Craft Beers, Microbreweries and Homebrewing

[Insanity]

When I was brewing my own beers, I usually preferred the batches that I brewed in the winter. My cellar was pretty cold, so it took a long time for the yeast to work off all the sugar and malt. The winter brews were generally very smooth and clean-tasting. When I decanted the beer, I'd siphon it into heavy swirl Pepsi-bottles with a dollop of sugar-water syrup in each, cap them, then transport the bottles to the upstairs to a cool unused room to re-carbonate. It took longer in cold weather, but the wait was worth it.

Lagering produces a superior beer, at one time, it was illegal to brew beer outside the winter months in Germany prior to refrigeration being available. Bocks are a larger.

Oh man... I tried brewing beer once, and I'm glad I don't have PTSD; I'm pretty sure I'd have been back in a warzone once those bottles I'd over-sugared started exploding.

Oh the cleanup... it was years ago, and I swar I'm still finding shards of blue and green glass. I admire anyone who can go that route and succeed.

I would encourage you take it up again, its way too much fun.

 

[dlgoff]

I'm checking into getting kegs (or pony kegs) from my Free State Brewery. I just emailed them. And hoping Golden Wheat State will maintain it's taste for the whole keg. It will save me a drive to Lawrence every other day. :fingers crossed:

 

[Insanity]

I'm checking into getting kegs (or pony kegs) from my Free State Brewery. I just emailed them. And hoping Golden Wheat State will maintain it's taste for the whole keg. It will save me a drive to Lawrence every other day. :fingers crossed:

I've gotten 2 cornelius kegs, also called soda kegs. Work great. Sanitize one thing, fill it, seal it, pressurize it, serve beer.

 

[Ronnin]

Marzen style beers (Oktoberfest) are VERY high on my list, although there's a lot of variety within the style. I'm always looking forward to the fall, even though we don't really have one here in Houston. :D

Yep, summer and winter. Someday I'll live somewhere with seasons.

 

[dlgoff]

I've gotten 2 cornelius kegs, also called soda kegs. Work great. Sanitize one thing, fill it, seal it, pressurize it, serve beer.

I called them and found out that I can get a 5 gallon keg ($100 deposit) and get if filed for $55.16 after Monday noon. Sounds like a deal to me.

I'm betting thy won't fill a Cornelius keg; wanting to have another source of income in case of keg looses or damages.

I'll calling Monday straight up noon here.

 

[Astronuc]

Many of the local microbrew bottled beers are excellent, though some really shine when they are on tap. You could plan a Maine vacation around visits to microbreweries and their brew-pubs. Oak Pond Brewing in Skowhegan, Atlantic Brewing Company in Bar Harbor, Sea Dog in Topsam, Bangor, and South Portland, Shipyard Brewery in Portland, etc. Some of their products are available on-tap in selected unaffiliated taverns and bars, too.

I ate dinner at Gritty McDuff's in Freeport, Me, while I was there for a conference. They has a good selection of their own beers.

http://www.grittys.com/beers_home.php

 

[turbo]

I ate dinner at Gritty McDuff's in Freeport, Me, while I was there for a conference. They has a good selection of their own beers.

Gritty is a good source. I'm partial to Oak Pond, perhaps because I appreciate their product mix and like to follow the evolution of their brews.

 

[nismaratwork]

Lagering produces a superior beer, at one time, it was illegal to brew beer outside the winter months in Germany prior to refrigeration being available. Bocks are a larger.



I would encourage you take it up again, its way too much fun.

You know, I keep thinking about it, being much older and (slightly) wiser. I think I'd use Turbo's method of a light topping, and work a small batch first. It is dirt cheap, and as you say, when it works it seems like a blast!

Besides... it's chemistry and biology you get to drink at the end of the day.. nerd heaven.

edit: Astronuc, have you tried their Best Brown Ale, or Blackfly Stout? They sound very appealing, but maybe they're better on the bitter end, such as their IPA.

 

[turbo]

You know, I keep thinking about it, being much older and (slightly) wiser. I think I'd use Turbo's method of a light topping, and work a small batch first. It is dirt cheap, and as you say, when it works it seems like a blast!

Besides... it's chemistry and biology you get to drink at the end of the day.. nerd heaven.

edit: Astronuc, have you tried their Best Brown Ale, or Blackfly Stout? They sound very appealing, but maybe they're better on the bitter end, such as their IPA.

