Off-Topic Chat Thread

[mrhockey193195]

None at home in the last two months due to lots of factors. Probably brew one in two weeks (a Tart Smoky Grisette, one of my three really "standard" recipes). My last ones were something I'd describe as a Lime Hoppy Session Belgian Blonde Ale, a Lactose IPA and a Mesquite-Smoked Cream Ale. Came out great, terrible and "well, that's at least useful for food", respectively.

I'll be getting a kegging system soon enough. I'll continue to bottle some stuff when it's relevant to do so (no way I'm kegging Weizens). Next on the line is a fermentation chamber.

Awesome stuff! My philosophy on the craft beer scene (including home-brewing) - I have so much respect for the people that try new things and push the envelope. A lot will end up flopping, but without the desire to experiment, craft beer wouldn't be what it is today.

Out of curiosity - just because it's my go-to style - have you ever tried your hand at a heavy-hitter imperial stout? Or a step further, ever gotten your hands on a barrel and done barrel-aging with your beer?

 

[Johnny Engine]

I have some friends who've been starting a craft brewing operation - I haven't been directly involved with the beer itself, but I've been in on the label design, doing my thing. They've done some very tasty brews, ranging from a Belgian-y kind of wheat beer to a dunkel. Only thing is that they keep having the alcohol content come in way lower than expected. Great going down, but it's disconcerting to finish a pint feeling the same way as you did when you started. Anybody else have that issue?

 

[MXD]

Awesome stuff! My philosophy on the craft beer scene (including home-brewing) - I have so much respect for the people that try new things and push the envelope. A lot will end up flopping, but without the desire to experiment, craft beer wouldn't be what it is today.

Out of curiosity - just because it's my go-to style - have you ever tried your hand at a heavy-hitter imperial stout? Or a step further, ever gotten your hands on a barrel and done barrel-aging with your beer?

I'm a bit of an in-between : I never do the same recipe with the same process over and over again (except for my three standard recipes, max once per year, and they are mostly somewhat unusual to begin with : the other two are a Smoked Tea Dry Extra Stout (it's really somewhere between an Extra Stout and a Black Ale) and an Imperial Hopfenweisse).

On the other hand I don't push the enveloppe like crazy : it's a hobby, not a business. I don't have to impress anyone and I don't have any competition; I'm just brewing what I like, or what I'd like for things I have no clue about, to drink. No issue with drainpouring a batch, it's just something I like to avoid.

Never brewed RIS. Honestly, there are lots of great RIS at very decent prices here. I'll brew one eventually (...and being what I am, it will probably end up being a Belgian Imperial Stout). I usually turn out only one "big" beer per year (think, 8.5+ ABV who isn't a Tripel, a Golden Strong or a DIPA), switching between Wee Heavy and English Barleywine. Never barrel-aged (tough at homebrew scale) or even wood-aged.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Advice

I have some friends who've been starting a craft brewing operation - I haven't been directly involved with the beer itself, but I've been in on the label design, doing my thing. They've done some very tasty brews, ranging from a Belgian-y kind of wheat beer to a dunkel. Only thing is that they keep having the alcohol content come in way lower than expected. Great going down, but it's disconcerting to finish a pint feeling the same way as you did when you started. Anybody else have that issue?

Friend looking over my shoulder suggests drinking at least a case of 24 for a true test.Believes in large sample spaces.

 

[MXD]

I have some friends who've been starting a craft brewing operation - I haven't been directly involved with the beer itself, but I've been in on the label design, doing my thing. They've done some very tasty brews, ranging from a Belgian-y kind of wheat beer to a dunkel. Only thing is that they keep having the alcohol content come in way lower than expected. Great going down, but it's disconcerting to finish a pint feeling the same way as you did when you started. Anybody else have that issue?

Heh...
It's probably one of these two issues (or both) :
- Either the wort isn't sweet enough to begin with (ie, efficiency/calculation issues)
- Either the batch is underattenuated (ie, fermentation issues, whose root could be in the wort-producing stage)

 

[Theokritos]

I created a new rule to myself regarding cigarettes. No smoking inside the EU.

So that's why you're moving to New Zealand.

 

[Plural]

So that's why you're moving to New Zealand.

I think I'll have to change the rule to "Only inside EU" after we move. Permanent moving delayed though. I'm stuck with work for a while. We'll do a few month tour this winter to get all the connections and such going. I hope we will be able to go permanently before 2019 comes along.

 

[Epsilon]

None at home in the last two months due to lots of factors. Probably brew one in two weeks (a Tart Smoky Grisette, one of my three really "standard" recipes). My last ones were something I'd describe as a Lime Hoppy Session Belgian Blonde Ale, a Lactose IPA and a Mesquite-Smoked Cream Ale. Came out great, terrible and "well, that's at least useful for food", respectively.

I'll be getting a kegging system soon enough. I'll continue to bottle some stuff when it's relevant to do so (no way I'm kegging Weizens). Next on the line is a fermentation chamber.

With your tart grisette, what kind of fermentation do you do? I've had my best results on tart/funky saisons doing a primary fermentation with a workhorse Belgian or French saison strain, then doing a secondary fermentation with a mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria (usually just dregs from some Hill Farmstead bottles rather than bothering with a bunch of different commercial pure pitches - the dregs have more than enough bacteria and brett to create the character I'm aiming for).

Awesome stuff! My philosophy on the craft beer scene (including home-brewing) - I have so much respect for the people that try new things and push the envelope. A lot will end up flopping, but without the desire to experiment, craft beer wouldn't be what it is today.

Out of curiosity - just because it's my go-to style - have you ever tried your hand at a heavy-hitter imperial stout? Or a step further, ever gotten your hands on a barrel and done barrel-aging with your beer?

