Messages

16

Ingredients / Re: Comet hops

« on: April 04, 2013, 06:19:20 pm »

why are you having second thoughts? i haven't used them yet, but am planning to do so soon. have you used them and now having second thoughts or just read about them and not as excited?

Right.
You just need to brew a few batches using them and decide from there.  I'd never take the word of anyone on the internet on matters regarding taste, without trying the item in question myself. 

Someone's words may well talk you out of something you might really like, or even taint your perception..

17

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Whatcha all drinkin on St Pat's day?

« on: March 17, 2013, 08:43:30 am »

Guiness Foreign Extra Stout.  Best thing they make IMHO.

I won't be having any today (I don't drink at all on St. Paddy's day).  But yeah, Foreign Extra is the best thing they make...to me it's the real Guinness. 
In fact, I prefer both Extra and Foreign Extra over any other stout out there.

18

All Things Food / Re: Corned beef and cabbage

« on: March 14, 2013, 03:37:56 pm »

My go-to for St Pats is usually the more traditionally Irish pork & cabbage, but I do my corned beef the same way...in the traditional NY Jewish deli method   :    a long (2+hour) steambath on a rack in a covered pot.  The meat never touches the water, and comes out melt-in-the-mouth tender without falling apart when you slice it.

When I do a corned beef, I also opt for a 'point cut' rather than a 'flat cut'.  To me, they seem more flavorful.

19

Pimp My System / Re: Even More Brewshed Ideas...

« on: March 12, 2013, 09:19:26 am »

Sweet!

20

Commercial Beer Reviews / Re: New Albion Ale

« on: March 08, 2013, 07:55:08 pm »

Cracked open one of these last night. At first I was a bit put off by the simplicity ...

Wow.  Are palates really becoming so jaded that simplicity and balance  are offputting?
I'm much more put off these days by so many new brews coming out that just overdo  everything,  resulting in a muddled mess. 

Did you read the blog or the rest of my sentence?

Of course I did ...I read it all.
Actually, while the quoted line did prompt my comment, my response wasn't really directed at you but rather, just  general observation of the state of brewing.     I've heard quite a few other comments similar to the quoted line (in other forums, elsewhere on the net, and in person from other beer lovers)  that implied such simplicity was simply "lame".  There is, after all, a contingent of beer geeks that will dismiss any beer that isn't an over-the-top melange of what is often just too much of everything.

I'm glad you're not one of those.
Sorry for the confusion.  I should have been much clearer in my expression, and clearly acknowledged that I was taking the comment out of context to make a broader point.

21

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: What is your favorite music to listen to while homebrewing?

« on: March 01, 2013, 07:32:28 pm »

Classic Rock....Pink Floyd, Led Zep, The Beatles, The Who......My classic rock has no boundaries...Pearl Jam, Metallica, Buddy Holly....It's all great!

I'm a huge NPR fan, so it's often that these days.  But when I'm in the mood for music, I'm right there with you on the old fart stuff...marathons of Procol Harum's 13 albums, , Steely Dan, the Fabs, and the first three or four Jethro Tull albums.

To mix things up though, sometimes I'll tune into Princeton University's FM station for an eclectic taste of more contemporary fare.  I've discovered some great new stuff there.

22

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: wlp001 for Scottish 60/ or 70/

« on: February 26, 2013, 06:16:54 pm »

WLP001 and it's counterparts from other labs all make for an excellent Scottish 60/ or 70/... and I've  found that the strain actually does a very fine job  with malty styles.  If you're shooting for the flavor profile that is commonly expected of the style these days, the real trick of course is to simply be more evenhanded with the hops.  If you avoid the typical homebrewer heavy handedness with the hops (and dial in the  right mash temps),  the malt will come shining through perfectly fine.

Use a Scottish yeast if you have it, but using another strain instead will not knock your results out of "style" (if indeed you're concerned about such things). 

Also...if you're after 'authenticity' (whatever that is)... just say 'no' to the peated or other smoked malts;  as has been pointed out, their use in Scottish/Scotch ales is apparently the comparatively recent invention of us crazy Americans. 

23

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: When to use a blow off tube

« on: February 21, 2013, 09:13:15 pm »

If your fermenting vessel is large enough, you don't ever need to use a blowoff tube. 
I don't think I've used one in over 21 years.

24

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Can I vacuum seal yeast?

