2009 Christmas Variation IPA--Update

Well, transfer to secondary over another four ounces of wet Cascade and Wilamette hops is done with nary a drop wasted.

The specific gravity was 1.026 at that time, and lest you think I drained this sample, I did--into my stomache.

So I think it has a bit of fermenting to go yet before it's finished. Original gravity was 1.066.

I need a better name for this brew.

3rd or 40th?

This year, of all the years, was a most important year on many levels.

Important enough to have some fresh liquidity injected into our accounts if you will. And other stuff.

So with that in mind the 3rd Annual J&T Holiday Pub Crawl took place, yet again, in NYC on November 23rd.

This time our plan was scantily brilliant: To imbibe rarely but start early.

Wait a minute. That's the plan every year.

Shorty's behind Port Authority was the first place we visited. Decent cheese steaks but not up to Philly snuff. A nice set of tap handles. A couple of pints of Brooklyn Lager later started festivities off on the left foot. What is really great about this place is that it's just a few steps from the Port Authority. So, you get off work and need to catch a buzz home but you have a few minutes to spare--knowing that it's only a minute from here to your bus makes it a dream! But, easy does it.

Bohemian Beer Garden (Astoria Queens): Long wanted to visit--still haven't. Closed when we got there after lunch.

McSorley's (East Village): Need I say more? Multiple small mugs of light and dark later, a cheese plate to take the edge off (and who knows how many [mugs that is]), and I was seeing Abe Lincoln behind the bar--sittn' on his chair and imploring me to give Obama another chance. What looked to be a cat (the size of a rat) was sipping a brew (the size of a gnat) beside the pot belly, and assorted young children were running around.

I fully support bringing your young children with you when you go to a public house.

Hop Devil Grill (St. Marks Place @ Avenue A): Hoppy Hour 4-8 1/2 price drafts weekdays! Yeah. Really, does it get any better than that? Mendocino Red Tail Ale caught me by the tail and wouldn't let go. Utopia was up there and some at the bar were trying it--but at what cost to their brain cells?

East Village Tavern (let's just say further East): Met up with someone from Shickshinny! Graduated my HS in `64. Actually he's the Mayor of this bar or is it the deposed Monarch? I don't remember. Or his name.

Needless to say we had a great time.

Hits: Hop Devil Grill
Misses: Bohemian Beer Garden :O(

A fitting 191st post

Hmm. This is a milestone of sorts: My 191st blog entry here.

I'm usually not at a loss for words, only the time with which to arrange them into incoherence.

I could do 12 things 4000 times or 4000 things 12 times.

Which do you think I choose?

Promise: My 1,921st will be better.

Really.

Going home

Ah, Nanticoke.

The PA one that is.

Maybe the only place where the denizens love their kielbasa and dill pickles as much as I do!

And the only town in the US where over half of its citizens claim Polish ancestry.

Where at the former Lazarus department store you could stand in awe of the precursor to the internet--running over a network of pulleys and wires--sending cash and receipts from the register to the office and back.

And at Carrols probably the last place you could fork over a buck and get a hamburger, fries, a soda, and some change back.

Ah, Nanticoke: The city of my birth and home to Madison's Vodka Bar and Steakhouse on 396 E. Washington Street.

Last night the ever-intrepid S and I met up with J, H, and D to enjoy and partake in some holiday revelry and I'm here to tell you we had a blast reminiscing about bike racing and all things with two wheels, simple systems that could be retrofitted to our cars to create and burn hydrogen (stand clear, please), the Federal Reserve, and the Rothschild family.

You know: Just the usual save the world BS.

Oh, and J and H introduced me to the exotic Absinthe which sounds just ritualistic, and intriguing-of-taste enough for me to want to try. Soon.

The details in this establishment make it a standout: The decorative coving around the bar and dining rooms' high ceilings that draw the eye up to what looks to be original tin ceiling tiles; the expansive (read wide) bar top giving ample room to eat and drink (with two hands and elbows) and supported by a bar base with vertical planks spaced so as to give ample shadow lines which are echoed in the dining room; a simple thin vertical bar rail--still, graced by a routed edge of a unique sort I've not seen used in other bar rails.

Over the back bar is a contemporary bookcase-style shelving system holding what looks to be an extensive selection of cocktail liquors.

The wall over the back bar also sports six handles with the Breaker Brewing Company's handle towering above the rest.

Dude: We've gotta talk about the Breaker Brewing Company one of these days.

The Malty Maguire was great and seemed just about like when we had it over at Elmer Sudds when it debuted. There was another unidentified handle on the end, which no longer poured as the keg had kicked earlier in the day. The `keep said it was a stout: Olde King Cole Stout perhaps? I wish it had been on, but hey, now I've got a reason to go back!

