Messages

61

Homebrew Competitions / Re: NHC regional experiences

« on: April 27, 2013, 12:32:38 PM »

OK  the NHC says all results have been processed!!  Now can we get the results?....or do we have to wait another week?

I dunno.  But New York was one of the first regions 'processed' and I haven't seen my score sheets yet.

Some region have the sheets in the mail on Monday, others not so quick. Most years I have waited for the online post by Janis to see if I had placed.

Hope she posts on Monday, as all are processed, and the official results can go out on the web.

62

The Pub / Re: Sh!t Beer Geeks Say

« on: April 25, 2013, 06:50:03 PM »

The wife got that link from a friend, who is from Australia, she says that she knows some of those guys.

63

Ingredients / Re: Interesting Hop Article

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:54:23 PM »

Nice find Sean, thanks!

64

All Grain Brewing / Re: Next Step-Water

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:45:28 PM »

Some time back I went from 200 to 300 and liked the results. Have done some English style beers at 350 and like the results. Did some IPAS with water from the recipes in Steele's book and those had that certain dryness that I like.

65

All Grain Brewing / Re: advice for adjusting to different system

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:22:22 PM »

What to do? What do big breweries do when they get a bigger system? They brew beer, test and taste, adjust for the next batch. They have good notes and a good baseline on taste. They might even dump batches, but they dial in.

Brew on the new system, you will get it figured out.

66

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: The journey

« on: April 22, 2013, 02:02:08 PM »

I've been reading the forum for some time now, and finally I've decided to contribute.

But for me, it's been an interesting journey too. Three years ago I picked up The Complete Joy of Homebrewing on a whim, but never really did anything with it. About a year later, my local Homebrew shop had a class that I took, and that's when I was hooked. I wasn't even big into beer at that point. Since then though I've been brewing pretty steadily (save a three month excursion to Switzerland), and am hoping to finally get my hands dirty in some all grain soon. On top of that, I'm even working at that same homebrew shop now, and the learning just doesn't end. I learn a lot from the experienced brewers that come in, but I get real excited when we get people who haven't brewed before and are interested (I'm a teacher at heart I've found out). And although my working at the shop (which some would consider a dream job I'm sure) is hopefully temporary for me (again, teaching is my calling), this is one hobby that I love and get real inspired by.

Also since this is my first post here, I do want to thank those of you who repeatedly do post. Your responses have given me great ideas for future brews, taught me about things I should do differently and more often than not, give me a good chuckle.

Welcome. We all started with our first batch.

67

Homebrew Competitions / Re: NHC regional experiences

« on: April 22, 2013, 12:59:54 PM »

Family obligations got in the way of judging in Zanesville. Had a good time at Indy last year. Zanesville is even closer to home.

68

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: The journey

« on: April 22, 2013, 07:31:22 AM »

+1.  It's definitely been a journey, and a fun one.  I started brewing in 1992 or 1993, when the ingredients and even the know how available to a homebrewer were so much more limited than what is available today. I arrived late to the party to this forum, even though I've been a longtime AHA member. Don't know why, but it's quickly become one of my best resources. I feel like I've learned more in the last 5 years than I did in the first 15, for sure. If you strive to get better in any facet of life, you'll get there. I can't imagine a better (or more obsession-inducing) hobby!

Add in information one can find on the internet today, and that has been my experience.

69

All Grain Brewing / Re: Next Step-Water

« on: April 20, 2013, 05:44:04 AM »

There is sort of an anti-sulfate crusade that has been promulgated by a person that only brews European light lagers. Unfortunately, that sentiment has 'bled' into the psyches of other brewers and their quest for great beer.  I can assure you that many styles benefit from varying levels of sulfate in the brewing water. Lately, the lore has been that sulfate enhances bitterness perception (which it does).  However sulfate is actually helping to dry the beer finish (which enhances bitterness perception) and that can be a valuable tool for the brewer to tune their beers.

Certainly, sulfate should be used in moderation. But it should be viewed as an important tool in perfecting your beers. Using it in hoppy beers only may restrict your brewing abilities. Next time you have a recipe that produces a beer that doesn't dry the finish adequately, thinOils out bumping the sulfate content of the water up a bit. An extra 20 ppm may be all you need.

Don't be afraid of sulfate!

I agree, for my German Pils sulfate at about 80 ppm gives the dry lingering finish that I want.

70

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Greetings from Florida

« on: April 18, 2013, 12:18:59 PM »

Welcome. There are some good homebrewers in FL. Find a club near you,learn, and have fun.

71

The Pub / Re: Why beer ratings are great & awards are overrated

« on: April 17, 2013, 09:55:36 AM »

It seems to me that as long as your beers aren't overtly flawed, medaling in a large competition is very nearly random. That's good news for a small brewery owner, because you can shotgun entries into a few comps and be reasonably certain that you'll medal and get some advertising on the cheap.

Just as an example, last year there were 676 breweries competing at GABF, and 254 medals awarded.

I agree (darned autocorrect). Then there are breweries like Firestone Walker, that have many medium brewery of the year from GABF  and WBC.

72

The Pub / Re: Why beer ratings are great & awards are overrated

« on: April 17, 2013, 07:37:08 AM »

There is a certain amount of randomness in beer competitions.

There is a certain amount of bias and randomness in the fanboy sites. Large samples can give a mean that may be close to the expected value. The web sites do not judge to style., so the guy in the link better not plan on lagers.

73

Going Pro / Re: What Am I Missing in This Artcle?

« on: April 16, 2013, 05:46:31 AM »

That's probably not a typo. All the cool kids are starting severely under-capitalized breweries.

I wonder if all these new "pro" brewers will siphon off business from properly run breweries, ruining not just their own business, but several others as well. Hopefully they'll go under quickly enough that the good breweries who deserve the business can stay afloat.

Sounds like you've been talking to Larry Bell or Kim Jordan or Jim Koch about their worst fears regarding this "boom".

They all were around in the late 90s when many breweries went under.

I would think that the $ amount is a typo, might have to contact mlive and see what they say.

74

Going Pro / What Am I Missing in This Artcle?

« on: April 15, 2013, 05:44:02 PM »

No Experience. $7000 dollars. = Profit!

Typo on the amount? Will they hire someone that knows how to brew?

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2013/04/miller_road_microbrewery.html

75

Beer Travel / Re: 2 Nights in San Diego

« on: April 12, 2013, 06:30:41 PM »

Good recommendations. I can add Pizza Port Ocean Beach, which is not too far.