The Beer Thread

[i am gay and i like cats]

love this time of year . . . when it comes to beers.  except pumpkin beer.  you can have that throwup.

[stevewizzle]

love this time of year . . . when it comes to beers.  except pumpkin beer.  you can have that throwup.

how to make a pumpkin beer:
make a shitty beer
add a bunch of pumpkin spice

[Sieve-Fisted]

CHURCHKEY BEER - A golden Pilsner that comes in a flat-top can.

http://www.churchkeycanco.com/home.html

[Bagley]

http://now.msn.com/beer-milkshakes-are-being-sold-by-red-robin

[sweetcell]

the bruery is climbing in my esteem.  only had 3 of their beers so far, but all 3 have been excellent.  helps that they do mostly belgians.

this looks like a great event:

The Bruery Rare and Obscure Night at Rustico Ballston
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - 6:00pm
details: http://www.dcbeer.com/event/bruery-rare-and-obscure-night-rustico-ballston

just might trek out to that one, TBD.  in other news:

Snallygaster
DC Yards Park on the Waterfront
Oct 13, 1-5 pm
http://www.snallygasterdc.com/

[nkotb]

Funny...I generally can't stand any flavored beers, but I cannot get enough of pumpkin. 

What's also funny is seeing the hoopla here about Dogfish Head's Pumpkin...I was in Ocean City last weekend, and you can even get that stuff in 7-11. 

love this time of year . . . when it comes to beers.  except pumpkin beer.  you can have that throwup.

[Jaguar]

What's also funny is seeing the hoopla here about Dogfish Head's Pumpkin...I was in Ocean City last weekend, and you can even get that stuff in 7-11. 

Dogfish, Evo, Burley Oak and Flying Dog are everywhere in OC with the exception of Burley Oak which can only be found on tap or at their brewery in Berlin. They don't have the bottled distributorship together yet but they are getting it out to the bars.

Sorry I missed you. The bikers are here this weekend so lots and lots of beer will be flowing.

[nkotb]

I'm actually back this weekend too.  My mother-in-law lives in OC part time, so while my wife is still on maternity leave, she and the kids took a three week trip to the beach.  I was bummed at first...then realize it means I can sleep more than four hours at a time

What's also funny is seeing the hoopla here about Dogfish Head's Pumpkin...I was in Ocean City last weekend, and you can even get that stuff in 7-11. 

Dogfish, Evo, Burley Oak and Flying Dog are everywhere in OC with the exception of Burley Oak which can only be found on tap or at their brewery in Berlin. They don't have the bottled distributorship together yet but they are getting it out to the bars.

Sorry I missed you. The bikers are here this weekend so lots and lots of beer will be flowing.

[sweetcell]

Lower Dens expand fall tour, but really, let's talk about the beer that got named after them

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/lower-dens-expand-fall-tour-but-really-lets-talk-about-the-beer-that-got-named-after-them

[stevewizzle]

Lower Dens expand fall tour, but really, let's talk about the beer that got named after them

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/lower-dens-expand-fall-tour-but-really-lets-talk-about-the-beer-that-got-named-after-them

i missed there show at rnr a few months back, partly because it was at rnr, but mainly because they didn't have a beer named after them.

would be nice to see them at a '930 presents at usmh', with their beer on tap.  hey seth...

[sweetcell]

would be nice to see them at a '930 presents at usmh', with their beer on tap.  hey seth...

i'd definitely go.

hey wizzle - how did your saison turn out?  would you brew it again?  i've got one finishing up primary, so now it's a question of how long i want to let it sit before bottling.  i'm thinking at least a month if i can spare the carboy that long.  need to do a gravity & taste test tonight

[stevewizzle]

would be nice to see them at a '930 presents at usmh', with their beer on tap.  hey seth...

i'd definitely go.

hey wizzle - how did your saison turn out?  would you brew it again?  i've got one finishing up primary, so now it's a question of how long i want to let it sit before bottling.  i'm thinking at least a month if i can spare the carboy that long.  need to do a gravity & taste test tonight

it turned out great, color was a little light and flavor hops were a little soft, but overall really enjoyed it. sorachi is such a nice hop. tasted the soured version of it two weeks ago (although it has 6 months to go...), and that was fantastic. was going to brew it again but no longer have the warm temperatures required.

i think an ongoing problem i have is bottling too early.  you're debating a saison next?  we could do that tasting soon, too. have a saison, an iipa (which turned out pretty bleh), and some apple mead.  falconers flight ipa is in the primary right now.

[Darth Ed]

I visited Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg last week. Other than Burton Baton (one of my favorite hoppy beers), I'm not a huge fan of any the Dogfish beers that I've had in the past (60-Minute IPA, 90-Minute IIPA, Midas Touch, Raison D'Etre, Indian Brown Ale, Shelter Pale Ale -- none of which really match my taste preferences, except Raison D'Etre, which I think is pretty good, and the Indian Brown Ale, which is quite drinkable but unremarkable), but I left there with a sizable appreciation for

Palo Santo Marron - great complexity -- the caramel and vanilla flavors are right in my wheelhouse

Namaste - a lovely witbier with a nice combination of orange and lemongrass flavors -- the hint of lemongrass is what elevates it to something special

Festina Peche - a peach weisse -- I had it for dessert, and it surprised me at how much I liked it

One of my friends got the sampler, and I had a little taste of some of them. I liked the Punkin Ale far more than I expected, too.

[sweetcell]

it turned out great, color was a little light and flavor hops were a little soft, but overall really enjoyed it. sorachi is such a nice hop. tasted the soured version of it two weeks ago (although it has 6 months to go...), and that was fantastic. was going to brew it again but no longer have the warm temperatures required.

i think an ongoing problem i have is bottling too early.  you're debating a saison next?  we could do that tasting soon, too. have a saison, an iipa (which turned out pretty bleh), and some apple mead.  falconers flight ipa is in the primary right now.

cool - what did you sour it with?  i have two 1-gallon jugs that i'm considering using for a brett'ed version of my saison.  i'm not debating a saison, it's done

if you used 3711 French Saison, you should be fine at normal room temps.  you'll get a slightly different flavor profile (less fruity, more spicy) and may not attenuate quite so crazy; however it'll produce a great brew.  you could also get a brew belt/fermwrap.

bottling: i generally try to wait at least 4 weeks before i bottle, unless it's a small beer or something that benefits from freshness (like an IPA).  certain styles (like most belgians, big stouts, etc) benefit more from bulk aging than others.  quads, RIS and barleywines are pretty much undrinkable IMO until they're several months old... better for them to spend some of that time in primary/secondary so that flavor development is consistent across the batch.  what do you consider "bottling too early"? 

would love to do a tasting, if/when you have time - lemme know what works for you.  i currently have an IPA made with my homegrown hops, and my 6-month old belgian dark strong is coming around nicely.  the saison won't be ready for a month or two, and even then might benefit from some additional aging in the bottle.

[stevewizzle]

cool - what did you sour it with?  i have two 1-gallon jugs that i'm considering using for a brett'ed version of my saison.  i'm not debating a saison, it's done

Just brett'ed it w/ Matilda yeast, and let it sit in a 1/2 gal jug. I've got tons of 1 gal glass jugs if you ever want any.  going to make a 1-gal gruit ale pretty soon...

would love to do a tasting, if/when you have time - lemme know what works for you.  i currently have an IPA made with my homegrown hops, and my 6-month old belgian dark strong is coming around nicely.  the saison won't be ready for a month or two, and even then might benefit from some additional aging in the bottle.

PM'd