Gritty has a good mix of offerings. I like 21 IPA and Black Fly, but it's hard to find something from them that I don't like. One thing that draws me to Oak Pond is that I have been here since they started up, and I remember the evolution of their classics, like Nut Brown Ale, and the genesis of my favorite White Fox Ale. Breweries are living things, like their brews, and the people that make them. It's so nice to visit the brewery to pick up a couple of growlers - the owner/brewmaster is a very friendly guy and when he has kegged up a particularly good batch of some variant, you WILL have samples of it! It's not pride (though he has every right) but a love of good beer and the recognition that his loyal customers actually appreciate his efforts.

 

[Insanity]

I called them and found out that I can get a 5 gallon keg ($100 deposit) and get if filed for $55.16 after Monday noon. Sounds like a deal to me.

I'm betting thy won't fill a Cornelius keg; wanting to have another source of income in case of keg looses or damages.

I'll calling Monday straight up noon here.

A cornelius keg holds about 5 gallons. Ideal for homebrewing.
You can get them used fairly inexpensive, I paid $35 each for mine. New ones I know are over a hundred. My understanding is that anyone who sells them used must show they can hold pressure, at least here, but some little parts may or may not need replacing; o-rings, dip tubes, poppets, etc. You will likely need to replace some O-rings, a few dollars to replace all. Each part might be a few dollars. The two I bought I had to replace maybe 3 o-rings and a poppet total, might have been $5.00.

 

[nismaratwork]

Gritty has a good mix of offerings. I like 21 IPA and Black Fly, but it's hard to find something from them that I don't like. One thing that draws me to Oak Pond is that I have been here since they started up, and I remember the evolution of their classics, like Nut Brown Ale, and the genesis of my favorite White Fox Ale. Breweries are living things, like their brews, and the people that make them. It's so nice to visit the brewery to pick up a couple of growlers - the owner/brewmaster is a very friendly guy and when he has kegged up a particularly good batch of some variant, you WILL have samples of it! It's not pride (though he has every right) but a love of good beer and the recognition that his loyal customers actually appreciate his efforts.

Now that's how you run a business. I'm sorry that we as a nation had to go through a period where we neglected our craftsmen and women, but it's getting back. Sounds like there's no loser in that group of brews... oh man, I've got so many to try now from this thread, but must titrate slooooooowwwlllly.

 

[dlgoff]

I saw this on the news this morning.

As loyalty to Budweiser in St. Louis slips after the takeover of Anheuser-Busch, upstart brewer Schlafly has seen its sales jump.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2011/sb20110112_443459.htm"

[PLAIN]http://images.businessweek.com/story/11/190/0113_mz_47entbeer.jpg

I'm biting the bullet on cost. More good beer for me.

 

[Astronuc]

I saw that unmentionable (that which shall not be named) discount beer at the local Walgreens.

I refuse to buy that stuff.


By the way, Guinness draft from the tap goes well with pecan pie. I was first introduced to that combination by some Brits, with whom I was dining at Goatfeathers in Columbia, SC. They don't have a website, but rather us FB and MySpace.

 

[dlgoff]

I saw that unmentionable (that which shall not be named) discount beer at the local Walgreens.

I refuse to buy that stuff.

I've decided that would be best also.

 

[turbo]

I've decided that would be best also.

Save your pennies and come to Maine. After trying some of the Oak Pond ales, you'll be looking for real-estate up here. If I can persuade Astro to emigrate, we can all farm cooperatively, grow hops, make beer and ale... OK, maybe getting out of some peoples' comfort-zone, but it's the stuff that I love to do. I can't manage crowds, but surely we could find someone to man a table at the farmers' market. My wife sold a couple of bags of garlic-bulbs to the local artisan butcher-shop/deli and people are coming back and paying $1/bulb for locally-grown hard-neck garlic. I could put at least 1/2 acre into that crop alone (both Russian and German varieties) and have it all sold before the next season.

 

[nismaratwork]

Schlafly Beer! The only beer with Phyllis Schlafly's SEAL of approval!

[PLAIN]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Phyllis_Schlafly_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/220px-Phyllis_Schlafly_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg[/quote]*Phillis* "I slam for, maybe five of those ******* in a sitting. *BRAAAP* Buy my beer you pinkos!"

Mmmmm, goes down smooth, just like a conservative agenda.

Astronuc: Really!? I can imagine that it might, but what's the flavor profile? The only thing my pals ever taught me to do with Guinness was the (named in poor taste) "Irish Car Bomb".

Guinness... in glass. Shot-glass, 2 Whiskey to 1 Bailey's Irish Cream. Dump the shot into the glass and chug. Interestingly it tastes disturbingly like a milkshake! Oh, the hangover you get afterword is apparently pretty brutal... I had one and decided I'd stick to gin... my friends went on. Heh... poor guys. Gooood memories.


