Speaking of Beer

Robotic Beer Launching Refrigerator - The best home videos are here

If you’re blessed with an eclectic beer distributor in the Western United States, look for these. Otherwise, go out and find the best beer you can possibly find in a can.

Mudshark Dry Heat Hefeweizen [alternatives: Pyramid Hefeweizen, Shiner Hefeweizen]

and

Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues Brewing Co. [alternatives: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Three Floyd's Alpha King, any west-coast IPA]

If you haven’t divined the theme yet, think about the shelves lining the walls of your dad’s basement den.

Click “Play” below and thrill as fellow beercaster Father Spoon from Should I Drink That? chugs a bottle of Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (as featured on SoB Show 7). Father, thy name is metal!

…but he writes a splatterific monster story!

 Ebook: Download (1007)

There’s been a recent spate of links folks have sent me, to wit:

Thanks to Eric, I know about a gizmo that’ll chill a beer can in seconds. Now, if only more craft breweries would get with the canning thing (like Oskar Blues in Colorado and the Mudshark Brewery in balmy Lake Havasu, AZ), we’d be in business!

Are you throwing a kegger, but not sure how much beer to buy? Never fear, the Kegulator is here! Just input vital stats like how many folks are coming and how hammered they’re going to get, and it’ll spit out exactly the quantity of beer you’ll need. No more returning half-empty kegs (or pounding too many beers the next day in order to save face) for you!

And on a more serious note, Virginia McLean, one of the original folks who inspired what ultimately became Pete’s Wicked Ale, has been stricken with a form of bone cancer. Pete and his old skool pals have reunited to create Reunion Imperial Brown Ale to raise money and awareness. Check out the link and see what you think (and look for audio from fellow beercaster Rick from Pacific Brew News). Of course, the Farpoint Media family has also been touched by the spector of cancer, so if you’re in a donating mood, swing by Michael and Evo’s Wingin’ It! website and help out Joe Murphy, a.k.a. Randy Inuendo, a.k.a. Mason Rocket. It’s a good karma thing to do…

One reason for the next show’s delay was my experience at the 7th Annual Arizona Strong Beer Festival. We’re talking dozens of breweries from all over the US, plus a few international folks, all pouring the good stuff. You really had to search to find a beer clocking in under 7 % ABV, and there were some big ol’ doozies represented: Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Barleywine, Dogfish Head’s Chateau Jiahu, Oskar Blues’ Gordon (in a can!), and many, many (blurry) others…

Here are a few pics:

Count the people hoisting a glass.

Who says there’s an East Coast/West Coast thing in beerland?

Some favored accessories of the day.

Delightfully drunk festival-goers. Listen for them on an upcoming episode!

Due to a confluence of factors good, bad, and flat-out annoying, the next episode of SoB will be a little late. My most humble appologies. I’ll try to make it up to you in whizz-bang content and beery good vibes, and in the meantime try to throw a nice nugget or two out on the feed. Expect a full-blown show within a week!

Craving a beer when all you have in the house is moo-juice? Don’t dispair, just click here!

My only question is, if someone cheats you out of your fermented “two-percent”, have you been bilked out of your bilk? Discuss…

Thanks for the link, Summer!

Let’s make some beer! Besides being easy and fun, brewing is the single best way to develop a deep understanding of and appreciation for beer. Part art, part science, part cooking, part sport (if you want to take it there), homebrewing is satisfying on just about all levels. Plus, it’s a hobby that gives you a wicked buzz!

THE STUFF YOU’LL NEED

Regardless of the type of beer you’re going to brew, certain basic equipment and materials are necessary. For brewing with malt extract, we’re talking:

1 - 6.5 Gallon Plastic Fermenting Bucket w\ lid & #2 Stopper
1 - 6.5 Gallon Plastic Bottling Bucket w\ spigot
a capper and bottle caps
1- 24 inch Racking Cane w\ 5 foot Siphon Hose
1 - 15 inch Spring Loaded Bottle Filler
1 - 3 Piece Airlock
1 - 4 Oz. Bottle of BTF Iodophor No Rinse Sanitizer (1 TBL spoon per 5 gallons Cold Water)
a hydrometer (a device that allows you to predict the beer’s strength)
a cooking thermometer

You’ll also need a good stainless steel or enamel pot in which to boil what will become your beer. Your pot should have at least a 4 gallon capacity. Finally, bottles round out the equipment list. For a five gallon batch, you’ll need about 54 12 oz bottles. You can buy them outright from a homebrew supplier, or simply rinse and save your empties, provided they are NOT screwtops. Screwtop bottles are thin at the top and tend to break come bottling day.

Of course you’ll also need some information. Simple “first brew” instructions, which will be followed on Speaking of Beer for Batch #1, are available at Brewer’s Connection by clicking this link. Eventually, more in-depth study is both warranted and richly rewarded. I strongly recommend The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian as a fun and informative next step.

Most importantly, let’s have us some fun. Your beer is going to kick ass!

BEER #1: THE NEW GUY, an American Pale Ale (starting with show 22)

6 lbs of Light Dry Malt Extract
1/2 lb 60 L crystal malt (for flavor)
1/2 lb Carapils malt (for body)
2 oz Cascade hops (for hoppy goodness)
ale yeast (e.g. Danstar Nottingham Ale Yeast)
irsh moss
dextrose sugar (for bottling)

All of the above is included in the “First Born Pale Ale” kit available at Brewer’s Connection, or you can look at your own local homebrew shop or online homebrew supplier.

BEER #2: MONKEY BASTARD, a “West Coast” American Strong Ale (starting with show 32)

Ingredients and instructions are here.

BEER #3.1 RUINED NATION, a double IPA (starting and ending with show 45)

Ingredients:

Procedure: This is a “partial mash” rescipe, meaning some grains are steeped at an appropriate temperature to draw out flavor and sugars before the “extract” is added.

Beer #3.2 SAMUEL L. JACKSON BADASSSSSSSSS STOUT, ’nuff said (starting and ending with show 45)

Ingredients & Procedure: CLASSIFIED, MUTHAF@#KUH!

Folks have been sending in beer-related links like crazy lately, so I thought I’d round some up.

First up, Kristen gave me the heads up on an MIT study that suggests that knowing the ingredients actually changes how you taste beer. It’s fascinating stuff for any number reasons, but mostly for the question of when do MIT students actually have any time to do the drinking. The link is here, but you may have to sign up with the New York Times to read the whole article.

Next, Mad Marv hooked me up with an extensive list of the carb and caloric values for many, many beers. Interesting fact: Total carbs (a.k.a. “body”) for Guinness: 9.9 grams. For Budweiser: 10.6 grams. Combine this information with the MIT study above, and maybe you’ll stop thinking Guinness is so dang intense. It isn’t.

Finally, Brian has good news for Thomas from Flagstaff’s dog. Congratulations pooch, you now have your own beer!