posted
I apologize if it bothers you, but I'd rather be blunt than lie or remain silent just to fit into societies idea of a "good kid". In health class, I was the only kid who would admit to it, and to be honest I think more highly of teens who are open about drinking than those who just do it to be cool and deny it every time an adult hints at knowing. I mean almost every teen does it, just most fear being labeled as a drunk or being thought less intelligent. I drink, usually not in excess, but still I drink and I have a 3.8, and I'm finishing up my eagle project.
Edit: I felt that I needed to add more
[ September 27, 2004, 10:08 PM: Message edited by: J T Stryker ]
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Punwit, we just got a sampler pack of Washington St. microwbrews. I'll have to look up the brand name again but they've all been really good. They taste, the same all the way through, no watery aftertaste.
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Justification takes coordination, justification a game we all can play.
So, here's the thing, JT ole buddy, you're trying to tell me that your cute use of emoticons and dropping the raids and how you avoid frat houses wasn't there to impress me? Are you sure you're fighting the good fight against the evils of a repressive society?
It's a hard fight, I'm sure. But at least those eagle scout badges will keep you warm at night.
But hey, you keep your moral authority over the kids in your class for being the only kid who'll admit to drinking when everyone does it (although, strangely, I don't think any of them are here...) and I'll keep my smugness over just how sad I think you are for doing so. Everyone wins!
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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*prepares for possible onslaught of scolding*
I'm partial to Guinness myself. I don't drink very often, but when I do (and when it's available), Guinness is extremely delicious. I love the richness of the flavor...it tastes almost creamy. Also, Coronas with limes are great for sipping by the beach.
By the way, I'm 18.
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I'm not sure about you, but I use emoticons when I'm joking. And I'm not fighting "the evils of a repressive society", I'm being me and living in a manner that hurts no one except myself. I disagree full heartedly with a lot of American attitudes, the drinking attitude being one of them. Americans in general make mountains out of mole hills, and are rather up tight about what we (yes I'm guilty of it too) consider to be wrong. I believe that we all need to make our own choices and not bother making our decisions on what others think.
Oh yes, by the way that eagle badge won't keep me warm at nights, but the honor earned and doors opened by it might do the job.
[ September 27, 2004, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: J T Stryker ]
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The brand was Red Hook, they had a Blonde, IPA, Porter and Amber. I liked the Bonde and the IPA while Steve tends towards the Porter in preference and the Amber wasn't half bad. Actually quality wise they were all pretty uniformly good.
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JT, insofar as I value honesty, then yes, your admitting is better than not. I still prefer students (especially high school!) who are open about not drinking
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There is a brewing company in Bloomington, IN called Upland Brewery and they make a very good IPA. As far as beers sold nation-wide, I would say my favorites are Harp and Corona.
Posts: 1015 | Registered: Aug 2004
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We have the Berkshire Brewing Company here,as well as the Northampton Brewery. My husband is working at a new brewery as well. (microbrew)
When I was underage drinking, it was Miller. I had a Miller recently. Boy do I dislike it! Bud is the worst, though I love Bud Light. Go figure.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Interesting thing I learned: they use to scrape the yeast cultures from used beer barrels and sell it to bakers as cake yeast. Almost all modern bread yeast is descended from these cultures. *loves Good Eats*
I'm curious as to the chemical process that produces alcohol when yeast and sugar get together. It's for a play I'm working on. Posts: 4089 | Registered: Apr 2003
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A rule I learned from my father: If it is from the US and not from a microbrewery, don't drink it.
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I gotta do this, although this does have some... obscenity.
It's a quote from the Monty Python Bruce's sketch:
Bruce: You know, as far as your American beers go, it's somewhat like having sex in a canoe. It's f***** close to water!
Sorry! Had to!
As for me, I am underage but I come from a drinking family, so I'm massively desensitized. However, I do detest the college drinking culture. I like to sit down before I go to bed at night with a nice glass of scotch and read a little. I prefer whisky because in the states you can get some quality variety without having to go out of your way (since I can't go to bars here, tant pis) or order online (Jameson all the way). However, I did go to England recently and I LOVED finding all the local brews and trying them out. I especially enjoyed Hobgoblin (the Wychwood brewery has such cool logos- I'd love to get a poster but I can't find any) and a lot of the IPA's, but at heart I, too, am a stout man.