Turbo: Mmmm... I'm still looking through the listing from that local brewery of yours. Ahhh... nut brown ale. I think that would go well with some Kabanosy and a light mustard.

 

[Astronuc]

I prefer to keep my beer and whisky separate, and drink whisky straight and unadulterated. The closest I'd come to mixing drinks is a beer with a whisky chaser. Usually it's one or the other though, and beer more often than whisky.

Glenmorangie is my favorite, but I like many single malts and some blends.

 

[nismaratwork]

I prefer to keep my beer and whisky separate, and drink whisky straight and unadulterated. The closest I'd come to mixing drinks is a beer with a whisky chaser. Usually it's one or the other though, and beer more often than whisky.

Glenmorangie is my favorite, but I like many single malts and some blends.

You're a connoisseur to my heathen.

I admit, I've never mixed again, but I cannot abide Scotch. Nothing against Scotch either, it's just that my first drinking experience (I was 18 amazingly enough) beyond a sip of wine or beer was Scotch.

Well, not just Scotch:
Scotch from a PLASTIC bottle.
Gin my friend had mixed with ice-tea mix
Manischewitz (GAH!)
the dregs of an ANCIENT bottle of Brandy.

The result was extremely predictable, and now the smell of Scotch STILL gives me chills.

NOW... Bourbon... there's a whiskey. Pappy's, and Woodford Reserve are my absolute favorites, but not a common thing. Ahhhh the price of good booze.

 

[Astronuc]

Scotch is in my genes apparently. I don't like Bourbon.

My first drinking experience was a conconction of various liquors and Everclear. I was 13 or 14 at the time. Later I had some Scotch straight which I enjoyed.

I had an occasional beer in my early teens.

During the summer between 11th and 12th grade, I attended a summer program at a university. There was a rush party on campus, so my friends and I went. We overdid on the beer. I lost count around 16. We got snockered. I don't remember getting sick, but one of my friends ended up on the floor. We more or less had to carry him back to our dorm, and returned to the party. About 15 minutes later, we turned around and he was standing there without his glasses. We asked how he managed to find his way back. Well he told a pretty funny (at the time) story of following the sidewalk from the dorm to a row of rocks. He crawled over the rocks rather than walks around. He then found a fence and used the fence to hold himself up. He then crawled and found the party.

We took him back to the dorm and called it a night.

Later that summer - I overdid it on vodka. Vodka does not go well with Tang or Fanta Root Beer. The cheap cigar was a bad idea. The night deteriorated rapidly after that.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

I want to hear more !

 

[nismaratwork]

Scotch is in my genes apparently. I don't like Bourbon.

My first drinking experience was a conconction of various liquors and Everclear. I was 13 or 14 at the time. Later I had some Scotch straight which I enjoyed.

I had an occasional beer in my early teens.

During the summer between 11th and 12th grade, I attended a summer program at a university. There was a rush party on campus, so my friends and I went. We overdid on the beer. I lost count around 16. We got snockered. I don't remember getting sick, but one of my friends ended up on the floor. We more or less had to carry him back to our dorm, and returned to the party. About 15 minutes later, we turned around and he was standing there without his glasses. We asked how he managed to find his way back. Well he told a pretty funny (at the time) story of following the sidewalk from the dorm to a row of rocks. He crawled over the rocks rather than walks around. He then found a fence and used the fence to hold himself up. He then crawled and found the party.

We took him back to the dorm and called it a night.

Later that summer - I overdid it on vodka. Vodka does not go well with Tang or Fanta Root Beer. The cheap cigar was a bad idea. The night deteriorated rapidly after that.

Ooooh... I think I'd rather take a real screwdriver and hit myself with it! Let's be honest... what DOES go well with tang, other than LEO?

I love the crawling those... I wish I'd seen that. The most I've seen is my friend get a distant look and just topple forward. It was interesting at the time, but... meh.

Kevin_Axion: A friend of mine with the same first name as you ate some... uh... let's call them, "bad mushrooms". He lived a few miles away at the time, but I heard ah knocking' on my front door (no bust of Pallas). This is a direct quote:

Me: "Kevin? Hey man, what's up?"
Kevin: *Stare* *Smile*
Me: "Kev? Wait, did you walk here? Is everything OK?!"
Kevin: "I'm... on a journey."
Me: "Uh huh... why don't you come inside for a bit?"

I know he walked there, and he does too, but to this day he can't remember WHY, or what he meant by being on "a journey". I thought of this because of Astronuc's mention of Everclear (or "death juice")... this is the same friend of mine who spiked 'the punch' with Everclear.

