c"s for my American styles
My two favorite creations to date are "Andi's a Peach Wheat" and "Addie's Ale"-these took many trials but are finally perfect (at least we all think so)
My most unusual beer to date is my first Gose with Hibiscus flowers but I haven't tasted it yet so this could also become my first brewing disaster

Thanks for letting me share, I love brewing and just about everything beer related and love this forum and all the knowledge out there!

Cheers!

Welcome to the obsession.  I also love the wheat beers, but I've gotten into rye bers lately.  They are also excellent with Noble hops.  One of my favorite combos is Perle for bittering and Tettnanger or Hallertau for later additions