« on: February 18, 2013, 02:24:31 pm »

...
Sorry, but this is not good advice. You need to add a glycerin solution to yeast before freezing. The purpose of the glycerin is to keep the yeast from getting freezer burn (freezing solid and drying out) So you will not have a solid that can be transfered to another bag. The glycerin will maintain the yeast in a viscous liquid state.

That's one way of looking at it, I guess. 
Really, I only offered my suggestion up because it worked perfectly fine for me the one time I did it 25 years ago (I had to go  out of town on a location shoot for a couple of months).  I never had to do the freeze thing again since shortly after that, I learned to preserve my house yeast on slants.

Bottom line is that the freezing/vacuum bag worked perfectly fine, and the yeasties  in fact produced a  very robust fermentation (even without the glycerin treatment). 
I'll concede that others' mileage may vary, but It produced no negative issues for me  (maybe I got lucky??).

25

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Can I vacuum seal yeast?

« on: February 18, 2013, 12:01:59 pm »

I think there might be a benefit if your intent is to freeze the slurry for any extended period.  The barrier bags that the vacuum seal units employ would definitely protect against freezer burn...but again, it's probably only of benefit if your intent is to freeze it for a few months or more.

You'd probably need to freeze the slurry first in a ziplock bag, then as soon as it has frozen remove it from the ziplock and seal the now frozen slurry the usual way in a vacuum seal bag.

26

Ingredients / Re: Polenta

« on: February 17, 2013, 04:29:22 pm »

I find corn to be a pleasant addition to a few beers. I like the way it "softly" lightens the body as opposed to sugar which lightens the body but doesn't leave anything but alcohol.

I'm working with some recipes right now with corn grits that I am fairly excited about.

I agree.
A lot of self-proclaimed "purists" treat corn like some sort of evil, as though it doesn't belong in "quality" beer.
Nonsense, I say.  I laughed pretty hard when Greg Koch famously said "...I don't use corn in my beer" (perhaps he should actually try it.   LOL)

It has, after all,  been an ingredient in many fine beers for well over a century, including some of my favorite British ales.

In my own brewing I've occasionally used grits (usually the 'quick' or 'instant' kind), cornmeal (yellow and white),  Poha (from the Indo-Paki stores), air-popped popcorn, and even generic brand 'cornflakes'...all with great results.

Contrary to what the Brewer's Association seems to think, corn doesn't need to be as demonized as they seem to think.

27

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: New Tap Handle

« on: February 13, 2013, 06:40:34 pm »

Part of my livelihood involves working in wood...gotta say that looks really nice!  The picture hanging behind the kegerator/tap is a nice artistic touch too.
Just curious...what type of wood did you use for this sculpt?

Props to you...Very classy.

28

All Things Food / Re: My new Love affair with Pho

« on: February 13, 2013, 04:37:41 pm »

You really don't want to make Pho at home. I have, it is a PITA and you end up with soup...

But you end up with one hell of a great soup...and it's phenomenal meal.
(...and come on, it's not all that difficult to make!)
 

29

Beer Recipes / Re: basic blonde ale

« on: February 12, 2013, 03:08:11 pm »

So I have not brewed this yet and am kind of torn. I am thinking about going with this grain bill instead of the original one. Any feedback? When I don't brew soon enough, I tinker around way too much...

80% two row
10% white wheat
5% munich I
5% honey malt

14 g Centennial 60 min
14 g Centennial 10 min

OG 1.049
IBUs 22
SRM 5.1
US05 yeast

It looks good, but personally I think the original one was better.   I'm sure they'd both be good, but my money is on the original one being closer to what would be expected of a blonde ale (by me, anyway).  I like the simpler grain bill as well. 
You should really brew them both and compare.   Or at least brew the original to assess the result, and make changes for the next batch from there if needed.

30

Ingredients / Re: honey malt

« on: February 12, 2013, 07:59:15 am »

Next time you are in your LHBS and they have Honey malt, do sample a few kernels.  It does have an amazingly honey-like flavor that does make it to the beer.  I agree that this is one of those grains that should be utilized in moderation.  It would be easy to overdo.

I agree...a little bit goes a long way.
But it's great stuff and it finds its way into a lot of my 'standard' beers in varying amounts.    It adds a particularly appealing richness to the  brews I design specifically for long aging.