Not creative, I know, but what WAS creative is that he put only 3 shots into a BIG big of Sangria. So... why the big deal? It turns out he'd used that Everclear to make an extract of cannabis. That... was a very interesting night, and keep in mind that I've never taken anything except alcohol (generally in extreme moderation) and as a young man, um... Oregano. I was NOT prepared for what turned out to be a MASSIVELY concentrated dose of the stuff, and I'd never "eaten" it before.

VERY interesting night.

 

[dlgoff]

I want to hear more !

NO!

This is a Beer Connoisseur thread. I have enough vises already.

 

[Astronuc]

I want to hear more !

Learn from my mistakes and stupidity - and don't repeat.

The vodka ordeal was pretty bad. I had to walk down a flight of stairs to my floor. My head was spinning. I turned off the lights in the stairwell because my eyes couldn't take bright lights. Going down those stairs step by step with my head spinning was very unpleasant. I got to the stairwell door and noticed the hallway lights on. I opened the door enough to put my arm through and around the wall fishing to find the lightswitch. I turned off the lights and entered the hallway - hoping to make it to my room. I think the hall supervisor noticed me, but didn't say anything.

I made it halfway down the hallway and starting feeling ill. Fortunately the bathroom was right there. So I dash in and made it just in time. After my stomach calmed down, I stripped and got into the shower (it was a communal shower). I just sat there on the floor with the water running over me.

Probably after half an hour or so. I got up, grabbed my clothes, not bothering to get dressed, walked to my dorm room and crashed on to my bed. The room was spinning and I fell asleep.

 

[nismaratwork]

Learn from my mistakes and stupidity - and don't repeat.

The vodka ordeal was pretty bad. I had to walk down a flight of stairs to my floor. My head was spinning. I turned off the lights in the stairwell because my eyes couldn't take bright lights. Going down those stairs step by step with my head spinning was very unpleasant. I got to the stairwell door and noticed the hallway lights on. I opened the door enough to put my arm through and around the wall fishing to find the lightswitch. I turned off the lights and entered the hallway - hoping to make it to my room. I think the hall supervisor noticed me, but didn't say anything.

I made it halfway down the hallway and starting feeling ill. Fortunately the bathroom was right there. So I dash in and made it just in time. After my stomach calmed down, I stripped and got into the shower (it was a communal shower). I just sat there on the floor with the water running over me.

Probably after half an hour or so. I got up, grabbed my clothes, not bothering to get dressed, walked to my dorm room and crashed on to my bed. The room was spinning and I fell asleep.

Wow, that sounds just... painful. :(
Definitely a good object lesson...

 

[Kevin_Axion]

Well, the first time I drank I was 15 and it was pretty awesome. Firstly I was on vacation in Aruba, a Dutch island off of the coast of Venezuela and the weather was absolutely beautiful. My brothers and parents one night decided to take me to a private party on the North End of the island inside of a residential area (Tierra Del Sol), the complex where my home is (It's surprisingly cheap, well cheaper then cottages). We went rather early, and we entered without hassle (although I was under aged) despite the dozens of all black-clothed security guards patrolling the area. The party hadn't begun at this time and we were essentially the only people there so we decided to look around, the place was amazing. There was a DJ over the pool which was lit up in various colours. There was also tall palm trees, spectacular clay roof buildings, and a view that stretched over the land and ocean, a pretty awesome first party (Pictures of area at the bottom, not of party). After looking around my brothers and I decided to walk back home and return when more people came. This is where the drinking began, My brothers gave me two beers which I enjoyed (Corona's I believe) and we talked about things as I sat there with more confidence then ever. At this point after I polished off my second beer I was feeling pretty good and we decided to walk back, this was in an hour span. After getting past security, the party was pretty up-beat, music was pounding through the open warm air and a world was revealed to me that only existed in my hollywoodesque ideas. After walking around I ended up getting a rum and coke, with A LOT of rum. No one was my age so it was pretty difficult to talk to people or dance. After finishing that my brothers got me another beer if I remember correctly and at this point I was a little tipsy. As liquid courage subsides inside of my body my brothers introduce me to a stunning Dutch girl who was probably 10 years older then me, I mean she was absolutely beautiful. With her boyfriend near, my brothers insisted that I walk up to her and blatantly say "You are so beautiful!" As it goes, my immature self (I regret it) couldn't will the words to her, but for some odd reason I turned to a 40 year old women near by and without hesitation I (dizzy at this time) utter "YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!" (I regret this). I probably said this a few times without a stutter and I don't really remember her reaction except maybe a nonchalant "Thank you!", followed by an awkward stare as she saw who I was and probably her walking away with confusion and a thought, "Why in the world is 15 year old hitting on me?"

