Messages

16

The Pub / Re: Another reason to be a homebrewer

« on: April 28, 2013, 02:35:16 pm »

Actually I don't see how we will get much useful info out of him as it was an amateur effort at terrorism despite being pulled off quite successfully.

Not true.

17

Beer Travel / Re: Germany spoiled me

« on: April 27, 2013, 09:04:00 pm »

My parents lived in Bad Aibling in Bavaria from 1980 to 1989.  I spent a lot of time visiting them there.  I fell in love with the Bayerische Weissbier (mit hefe).  There were no good sources for those here in the States, so that's when I started homebrewing my own.

Germany spoiled me too!  And, set my feet on the brewing path...

18

The Pub / Re: Best tablet not made by Apple

« on: April 27, 2013, 08:53:28 pm »

Funny that all other tablets compare themselves to iPads.  iPads just keep on keepin' on.

I had the latest full size iPad (gen 4 - LOVE the retina display!), but it was too big for me, so I gave it to my son and got an iPad mini for myself.  I hear that there will be a mini with a retina display coming out this summer, or so.  Guess I'll have to give this mini to SWMBO and buy another one once the mini with retina comes out.

19

All Things Food / Re: Avocados

« on: April 14, 2013, 06:05:00 pm »

FWIW - I eat homegrown avocados pretty much every day.

Do they not have a season there?  My tree survived the late cold snap and now has lots of little green fruit buds, but it'll be quite a while before they are ripe.

Like citrus, different varieties of avocado have different seasons.  If trees are chosen correctly you can have avocados in season year round.  Of course it helps to live where it never freezes (at least no freezing down here at sea level).

20

All Things Food / Re: Avocados

« on: April 07, 2013, 10:53:14 pm »

Hell... I don't know. Mostly I don't mess with them until they are just a few days from eating-ripe.

With my trees, I pick them up off of the ground when they fall down (a sure sign of ripeness).  I just have to fight the mongooses (mongeese?) for them.  Mongooses LOVE avocados.

I don't know of any way to accelerate the ripening process.  If you pick them too early they never get right.

FWIW - I eat homegrown avocados pretty much every day. 

21

Kegging and Bottling / Re: pin vs ball??

« on: March 22, 2013, 05:13:43 am »

Alright!  A topic I can really get into!

I've been playing pinball since I had to stand on a milk crate to reach the bumper buttons (WAY before Tommy)

My favorite machine?  Bally's Fireball!!!  Hands down. 

Cornelius kegs?  I have a s***load of those.  I use them to store low wines in, for the most part these days.  A couple of C-kegs full of low wines at 40% is the perfect charge for a spirit run on a sanke keg boiler.




I serve my homebrew from six-tels.  sanke connections s*** all over ball and pin(head)lock connections.

22

The Pub / Re: A day at work

« on: March 18, 2013, 09:15:29 pm »

Very cool!
What did it look like when the show was going on?

23

Equipment and Software / Re: Hoses gone wild

« on: March 14, 2013, 10:06:49 pm »

Dang!  I misread your subject line.  Thought you were puttin' up some Mardi Gras photos.  (Hoes Gone Wild!)

24

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 25, 2013, 08:42:11 pm »

A column from The Fortress of Solitude.   

25

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 24, 2013, 03:11:01 pm »

Puna!  Is that a huge glaring icicle in that photo?  Props for staging.

That webcam has been mounted in the same spot for years.

UKIRT Weather Camera, Mauna Kea Summit

26

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 22, 2013, 07:35:52 pm »

Winter storm alert for the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala.

The view from UKIRT on Mauna Kea summit:





Down here at sea level on the windward side it is dumping rain (7" in the last 24 hours) and 70F.

27

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

« on: February 10, 2013, 12:05:35 pm »

I like slow-cooked pho barbecue!   

28

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 08, 2013, 08:08:10 pm »

Those two panels are just the tip of the weather data iceberg.  With the information available from NOAA-NWS and a few other web sites I can do a much better job as a meteorologist than 99% of the talking heads on TV.

But really that's not such a big deal.  They only get current conditions right less than half the time anyway.   

The data is available to anybody with a computer, for free, in real time.  Understanding what it all means just takes practice and experience.  The "experts" are making guesses just like the rest of us.  No one controls the weather.

29

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 08, 2013, 01:56:27 pm »

Well, since you guys are going to be locked up inside, here's what is in store for me tomorrow afternoon:
3110
  16
means the swell will be coming from the northwest (310 degrees), be 10 feet high, and there will be 16 seconds between waves.  10 foot swells in the ocean means 15-20 foot wave faces when breaking onshore.

30

The Pub / Re: What's the Weather Like Where You Are?

« on: February 08, 2013, 02:07:06 am »

Went surfing after this afternoon.  Ocean temp - 78  air temp - 78  wave height - overhead