I agree with the microbrewery comment.
EDIT: I tried this German beer while I was over there that we got from a sort of fancy beer place. I can't remember the name, but I promise you, it was like drinking brisket smoke. It was so odd, it was really distinct.
[ September 27, 2004, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: Book ]
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quote: I'm being me and living in a manner that hurts no one except myself.
Just make sure that you really don't hurt anyone else by your drinking. I knew kids who bragged about getting away with drunk driving even after being pulled over. Its incredibly dangerous to combine inexperience with intoxication when it comes to driving.
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It will take me a while to put together the material. I'm thinking we'll look at some basics first as well as some history.
Zeguma, I can only postulate as to reasons that might be influencing your perception of a particular beer. I've found that threshold levels vary from person to person for specific flavors.
It has been quite awhile since I have sampled a Duvel so my memory is a bit hazy on its specific flavor profile. It belongs to the Belgian Strong Ale category and as such should be alchoholic, sweet/malty, very fruity/phenolic with a complexity of character.
Perhaps the huge head and high carbonation is interferring with your ability to perceive some of the complex flavors? I'd suggest letting the beer rest for a bit until some of that carbonation has subsided.
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Elizabeth, A good barleywine is like manna from heaven. A local brewpub puts out a barleywine every year. I just wish I could buy some bottles of it, but alas it is only available on tap.
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Banna, I've had the RedHook products in the past. While I don't consider them stellar they are certainly palatable. When I get to talking about specific beer styles I'll link to what are considered classic examples of each style.
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Punwit, that's a great idea. Last time I tried it (blindfolded, didn't know what it was), all I tasted was BUBBLES! and lots of them. We had stored them in the food fridge, though, not the beer fridge, so they were very cold. Next time I'll try room temp, and at a few different time periods after opening.
Mark says he tastes a lot of "pepperiness" in it. The only Belgian Golden I tasted anything in was the one that had been brewed in the US. Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I had my first drink shortly before my 21st birthday. We had house parties in my apartment that year in college, and one of my roommates decided it would be funny to mix me a rum and coke that was 2 parts rum, 1 part coke. OYE.
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Punwit, considering we bought it at Sam's club and were dubious at the time but curious, we were pleasantly surprised. Is Sam's allowed to sell booze in Kansas?
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For the record, I really love the Baltic Porters, as a sub-class of beer. Varied, complex, tasty. If only they wer3e to bring back the Okocim Porter!
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Sometimes, I want nothing more than a Beck's, or that style of sharp, light-tsting beer. German? Usually, I do not care for it, but boy does it hit the spot at times. What IS that category of beer, Punwit? I would include Heineken in there as well.
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Elizabeth, Believe it or not Heineken and Becks are generally regarded as Premium American Lagers. The differences between true pilsners and premium american lagers are not huge but pilsners are always brewed with malt as the only grain. While I don't know the malt bill for Beck's or Heineken I would guess that there is either some corn or rice in their formulation. Pilsners tend to be fuller and hoppier than P.A.L. If you want to compare to a true pilsner style I would suggest Pilsner Urquell (A Bohemian Pils) or Bitburger (North German Pils).
quote: Any recipes for Sumerian beer? And did you know that they made bread so they could make beer, at first?
Liz, if you do some quick checking, you will find that they also seemed to invent the modern strains of wheat and barley, as well as many grains we use today. Interesting to say the least...
I have become a lagerhead myself. I have been wavering between two locally-bottled brews though:
1. Yuengling's Lager brewed in Pottsville, PA America's Oldest Brewery, or so they claim
2. Straub's brewed in St. Marys, PA This is more a pilsner with no preservatives, sugar, or salt added. Basically, no additives at all. This is a lighter alternative when I am tired of Yuengling's.
quote: A rule I learned from my father: If it is from the US and not from a microbrewery, don't drink it.
As a rule, this makes a lot of sense, and I suspect it is the additives that big US companies add to their beer to preserve the shelf-life of their product. I cannot even drink 2 Budweisers without gaining a splitting headache.
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I finally found a pumpkin ale here in Florida brewed by Shipyard.
