Topics

16

Ingredients / Galena Hops?

« on: February 09, 2011, 10:40:59 AM »

How accurate is the description given by NB for these hops and how are they getting a "fruity flavor" if they're only using them for bittering?  I'm thinking of getting some to try but would rather hear some opinions on them first.   

17

The Pub / Sinbad: Where U Been

« on: January 23, 2011, 08:33:37 AM »

That guy cracks me up!     Why is it that comedians can talk  real world sh*t and everybody laughs?  He was just talking about ADD or ADHD, how every kid is diagnosed with it today.   Thats a topic that really peeves the hell out of me and I'll leave my opinion at that.   

Anybody see in the national news that teachers want to grade parents now too?  If you get "needs improvement" or  an "unsatisfactory "grade... what will happen?  Go back and repeat school... have a detention class.... take your kids... go to jail... what?  I'm not sure thats a good idea in this day and age... jmo.   No matter to me but I sure feel sorry for young people today... even more for the children of today and those to come(?)... not just for the reason mentioned but because so much more has been and will be lost... while they sleep.  Sheeple. 

18

General Homebrew Discussion / Sniffing the airlock!

« on: January 21, 2011, 10:35:38 AM »

Hello, my name is Dean and I am an airlock sniffer... I love sniffing a bubbling airlock!     The stout fermenting smells so awesome right now... it has some fruity notes to it... maybe the X-D Crystal... or it may be the fact that I used Knob Creek bourbon in the airlock too but the bourbon smell seems to have faded away now.   Its not hops because I only used 3/4 oz of Magnum leaf hops for 60 minutes.  Oh how I'm realizing just how much I've missed brewing beer!!!   

19

All Grain Brewing / Topping Up with water...

« on: January 21, 2011, 10:20:50 AM »

How many of you do it on a regular basis?  I just did a batch purposefully topping up with water after the boil because I had to brew in the house and I also wanted to help chill the boiling hot wort immediately.   I've never tried it before except when I had been doing extracts or partial mashes... I'm curious to see what comes of it.   Those of you that have or are topping up regularly, have you noticed any benefits or disparities from doing it?   

I may have lost a tiny amount of efficiency but I'm not sure... with a 5 gallon boil topping up with cold water  to make 7 gallons in a bucket I still had 81% efficiency... 11 pounds of malts plus 1 pound of corn syrup and I have a OG of 1.051.  Having watered down by topping up, I'm expecting to get a lower FG than if I had done a full boil.  I'm not sold on what to expect from my hops considering the things we're learning about hopstands etc.  One calculation shows a higher IBU than if I had done a full boil...       No matter... I'll drink it anyway and I'm getting to where less means more to me lately anyway.   

20

The Pub / Going back in for surgery in a week.

« on: January 20, 2011, 05:12:42 PM »

I'm getting my pipes reconnected and losing the oh-so sporty and trendy colostomy bag.   Doc says it should go way easier and much less invasive since I'm not deathly ill this time.

So... to celebrate I made a stout,  it should be ready to bottle or keg by the time I get out and give everything a chance to heal.  This is the first batch I've made since my surgery this past fall... it was a bit of a trick a couple of times getting things transferred and moving things around. 

 

21

Commercial Beer Reviews / Short's Cup of Joe or CupaJoe?

« on: January 15, 2011, 05:38:09 PM »

I don't have any bottles left handy to look at... but OMG!  Delicious, maybe the best alcoholic espresso I've ever had.   And you all know I don't say BOOO often.... most commercial beers aren't any better than what you all can brew yourselves... but every once in a while I run into a commercial beer that makes me go.... Oh Yeaaaah!   If it didn't have a slight "burn" to it you might have a hard time believing it was beer and not coffee.  Smooooooth brew.  So... yeh, I'm buying some more.   

22

The Pub / My other hobby...

« on: November 24, 2010, 06:17:58 PM »

These pups are just under 14 weeks old, our English Bulldog is great with them.  He loves the attention from the pups and he's a great teacher when exposing them to new things, he just wades right in typical bulldog style and the pups follow which helps build their confidence.  But this is what they really love to do with him... LOL!











And Sampson teaches the pups to cross a creek, follow da leada...



They all had a blast today discovering some new territory.

23

Classifieds / May be selling some or all of my equipment.

« on: September 20, 2010, 05:16:16 AM »

I haven't decided yet.  I've been in the hospitol for over a week now with diverticulitis which turned asbsessed.  I haven't eaten since I was admitted either, just ice chips the last couple of days now.  So anyway, if you're interested get in touch with me.   My diet has to change and I'm not sure I'll want to drink anymore either, I haven't smoked since I was admitted either so thats another good thing.

Well I've only got so many minutes on here so I've got to go.  I'll try to check my pm box everyday when I take my walks.

Dean

24

The Pub / Things growing in your backyard...

« on: August 17, 2010, 09:29:20 AM »

These from this years clutch... they're getting pretty big now.  Yes, these are wild.

25

General Homebrew Discussion / Pics of recent brews?

« on: August 17, 2010, 09:00:05 AM »

I searched and couldn't find any... so post'm if you got'm!

Here is the first saison I've brewed, AG and fermented with 3724.  Its not a great pic but I like the head this beer has.

26

Ingredients / Cocoa Powder

« on: July 28, 2010, 02:01:27 PM »

I'll never use this CRAP again.  Off the cuff I decided to try it in a chocolate stout.  Not saying its bad, but its not up to snuff.  I guess I'm getting more and more against using adjuncts because while they may contribute certain flavors or attributes IF you don't have the malts available... they are still by far substandard, and usually an undesirable quality or character carries over in the final product.  jmo... ymmv.  This stout is drinkable and probably not really bad but I won't use cocoa powder again when I can brew much better with malts... it just won't happen again.  I feel like it was a waste and detriment to use it.   

27

Commercial Beer Reviews / Hell's Half Mile

« on: June 27, 2010, 08:20:58 AM »

Made by TriCity Brewing in Bay City MI, all I can say is WOW!     I had seen a few of their beers sitting in the cooler everytime I went in to buy beer but like most people I went with what I knew I liked.  Yesterday I decided to make my own six pack (store special) and grabbed beer from 4 different breweries, only one of which I knew I liked and one I've tried a few of their beers but haven't decided whether I like them or not and two from breweries I hadn't tried yet. 

Wow, oh Wow! ... I'm gonna be trying other styles from TriCity Brewing... Hell's Half Mile is so good!  If I lived closer to them, I'd try to get a job there!   


http://www.tricitybrewing.com/index-1.html

28

The Pub / Welcome back Kieth

« on: June 26, 2010, 08:02:21 AM »

Did you try any new chocolates? 

29

The Pub / Pranks?

« on: June 25, 2010, 12:23:46 PM »

Any of you like to pull pranks, scare people etc?  I Do.... I love it.     Getting a good scare once in a while makes a person feel younger for a few seconds.   

Where I live now, if the sky is clouded over at night.... you can't see your hand in front of your face and a flashlight just intensifies any thoughts you might have when you hear a noise.  So I wanna put my stereo speakers outside one night, probably on a full moon and play the howling from the movie Wolf Man.  Let it HOWL only two or maybe three times over the period of an hour or so, then put it away, til the next full moon.   I'm figuring if I hear any scuttlebutt then, well... you know.      

What is your prank?   

30

General Homebrew Discussion / Drinking 5 month old stout

« on: June 23, 2010, 06:02:51 PM »

I don't want to get mushy or anything, but you are all kinda my family.