Messages

316

Events / Re: NHC 2014?

« on: July 03, 2012, 06:29:46 AM »

That would be great if it were in Atlanta.  I lived there before moving out here to Denver and still have a lot of friends there.  While I was in Atlanta, I worked in bars and restaurants and know the place like the back of my hand.  So what better place to attend my first NHC...although I'm sure no matter where it is held, I'm going to make 2014 my first NHC.

What's wrong with 2013?

I would love to, but 2013 is already a very busy year for me so it may be tough to squeeze in that trip.  Not completely ruling it out and I would love to see Philly, just have to see how some things go the rest of 2012 that will affect 2013.

317

Events / Re: NHC 2014?

« on: July 03, 2012, 06:17:18 AM »

That would be great if it were in Atlanta.  I lived there before moving out here to Denver and still have a lot of friends there.  While I was in Atlanta, I worked in bars and restaurants and know the place like the back of my hand.  So what better place to attend my first NHC...although I'm sure no matter where it is held, I'm going to make 2014 my first NHC.

318

All Things Food / Re: Foie Gras in California

« on: June 29, 2012, 04:05:02 PM »

Nature is, well, one cruel S.O.B.  I'm not going to go through the litany of very cruel and violent acts many animals do to kill and eat one another.  Take the Spider Wasp for example.  They paralyze a spider, which is usually a Tarantula, and lay their eggs in their abdomens...usually while the spider is still alive.  Once the eggs hatch, the larvae begin feeding on the spider (which is dead by now).   

So for me personally, I have no issue w/ humans killing animals and eating them and I don't mind what one does with his own animals on his own land.  On the other hand, I do have issues w/ those fisherman going out, catching sharks, cutting off their fins, and throwing them back into the water.  Of course my Hawaiian heritage probably has something to do with me hating "shark finning."

Oh, and I have tried Foie Gras and it was not bad but not good enough for me to ever order it again...unless perhaps it was part of some bacon-centric dish!

319

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Great advice from Lauren Salazar of New Belgium

« on: June 27, 2012, 06:30:07 PM »

Awesome Q&A!  I liked the comment, “I would rather someone drink New Belgium beer and store someone else’s beer” 

320

Ingredients / Re: Vanilla Beans

« on: June 27, 2012, 10:30:34 AM »

I wouldn't do it as you suggest.  I think that active fermentation would dissipate most of the vanilla character you're hoping to capture and the beans would be mired down in the trub and yeast.

I had a very tasty version of the BVIP at NHC that i made using a tincture for the vanillla. Take two beans (per 5 gallons), split, scrape, quarter and place in 60 ml of vodka. Cover with cellophane and a rubber band and let set in a dark cupboard at room temp for a week.  Rack your beer to a secondary on top of the vanilla tincture vodka, beans, gunk and all. Ferment another week or two depending on how strong you like the flavors.  Good luck and enjoy, you won't regret trying this brew.

IMO, too much effort for no gain.  Just put 'em in the fermenter.  Primary (after fermentation) or secondary (my preference).

Not to be argumentative, but it's really not that much effort to put the beans in a shot glass and pour a little vodka on them on brew day and set aside. I would say it may provide better vanilla extraction and also provide some degree of protection from infection from the beans.  That's some gain IMHO.

I've done a couple of beers w/ vanilla beans and I do as Denny does w/ his and that is to scrape them out, chop the pods up and toss it all in.  I could be wrong, but the chance of infection is very small if you ad after active fermentation.  From what I gather from others, fermentation changes the pH and the alcohol produced helps thwart infection.  My basic vanilla porters came out great w/out any signs of infection.  I didn't use a secondary fermenter w/ this 1.052 beer.

321

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Plate Chiller or Whirlpool

« on: June 27, 2012, 08:34:19 AM »

I am going to stick w/ my current IC and make a second IC that I will have sitting in an ice bath to cool down the water going to the wort chiller.

