Messages

1156

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Recommended Reading for Intermediates?

« on: November 01, 2011, 02:53:14 pm »

A subscription to "Brew Your Own" magazine is great too. You get 8 a year and it is full of great ideas, recipes, equipment, etc.

I agree, although I dropped my subscription some years ago after 10 years or so.  I still refer back to my archive for recipes and a refresher on some of the past articles.

1157

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Recommended Reading for Intermediates?

« on: November 01, 2011, 11:45:06 am »

Designing Great Beers and Brew Like A Monk are both on my end table next to the couch.

I recommend both.

1158

Kegging and Bottling / Re: Under carbonated Imp Stout

« on: October 30, 2011, 02:52:20 pm »

The other thing to do is turn the bottles upside down a couple times to get the yeast back in suspension before you warm them up.

This, plus the warmer temp, is often all you need.

Of course, I opened two nearly flat bottles of tripel last night... 

Thank goodness for the 2-liter and CO2.  I had them carbed in no time.

1159

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 30, 2011, 09:40:00 am »

I've got a friend that swears by Sonos.  It will play your iTunes playlists remotely.  Not sure if it picks up other playlist formats.

I haven't been willing to spend the cash, but the wireless amps and handset controllers are pretty cool.  I think you can also control it from your iPhone with an app.

1160

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 29, 2011, 03:08:06 pm »

3 kids under five.  I have no time for anything.

Ouch.  I love kids and don't have any, my wife has two - a daughter thats grown and a son thats a senior in high school.

I grew up with two younger brothers.  For a good portion of our childhood we didn't watch tv, but I can recall times that my dad would come home from work dead tired.  He would sit down on the couch, talk with my mom and listen to music while we ran around the house.  I'm guessing that's where I got my need to unwind via listening to music (at least in-part).  cheers, j

Oh, I still listen to music.  We've got something on all the time.  Currently my reggae play list on itunes (wife is out).  Often jazz or blues on satellite radio. My wife is a musician, so music is ubiquitous in our household.

I just don't think I could make the time to clean an album, put it on the turntable, and then have to flip it and all that.  If I turn my back, someone winds up screaming and crying...  Or the kids would wind up scratching the albums.

1161

Other Fermentables / Re: Wine advice

« on: October 29, 2011, 07:25:22 am »

How long can an opened bottle sit with a cork before spoiling? I'm assuming that oxidation will takes its toll. And should red wine breath?

Oxidation happens pretty quickly with wine.  You can buy vacuum sealers that work with a pump and will preserve the wine a little longer.  That and keeping it in the fridge over night.  A day or two is probably the max you would want to keep a wine, but as in all things YMMV.  Left open, it won't spoil, per se, but the flavors will degrade.

Not all red wine needs to breath.  Older wines need it more.  As you noted, wine will change as it breathes. Bigger wines (cabernet, heavy reds) tend to change more, as there's more complexity.

As noted above, I can't speak much to white wines...

1162

Other Fermentables / Re: Wine advice

« on: October 29, 2011, 07:12:00 am »

Correct. Which I overlook as I don't drink whites much...

I suppose I was too general in my original comment.

To me, that's one of the great things about wine. There's always something more to learn, explore and drink.

1163

Other Fermentables / Re: Wine advice

« on: October 28, 2011, 05:08:52 pm »

not to be overly pedantic but french burgundy can be grown from any number of grape varieties. as you say it is really only a regional identifier.

Perhaps.  But the classic burgundies are pinot.

EDIT: Removed as my original comment was overly broad, argumentative and made while I was full of Italian syrah.

1164

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 05:06:24 pm »

Who has the time?

Well...apparently I do.  I think it's one of those things, you either make time or it doesn't happen.  cheers, j

3 kids under five.  I have no time for anything.

1165

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 02:54:02 pm »

That said, I thoroughly enjoy sitting down and listening to vinyl

Who has the time?

Now if I could do it at work...

1166

Other Fermentables / Re: Wine advice

« on: October 28, 2011, 01:43:32 pm »

The WSJ used to have a wine column, not sure if they still do.  Either way, it had very sound advice and I know the authors wrote some books.  As in brewing, reading about wine should help.

Argentinian and Chilean wines can be some very good values.  You should be able to find cabernet, malbec, merlot and just about any red wine from these regions.

Here in Chicago, I tend to go mostly to the Wine Discount Center which is an awesome place.

One thing to keep in mind is that the same grapes are grown in different regions and countries and can produce very different wines.  From country to country they may also be called something different.  For example, French burgundy is made from pinot noir grapes.  They just call it Burgundy (after the region the grapes are grown) and not pinot noir (after the grapes).  Shiraz and syrah are also the same.

Most wines will also be a blend of grapes.  A good label should tell you what's in it.

I'd say, don't be afraid of trying something you've never heard of, keep in your price range, and go for it.

1167

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 12:14:32 pm »

Carl - I believe there is a market for new vinyl among audiophiles.

However, the market is so small that the major labels couldn't care less about it.  And the costs of producing the small amount of vinyl people would actually buy are probably cost prohibitive.

But there is definitely a market.  I read an article somewhat recently about a company that's producing small runs of vinyl.  I can't recall if it was new music or not, but IIRC it may even have been a local Chicago company.

EDIT: Not the article I was looking for, but here's one from Time in 2008 about a resurgence in vinyl. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702369,00.html

However, if new music is digitally mastered, what's the point of an analog play-back format?

1168

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 09:50:18 am »

Thanks, Denny.  I appreciate the advice from someone who's knowledgeable.

Any experience with an RCA to USB adaptor?

When I was transferring albums before (through the mic-in), my recollection is that I had to bring it in through an amplifier.  I can't recall for sure why (it's been a few years) and I was going at it ad hoc.  My assumption is that the unamplified signal from the turn table just wasn't enough to register without the amplifier.  I don't know if that would be an issue going with an RCA/USB adaptor.

JOE

1169

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 08:41:06 am »

Spend $100 and get a real USB turntable.  It will come with software that will make your life easier.

What software does/did yours come with?  

I've used Audacity and have to say it's got some pretty powerful features for editing audio.  And it's free.

Also, in your experience, do you think that the data transfer on the USB is superior than bringing the sound in through the microphone jack on the sound card?

In the past, I've run my old turntable through an amplifier and in through the mic-in.  Sound quality is pretty good, but I'm also dealing with some old old vinyl that has some warping and scratching.  I could also probably use a new needle.

And do you have a recommendation on a USB turntable?  When I looked at USB turntables a few years ago, my concern was that they seemed relatively cheap compared to the high-end turntable I bought oh so many years ago.

1170

The Pub / Re: CD to mp3

« on: October 28, 2011, 08:34:34 am »

Make sure you back up EVERYTHING.

I lost a HD a year or so ago and had not made a recent back-up of my library.  Talk about a PITA.

Every now and then I still come across an album that's missing.  And then I have to go and dig it out of the basement and rip it again.