That was pretty much the end of my night (about 2:00 a.m at this time), my brothers returned at about 3:00 a.m and I was rather confused because my brothers face was sliced and bleeding. I couldn't resist asking what happened, apparently, as they were walking back they decided to cross through the construction area of a new development. Now apparently my brother stood over the 5 foot drop for 10 minutes instead of walking around it and with the encouragement of my brother he fell face first into dirt and rubble. That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard him do apart from him throwing plates at fire trucks and throwing eggs into people's cars (something that isn't expected by a person who gets 90s and high 80s in university, both of my brothers are very intelligent although this may portray them as stupid).

All in all, I haven't drank since and the night was a lot of fun.

I'm done, no more party stories.

 

[nismaratwork]

Well, the first time I drank I was 15 and it was pretty awesome. Firstly I was on vacation in Aruba, a Dutch island off of the coast of Venezuela and the weather was absolutely beautiful. My brothers and parents one night decided to take me to a private party on the North End of the island inside of a residential area (Tierra Del Sol), the complex where my home is (It's surprisingly cheap, well cheaper then cottages). We went rather early, and we entered without hassle (although I was under aged) despite the dozens of all black-clothed security guards patrolling the area. The party hadn't begun at this time and we were essentially the only people there so we decided to look around, the place was amazing. There was a DJ over the pool which was lit up in various colours. There was also tall palm trees, spectacular clay roof buildings, and a view that stretched over the land and ocean, a pretty awesome first party (Pictures of area at the bottom, not of party). After looking around my brothers and I decided to walk back home and return when more people came. This is where the drinking began, My brothers gave me two beers which I enjoyed (Corona's I believe) and we talked about things as I sat there with more confidence then ever. At this point after I polished off my second beer I was feeling pretty good and we decided to walk back, this was in an hour span. After getting past security, the party was pretty up-beat, music was pounding through the open warm air and a world was revealed to me that only existed in my hollywoodesque ideas. After walking around I ended up getting a rum and coke, with A LOT of rum. No one was my age so it was pretty difficult to talk to people or dance. After finishing that my brothers got me another beer if I remember correctly and at this point I was a little tipsy. As liquid courage subsides inside of my body my brothers introduce me to a stunning Dutch girl who was probably 10 years older then me, I mean she was absolutely beautiful. With her boyfriend near, my brothers insisted that I walk up to her and blatantly say "You are so beautiful!" As it goes, my immature self (I regret it) couldn't will the words to her, but for some odd reason I turned to a 40 year old women near by and without hesitation I turned to her (dizzy at this time) and utter "YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!" (I regret this). I probably said this a few times without a stutter and I don't really remember her reaction except maybe a nonchalant "Thank you!", followed by an awkward stare as she saw who I was and probably her walking away with confusion and a thought, "Why in the world is 15 year old hitting on me?"

That was pretty much the end of my night (about 2:00 at this time), my brothers returned at about 3:00 and I was rather confused because my brothers face was sliced a bleeding. I couldn't resist asking what happened, apparently, as they were walking back they decided to cross through the construction area of a new development. Now apparently my brother stood over the 5 foot drop for 10 minutes instead of walking around it and with the encouragement of my brother he fell face first into dirt and rubble. That was probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard him do apart from him throwing plates at fire trucks and throwing eggs into people's cars (something that isn't expected by a person who gets 90s and high 80s in university, both of my brothers are very intelligent although this may portray them as stupid).

All in all, I haven't drank since and the night was a lot of fun.

Oh I see... get the big thickos to tell you their dirt and you come back with paradise!

J/K, that sounds like a lot of fun, except for the near-death bits. Oh, and you're not the only guy who's made the "You're beautiful" mistake when drunk... we're basically evolved dogs. Alcohol is a very effective means of slowly draining the checks and balances we grow with, and leave us bare. Most guys don't turn into monsters... we turn into complete goobers.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

Lol, I wasn't trying to condescend

 

[nismaratwork]

Lol, I wasn't trying to condescend

I know! I'm just playing around... you had no way of knowing that Atronuc was a degenerate! hehehehe...

*runs away*

edit: to be clear... degenerate = joke.

 

[Kevin_Axion]

Lol, I knew you were kidding, I'm joking too, never mind, confusio infinitum.

 

[nismaratwork]

Lol, I knew you were kidding, I'm joking too, never mind, confusio infinitum.

"Confusion to our enemies."