I used to brew my own beer and this was always my favorite. I always did a batch when the pumpkins appeared in the grocery stores.
Alas, it seems like mine was actually better, which is somewhat surprising since I was far from an expert. Shipyard's tasted too much like drinking pumpkin pie.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Apologies for taking so long to get to this.
I'll start Beer 101 off with a link to an excellent source for enthusiasts interested in the ancient history of beer. Dr. Solomon Katz theorizes that the emergence of civilization as we know it was brought about by the desire for beer. I looked for reprints of a presentation I attended but was unable to locate any that were inclusive. .
Many cultures developed different ways fermenting grain. I'm going to focus on the process that lead to our present day production of beer. The Reinheitsgebot exemplifies (for the most part) this approach. The Reinheitsgebot or Order of Purity was issued by Wilhelm IV, Duke of Bavaria in 1516 to mandate the purity and quality of beer and to ban the use of questionable and sometimes deadly additives. The Reinheitsgebot stated that beer could only be made from malt, hops, and water (yeast was still an unkown quantity in the 16th century). I'd like to note here that this would disqualify most (probably all) premium american lagers and light beers. These beers are commonly brewed with either corn or rice as an additive to lighten the body and reduce cost.
Barley is the source of fermentable sugar in beer. It prefers a cool dry climate bit can grow just about anywhere. Barley belongs to the grass family, Gramineae. Barley malt is formed by sprouting barley kernels to a desired length, stripping off the rootlets and then kilining the kernels to a specific color. Barley kernels are the seeds of the barley plant. They are comprised of a germ, which is the actual germinating portion, and the endosperm, which is almost all cellulose.
Two varieties of barley are commonly used in brewing. Two-row barley has two of the six flowers on the head fertile. Six-row barley has all of the kernels fertile. Two-row barley will have bigger kernels and more potential fermentables that six-row. A lower husk content is also an advantage when looking for a less grainy taste. Six-row barley usually gives a higher yield per acre and has more enzymes which is important when using a larger percentage of adjuncts (corn, rice, flaked maize...)
Malting is done to convert the large, insoluble starch chains of the endosperm to water-soluble starches, and to activate bothe the proteolytic and diastatic enzymes the will reduce the proteins and starches into desirable components in the mash. Malting is the process of sprouting the grains to a desired modification- the ratio of the acrospire length to the length of the kernel. Fully modified malt has a 1 to 1 ratio and these malts will be low in protein content as well as starch since the acrospire consumes it during growth.. I realize some of this content may be a bit complex. I'll try to limit the in-depth technical stuff. The barley is steeped in 50-65 degree water for two to three days, then allowed to germinate for six to ten days between 50 and 70 degrees. When the malt reaches the desired degree of modification the temperature is gradually raised to 90 degreees and held there to permit enzyme action The temperature is then slowly raised to 120 degrees and held for 12 hours to dry the malt as it is important that the malt be bone-dry before being heated to kilning temps to prevent the destruction of enzymes
Kilning along with the degree of modification determines the type and character of the grain. I'm not going to go into all the types of grain unless someone has a specific question. Suffice to say that there are many varieties and degrees of color. When we get to specific styles of beer I can spend a bit of time on the types of grain requisite for those beers
Hops ar the conelike flowers of the vine Humulus Lupus. They are similar in appearance to a pinecone. Each little segment, called a bract, has many tiny yellow sacs called lupulin at the base. Lupulin contains the resins that are responsible for the bittering aspect of hops. Other resins are responsible for the anti-bacterial properties. Hops have been used in beer since about the 9th century but didn't become widely used until the 15th century. The preservative nature was primary in hops acendency to the preferred seasoning but this wasn't fully understood until the 19th century. Once again there is an astonishing number of hop varieties and I'll discuss relevant types when discussing specific beer styles.
I'll not spend time discussing water and water chemistry here. Generally speaking, good tasting water will make good tasting beers. It is also to be noted that specific styles of beer are usually associated with a particular type of water. Burton-on-Trent, the birthplace of many classic English Ales had a high mineral content whereas the classic German Pils used a much softer water.
