Messages

1471

The Pub / Re: Bell's files lawsuit against Innovation - AKA suck it Bell's

« on: March 13, 2015, 03:06:53 PM »

Really, I don't see where Innovation sees this going. If they are awarded the trademark, they must defend that mark against EVERY OTHER BREWERY using that word.

And then, when they defend their trademark, who is being dickish?

1472

The Pub / Re: Bell's files lawsuit against Innovation - AKA suck it Bell's

« on: March 13, 2015, 02:19:31 PM »

I don't quite see how Innovation Brewing would ever be confused as Innovation Brew Works.

Can guys with a JD comment on that?

I'm trying to stay away from this thread, but...

I don't think it requires a law degree to come up with arguments around this.  You need the lawyers to cite case law and precedent, but anyone can argue.

If you wanted to argue it, from either side, it's as easy as pointing out that to a customer unfamiliar with the specifics of either one of those companies, a google search could wind up on the other and be confusing.  Thus, lost business due to the other company using your trademarked name.  Intentional or not, they are confusing your customers and poaching your business (or simply causing you to lose business, in the event the two companies produce different products).  Protecting your trademark eliminates the confusion and protects your customer base.

If you google a 6, you're not likely to get a 9.  But if you're drinking and enjoying #9 your judgement is questionable to begin with, IMO.

1473

Yeast and Fermentation / Re: Steady vs. Rising Temperature

« on: March 13, 2015, 02:11:11 PM »

I have gone to the Brulosopher fermentation approach with my lagers.  Grain to glass in 24 days and clean tasting beer....

You have to realize that is how the big guys do it, but they are more like 21 days or less. I have been doing this for a long time, as Kai has the fermentation profile on his page.

I've never checked this method out before.  This is nice and validating.  I'm not a lager brewer, typically, but I've got 10 gallons happily fermenting at 52 right now.  I'll let it ramp up over a few days and then try to bring it back down as far as I can get it with a water bath, insulation, and frozen bottles of water.

1474

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Gelatin Fining

« on: March 13, 2015, 01:43:27 PM »

For adding it to keg:  1 tsp for every 5 gallons. Bloom in ~ 1 cup colder water for 15-20 minutes, then microwave for about 1:20 or so until it hits about 150F (that's what I've found with my microwave). Stir, then dump into cold beer.

This is how I do it.  The key is to add it to cold beer, particularly if you want to get rid of chill haze.  The beer needs to be cold enough for the haze to form, or else the gelatin won't do anything.

I haven't added it to a fermenter in over 10 years.  I usually try to give my beers time to clear on their own and only use gelatin when they are stubborn.

1475

General Homebrew Discussion / Re: Nylon Bag for hops

« on: March 12, 2015, 08:13:39 PM »

If you used the same amount of hops but used a bag instead of free range you might well notice a diminution of the hops flavor, aroma, and bitterness because the utilization won't be quite as good.

I'm not positive that a reduction in utilization has been proven.  I've always heard 10% reduction, but I don't recall anyone doing the old side by side with a blind triangle taste test.

If you jam a bunch of hops in a small bag that doesn't allow them to expand, etc. I can see it.  But a loose bag shouldn't have a big impact.

1476

The Pub / Re: Bell's files lawsuit against Innovation - AKA suck it Bell's

« on: March 12, 2015, 02:22:36 PM »

At this point, I don't know, it is pure conjecture. The indisputable facts are:
A: Bell's filled a lawsuit
B: That is a dick move
C: I stopped buying their products as a result and so did thousands of others

 

Let me fix that for you:
A: Bell's called brewer to brewer and tried to work it out
B: Innovation told them to go F themselves
C: People jumped to conclusions without knowing the facts

Even these "facts" are not indisputable.  The truth is unknowable, since none of us are at Bell's or at Innovation.  Everyone wants to side with the little guy, but little guys can be dicks, too.  I like Bell's beer.  Not all of it, but a lot of it.  I will continue to buy it and drink it if it is available.  I've never had Innovation's beer, but if it's ever available to me and I like it, I will buy it and drink it.  The world is full of dicks.  If you want to avoid them all, you'll have to move somewhere very very remote.

1477

The Pub / Re: Bell's files lawsuit against Innovation - AKA suck it Bell's

« on: March 12, 2015, 01:29:04 PM »

I hope I'm rich enough to sue people someday.

Get a lawyer who works on contingency.  You don't need to be rich to sue, you just need to sue someone rich.

1478

Ingredients / Re: Bulk Sugars

« on: March 12, 2015, 01:27:49 PM »

Ever try Muscavado sugar? That has more Molasses flavor.

No.  I don't think I've ever seen it.  We'll have a Whole Foods opening right near us soon, so I'll be able to browse all the expensive organic sugars.

1479

Ingredients / Re: Bulk Sugars

« on: March 11, 2015, 09:16:08 PM »

Nice find, you can get big sacks for the brewery.

Sucanat is some thing I have used before, a little more flavorful than the Demerara you can buy in the grocery store.

Yes.  I went through a period of using different sugars on the same tripel recipe.  Most were almost indistinguishable but the sucanat definitely had some flavor.  I liked it.

1480

The Pub / Re: Bell's files lawsuit against Innovation - AKA suck it Bell's

« on: March 11, 2015, 09:10:39 PM »

How do you know they didn't make a phone call and get told to go F themselves?

I just can't get worked up about this stuff.  Plus, Bell's is practically my local brewery and was one of the very few in the area when I was young.

1481

All Things Food / Re: BBQ Style

« on: March 08, 2015, 06:17:27 PM »

At 45 I'd be wearing a hat and gloves.

At 45 I would be naked.

Shrinkage

1482

All Things Food / Re: BBQ Style

« on: March 08, 2015, 01:20:32 AM »

45.  And melting.

I smoked a stogie in the backyard after brewing.  With a glass of imperial stout.

No jacket, no gloves, no hat.  Loving it.

1483

Pimp My System / Re: Compact Fermentation Chamber Heater

« on: March 06, 2015, 05:15:41 PM »

A larger can, reversed over the top.  Screw or pop-rivet together with some spacers.  Or wire it up with a coat hanger.

Some light will escape, but you can only do your best.

1484

Equipment and Software / Re: Sanitizing a barrel

« on: March 06, 2015, 03:09:31 PM »

My assumption has always been that once you've got bugs in a barrel they're there for good.

Agreed, but the barrel wasn't used for a sour before, and it was sealed, so I don't think anything too egregious got in there. I was sorta following the advice of the folks from Jolly Pumpkin when I toured their brewery last summer. That's why I was thinking about two soaks in boiling water.

It certainly doesn't hurt to try.  Let us know if it works.

One of the things that has stopped me from getting a barrel is the fact that I assume at some point it will go sour.  I do not like sours, so it would be useless to me at that point.

If there's a regimen for keeping a barrel non-sour, I'd love to know it.  I have no qualms about filling it with cheap bourbon in between beers. 

1485

Equipment and Software / Re: Sanitizing a barrel

« on: March 04, 2015, 09:58:09 PM »

Will boiling water really kill any bugs that are living in there?  I assume that those things are deep into the wood and that you'd need to get the wood hot enough for long enough to kill them.

My assumption has always been that once you've got bugs in a barrel they're there for good.