S & yours truly went for the the white chowder to start--the clam bits were velvety soft and tender unlike many other examples. No steak tonight for us but the seafood platter special caught our eyes and was just right and consisted of clam, shrimp, orange roughy, scallop, and crab cake components. Did I mention that I like cole slaw? This was an interesting take on the side, with small minces and dices and that was creamy and a bit tangy.

As is wont to be on occasions such as these (or any occasion really when friends share in thought and opinion), the seafood platter stimulated a communal lamentation of the loss of VicMar's. Sigh.

Our party had a lot of fun as did everyone else there that night.

H: Did that Gibson taste good?

Bottle Conditioning

I'm having intermittent good luck with bottle conditioning.

Some batches turn out great while others have no carbonation or very little.

Could it be the high gravities depressing yeast activity at this late stage?

Could it be the technique I use to add a bit more sweet wort prior to bottling (basically adding a few ounces periodically during the transfer from fermenter to bottling bucket)? If that was the case, I would expect to have some bottles with plenty and others with none, but all have almost none. And I have used this technique with success in the past so it's probably not this.

Gotta research this.

2009 Christmas Variation IPA

Monday I brewed a very special beer: One containing only homegrown hops.

I may have gone a bit overboard on the exhilaration quotient when I used a total of 14 ounces of whole flower Cascade and Willamette. And I have dry hopping yet to go.

This is gonna be good.

As I stood there with a few extra ounces of Simcoe® and Amarillo pellets as the wort was boiling, I was faced with a decision. Should I toss them in too or save them for a rainy day? One of life's real quandaries, no? I decided against for the sake of science.

I have no idea how strong these hops are: They were harvested by my Dad in September and immediately vacuum sealed and frozen. They are basically fresh hops.

Old Ebbitt Grill

Sunday we grabbed lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill just east of the White House.

Now this is a bar. The photo does not do justice to the nicely turned columns, the big-game trophies, the back-bar. A real man-cave.

DC

S and I just got back from our secret mission to DC.

I don't usually tell anybody about these secret trips, but this time, I'll make an exception.

Psst. This one's for the Ladies. But fella's: Listen close.

Friday and Saturday were Ida-ugly but made delightful by side-trips to Pizzeria Paradiso where we had some really tasty pizza and some great beers too. We went to the Georgetown location which was a nice walk from where we stayed. Alas as local as I could get, as I always try, was Baltimore: I ordered up aClipper City Winter Storm Warning Imperial ESB from a cask. I'm not much of an ESB, ESP, EXP, or ELP man myself, but this one was pretty good--a nice balance of malt and hops and a very drinkable 7.5% ABV winter warmer. By the way: Where are the DC breweries?

S had the Hitachino Nest White Ale witbier (on draught), from the Kiuchi Brewery in Japan. Her taste is developing nicely, don't you think?

After we settled in with our bowl of olives, I tried to convince her, about that time, that it was called Nest White due to it's use of birds, ala Ace Ventura, in its manufacture.

She wasn't buy'n it.

Pizza here, by the way, is superb. We had the Paradiso with fresh Muttsarella and one extra bit of Porkaliciousness: Sausage. I'm here to tell you, if you care to listen, that the sauce was par excellence! Real tomato, and not salty. Crust: medium thickness, charred perfectly, a bit chewy. Cheese: Real. Fresh. Not your NY style pizza but YummyLicious in it's own Capitol way. There is a small bar downstairs which we didn't but pass by on the way to the restroom. I will come back here in a heart-skip.

Saturday was S's day to shine or be shined as it came to be. The Capitol Oasis, in all it's majestic splendor, awaits the patient. And by heaven's S has patience. S: you're the best and you deserve it.

And I deserve beer. (For having you.)

Saturday night we lived it up at Brasserie Beck downtown. This is a Belgian/French bistro with some really high-end Belgian waffles.

Oops I mean beers.

There's a nice bar as you go in on the right and there's an open kitchen as you walk to the rear of the space. The ceiling is high and there are old clocks high up on the walls around the place reminiscent of what you would see in a Eurpoean train station. It can be a little noisy in there.

Of some note was the Pauwel Kwak from Brouwerij Bosteels. Interesting glass--nice tasting malty beer. The glass was more interesting than the beer, I have to say. :O(

The food here was fabulous: The Belgian Frites are not to be missed. For my main, I had the special which was prawns in a tomoato/anchovy base. S had a crispy critter that they call a Skate. The waiters there are good at what they do and their beer knowledge is pretty good. As was the barkeep's btw.

Mission Accomplished!

Uncle Kazek Porter done

Uncle Kazek Porter is done, and in the bottle aging.

Labels are done! Thanks J!

The better of the two came in at an ultralight 9.7% ABV. But who's counting?

Hey Tazio, what's in the Beer Meister?

I just got done rake'n (but are you ever really done), and had a hellacious hanker'n for Lager. So...to make a long story wet, I have a fresh 1/4 of Yuengling Lager rapidly emptying.