I'll be presumptuous and answer this one: yes and yes, although the current big imperial stout I've got fermenting is going to get soaked oak chips rather than the full barrel treatment (mostly because I don't have a proper sized barrel at the moment, and don't have the inclination to buy one). I've also done some barrel-aged wild ales and a barrel-aged barleywine. All involved hard brew days, frustration, and lots of patience, although some have been rewarding in terms of the final product.

Brewing big beers like imperial stouts and barleywines is hard. Barrel-aging beers is REALLY hard. Or at least, hard if you want something good to result from it. I've dumped a lot of long-term (year or more) projects that didn't turn out how I wanted, which always feels like you're getting kicked in the balls.

 

[MXD]

With your tart grisette, what kind of fermentation do you do? I've had my best results on tart/funky saisons doing a primary fermentation with a workhorse Belgian or French saison strain, then doing a secondary fermentation with a mixed culture of wild yeast and bacteria (usually just dregs from some Hill Farmstead bottles rather than bothering with a bunch of different commercial pure pitches - the dregs have more than enough bacteria and brett to create the character I'm aiming for).

I always did clean fermentations with that one so far, mostly because it was one of my first brews. Ghetto kettle souring + Belle Saison (which actually imparts a slightly acidic character and who is great for, well, basically 1.040 and below. TBH I probably wouldn't use any other saison yeast for this one, because it's imparts some acidity, it's darn cheap and it's the stupidest attenuator.

I'm split-batching the next one : BS and BS + bugs of the non-lambicus family.

If I'm not getting cold feet due to being a little low on stock, I might sour it with bread.

Brewing big beers like imperial stouts and barleywines is hard. Barrel-aging beers is REALLY hard. Or at least, hard if you want something good to result from it. I've dumped a lot of long-term (year or more) projects that didn't turn out how I wanted, which always feels like you're getting kicked in the balls.

From what I gather, blending is the way to go with barrel-aging. That means you introduce some possible problems though...

 

[Michael Farkas]

That Volvo ad (when on my tablet) might be the most formidable opponent I've ever had in my life for anything...

 

[Michael Farkas]

Good news...I got a nod of approval from a second NHL club regarding my talent evaluation abilities/scouting reports...(which is a ******* thrill, pardon my French)...

I won't call it 'foot in the door', but I am waiting in the bar across the street for a table to maybe open up...

 

[MXD]

Good news...I got a nod of approval from a second NHL club regarding my talent evaluation abilities/scouting reports...(which is a ******* thrill, pardon my French)...

I won't call it 'foot in the door', but I am waiting in the bar across the street for a table to maybe open up...

Awesome!

 

[quoipourquoi]

Good news...I got a nod of approval from a second NHL club regarding my talent evaluation abilities/scouting reports...(which is a ******* thrill, pardon my French)...

I won't call it 'foot in the door', but I am waiting in the bar across the street for a table to maybe open up...

Haha, nice!

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Good news...I got a nod of approval from a second NHL club regarding my talent evaluation abilities/scouting reports...(which is a ******* thrill, pardon my French)...

I won't call it 'foot in the door', but I am waiting in the bar across the street for a table to maybe open up...

congratulations mifa

 

[Theokritos]

That Mike Farkas who discovered the next Gretzky for the xy NHL team? Oh sure I know him. Have known him for years. Mikey and I have a chatter on a little hockey board every now and then. That's nothing special for me. Just another day on the internet. Business as usual. Whether I can ask him to get you the autographs of Sid Crosby and Gene Malkin the next time he has dinner with them? Sure. Not a big thing for me. But hey, would you mind ordering me something to drink? Seems I forgot to pay a visit to the cash machine before coming here. Glenfiddich? Okay, why not. That'll do for the moment.

 

[Killion]

... But hey, would you mind ordering me something to drink? Seems I forgot to pay a visit to the cash machine before coming here. Glenfiddich? Okay, why not. That'll do for the moment.

No problem Theo. This bar does have Debit..... You do have your Debit Card with you, right?

 

[Michael Farkas]

Thanks for sticking out a glove as I come along the bench for the fist bump, boys haha

 

[streitz]

I don't even know who Pete Best is honestly.




Edit- Always hated the Beatles, no wonder.

 

[Theokritos]

Edit- Always hated the Beatles, no wonder.

You're flirting with an infraction for offensive content here.

 

[Killion]

You're flirting with an infraction for offensive content here.

.... Battle of the Generations Theo. Sports, Music. Nothing immune, no Sacred Cows.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Edit- Always hated the Beatles, no wonder.

You're flirting with an infraction for offensive content here.

.... Battle of the Generations Theo. Sports, Music. Nothing immune, no Sacred Cows.

we had a thread recently where someone took a run at terry saint fox. and right above me someone else just called gordie howe, aka the nicest guy ever, a donkey’s rear end.

i don’t think the beatles, or say gretzky, are immune.

and anyway the best beatles album is the kinks are the village green preservation society.

 

[streitz]

we had a thread recently where someone took a run at terry saint fox. and right above me someone else just called gordie howe, aka the nicest guy ever, a donkey’s rear end.

i don’t think the beatles, or say gretzky, are immune.

and anyway the best beatles album is the kinks are the village green preservation society.

Who took a run at Terry Fox? Wtf lol.

 

[Killion]

and anyway the best beatles album is the kinks are the village green preservation society.

.... wat...................... are you on Maing?

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

.... wat...................... are you on Maing?

would i get infracted if i tried to turn this thread into a top ten guitar-rock albums of the 60s poll?

 

[CHGoalie27]

would i get infracted if i tried to turn this thread into a top ten guitar-rock albums of the 60s poll?

infracted? praised.