Yeast is a fungus of the genus Saccharomyces. This fungus has the ability to convert sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. There are two main varieties used in brewing: S. cerevisiae (ale yeast) and S. uvarum (lager yeast). There are other yeasts that are used although not as widely. I'll cover that when we get to Belgian beers. Ale yeast is a top fermenting yeast that usually works best in the 55 to 70 degree range. Lager yeas is bottom fermenting and performs best from 45 to 55 degrees.
Well there you have a bit of history and the primary ingredients for most beers. Feel free to request more information. I'm thinking I'll go next to the actual brewing process unless someone has a better idea.
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Is it possible to brew using lager yeast at higher temperatures than recommended?
Now that I'm in my new house, I may start making beer again. I've always wanted to try using lager yeast, but could never justify the expense of buying a refridgerator for controlling the temperature.
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zgator, I'd recommend that you not do that. Yeast are somewhat tempermental beasts and can become stressed when operating outside of their comfort zone. Stressed yeast will lead to off flavors that can diminish your end product.
If you are interested in producing a lager you must cold ferment. Lager yeast ferment clean, none of those esters that are normally present as ale yeast by products. There are ale yeasts that produce low amounts of esters. If this is what you are interested in, I would recommend either American Ale #1056 or German Ale #1007 marketed by Wyeast
posted
I'll give those a try. I'm assuming you have a controlled environment. I've always used the "swamp" method. I put the carboy in a plastic bin with several inches of water and keep a saturated towel over it.
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If I'm making a lager (rarely) I use the fridge. If I'm doing an ale I just put it in the basement and cover the carboy with a towel. I'm curious as to what the swamp method is supposed to accomplish?
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I really like the theory that civilization started bwcause of a thirst for beer. Maybe if they dig even deeper, they will find an ancient, oblong ball with points on each end and laces keeping it together in front of this little box with a glass screen.
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Now, don't try to pin this whole civilization-thing all on the men. Why do you think we needed a beer in the first place?
Posts: 3056 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I hate to give away the secrets of women throughout history, but here's the thing:
Who do you think invented hard liquor? And why do you think women allowed themselves to be "stuck" at home? You think we were working hard when we were hanging out all that laundry? Why, we were drunk off our bee-hinds, and loving every minute of it. Let the men think they invented something with their piddly beer. We chicks found the hard stuff way back. Thanks for that, fellas.You were the impetus.
Disclaimer: This is to tease, not for real.Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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Considering that in Mesopotamia only women were bartenders for the beer, I rather suspect it may have been women who discovered it (as they certainly appropriated it).
Some good things not mentioned on that page: people who drunk beer were a whole lot healthier than those who drunk water, which got contaminated easily. Beer preparation helped kill a lot of the germs.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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punwit, the swamp method keeps the beer cool and at a consistent temperature. The temperature of the water in the bin stays fairly consistent, more so than the air. As the water in the towel evaporates, more water wicks up from the water below. All this is done because I kept it in the garage. It's probably not as necessary if you keep it in the house where the temperature is constant.
I've made less than a dozen batches, but from my understanding, keeping the temperature constant is very important.
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I guess I can see why you might feel the need for that if you are fermenting in a garage. I would question how effective it would be considering that the wort/fermenting beer probably holds its temp better than the tub of water although evaporation probably does help a little.. If you are experiencing wide temperature swings or temps above 80 degrees I would suggest moving the vessel indoors. I just found a link that describes the method you are using and it recommends putting ice in the tub as well as positioning a fan to blow on the carboy.
Posts: 2022 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Barley Wine...tastes great, more filling. Delicious.
Cleveland has one of the finer microbrew companies in Great Lakes Brewing Company. I really would suggest folks check it out if in the 5 state area surrounding us (and I think you can get a couple of the more popular ones out there). They have a new short-term brew called "Nosferatu" and it is wicked hoppy red ale. Tasty. Their best is Burning River Pale Ale or Eliot Ness, a Vienna Lager. And their chow is great, too.
Anyone hear of this beer subscription thingy? A friend of mine was in it...pay a fee and you get monthly deliveries of beer stored with dry ice from all around the country. Don't know how in the world it was legal (can you send stuff over state lines???) but it sounded great. What a cool idea.
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I used to buy Blackened Voodoo beer from New Orleans. Odd taste, but great graphics on the label.
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