I tried this first and found the second IC chiller really decreased the flowrate and didnt really cool the water all that much. Plus its still wasting a lot of water.

Buying the Pond Pump at lowes along with the hose and hose fittings was cheaper than buying another IC. I traded my two 3/8" ID ICs in for one homemade 1/2" IC. That also helped a lot.

Thanks for sharing your experience w/ the second IC! 

322

The Pub / Re: My city is burning...

« on: June 26, 2012, 09:06:49 PM »

Link to live video of a subdivision burning in N. Colorado Springs.

http://www.briargatemedia.com/blank%20page

323

The Pub / Re: My city is burning...

« on: June 26, 2012, 09:04:22 PM »

This run of 100+ degree weather we are having isn't helping and we've got some gusty winds up here. 

324

The Pub / Re: My city is burning...

« on: June 26, 2012, 08:38:51 PM »

Praying for everyone's safety.  I live in SE Centennial and can smell the smoke from the fire.

325

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Plate Chiller or Whirlpool

« on: June 26, 2012, 09:30:07 AM »

I use a CFC and it enables me to cool the wort to pitching temp quickly as well as not having the tiny passages to catch hops or trub and plug as easily.
I do a hop stand at the end of the boil for about 20 minutes to get some goodness out of the 0 min hop additions, then run through the chiller.

I was thinking about this: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_33_145&products_id=10458.  I thought about building my own, but after the price of getting the parts (copper isn't as cheap as it used to be), it's about the same price.  Same thing w/ buiding your own IC.  How well do these CFCs work gravity fed?  I'm holding off on getting a pump and seeing if I can find one on CL before I buy a new one (of course, the day I buy a new one, a used one will be up on CL the same day!).

326

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Plate Chiller or Whirlpool

« on: June 25, 2012, 01:11:34 PM »

So with the advice on this board and from others I've spoken with, I am going to stick w/ my current IC and make a second IC that I will have sitting in an ice bath to cool down the water going to the wort chiller.  It's been crazy hot here in Denver w/ temps getting into the 100s the past week.  My tap water temp is now up near 80.  I never thought about putting my wort in the fridge to cool down, I just may have to give this a try if I'm having issues getting my temps down. 

327

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Famous Homebrewers

« on: June 25, 2012, 08:06:46 AM »

I assume by fame the OP really meant celebrity.

He's not really a celebrity, but the Chancellor of North Carolina State University is/was a homebrewer. See hobbies under the family tab.
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/exhibits/woodson/index.html

as was the founder of the university of virgina, course he's not alive anymore... as far as we know...

I think he's alive and hunting vampires...

328

Events / Re: Colorado Brewers Festival 2012

« on: June 25, 2012, 07:21:32 AM »

I thought about it, but the neighborhood pool was just too inviting!  Luckily the GABF is early October.

329

General Homebrew Discussion / Plate Chiller or Whirlpool

« on: June 23, 2012, 07:00:24 PM »

I've been doing 3 gallon batches, but I'm moving towards doing 5 gallon batches and getting the equipment to do so  (Got a larger brew pot w/ ball valve & thermometor and burner).  I have been cooling my three gallon boils in an ice bath and using my basic wort chiller to cool down, but w/ the new brew pot, setting it in an ice bath is not possible. 

So what cooling methods do you prefer?  Plate chiller or whirlpool?  I've already got a wort chiller and it would be cheap and easy to make/get the whirlpool attachment.  Yet, if the plate chiller is best, then I'll go that route.  I'll be getting a pump soon to complete the setup.

Thanks.

330

Kegging and Bottling / Re: conditioning time in keg

« on: June 23, 2012, 05:41:26 AM »

I don't brew high gravity beers, so I will let my ales sit in primary for three weeks and then condition in the keg for about a week.  I've only been brewing since Oct. 2011, so it is interesting to see which beers taste better early and which ones taste better after conditioning in the keg for 2-3 weeks.