And one for the real men: A fresh 1/6 of Troegs Troegenator Double Bock.

Eggggggggggggssssalentttttttttttttttttttttt!

Octoberfest at Old Forge

S and I and a lotta like-minded volk made the hike down to Octoberfest at Old Forge Brewing Company to have some fun, sample some of the seasonal beers, and try some delicious Germanic dishes from the special menu prepared for the occasion.

This visit found us taking the stairway to the 2nd floor to experience the bar and dining room up there. Empty malt sacks hung like curtains from a set of windows and waved their welcome as we climbed the last few steps. Passing by the door leading to the deck, we sincerely considered sitting out there on this quickly-becoming-sunny Saturday afternoon, but, decided that there would be time for that on our next visit. This time, we picked a very nice pine booth across from the bar and settled in for what would become another memorable afternoon.

S wasn't very hungry and just picked a simple pretzel with a spicy beer-mustard sauce. Simple may it be, still served with a distinct flair that I've come to see as normal for OFBC.

I was curious to see how the roast pork crowing the menu might fair, since I've been doing a lot more pork grilling myself lately, so I picked that and chose potato soup for a starter. Well, the soup arrived hot, was chock full of fresh potato, onion, and carrots, and, just like our last visit, freshness ruled.

The roast pork arrived like a prince upon a throne of red cabbage and apple slices. It was out of this world and quite obviously prepared with a lot of care as it was fork-tender and seasoned perfectly with a mustard-based glaze.

And get this: Two potato pancakes on the side! Yeow! Due to the hazy nature of silly things like borders and such, it's no surprise at all to see now that the Poles and Germans really knew how to enjoy and share good food amongst themselves! They were a bit thicker than Babcia's potato pancakes, but still right up there.

Ahhh. Memories.

For desert: Apple Strudel which at the mere mention, a sudden ravenously hungry S poked her little head up and exclaimed: For two, please! Yummy!

As for the good stuff, I started with Petey's Porter--you know, to get a feel for what my own Uncle Kazek Porter should aspire to. It turned out to be very good and very quickly all I had left to show for my effort was a tan mustache!

Old Trafford Pale Ale turned out to be a pure delight. I feel English Pale Ales sometimes can be a little on the bland side. Well, I'm here to tell you this one's a bulls eye on my taste profile!

This one, as advertised, has a hint of bitterness that I found superbly attractive. Not a knock-your-socks off bitterness by any means, but a subtle bitterness just poking its head above the maltiness. A wonderful twinge on the style and I ended up bringing home a growler. Once again the brewers at Old Forge have come up with a winner.

So what's with the name Old Trafford?

Well, one might say that Danville was to iron rail as Old Trafford was to the aeroplane engine.

Sort of.

Old Trafford is an area just south of the city of Manchester England with a gate that leads right next door to Trafford Park which was home to much industrial activity in the period from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century. It was home to a Roll-Royce engine manufacturing facility that produced the engines for the Spitfire and Lancaster airplanes used so successfully during the 2nd world war.

Different century, different manufacturing, same import.

Old Forge continues to delight and encourage forays into the world of food, beer, and even history. They have become in my estimation, a credit to the restaurant and craft-beer scene in central PA. Their beers are tasty, the service friendly and competent, their meals: top-notch. I see in their newsletter presence at the GABF this year. I predict there may be glints of gold soon hanging alongside those malt sacks!

Herr Stiegl, what Goodness Have You Shaped!

J just got back from visiting a brother in Milwaukee and brought back this luscious Austrian babe.

He informed me that this beauty was imported directly to a Barley field in Skokie Illinois--according to him one of the few places in the US you can find one like this.

She sported a tan, golden really, the color of straw, with bulging, billowing, pillows of white foam up top, Pils'n from the cup which almost overfloweth.

1492 the label declares--I declare Long Live Austria!

Back-bar Design

I'm starting to get excited about finishing my bar. And, it's only been three years in the making!

L gave me an idea: Why not decorate the capitals on the columns containing the back-bar area? She mentioned the White House and the interesting capitals decorated with ears of corn, used in that design.

So I got to thinking, wheat oops what would make interesting capitals in this bar devoted to beer?

The first thing that came to mind was barley. That's a possibility.

Then I thought: Why not build Solomonic columns? Representative of the life-giving grain that makes all beer go down: Barley?

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure my woodworking skills are ready for Solomonic columns--let me ponder this development.

Schneider Weisse Wheat Beer Lexicon

I stumbled on this interesting and often funny dictionary of Wheat beer, Schneider Weisse, and all things beer and brewing generally, at the top-notch G. Schneider & Sohn brewery site.







I sort of intuited the health benefits of beer, but now it's official:

Hildegard of Bingen
famous doctor and abbess (1098 - 1179) advised in favor of beer drinking due to health reasons. She was a renowned brewmaster and opinioned: "If you are thirsty, you drink beer but no water , because water has no strength. Water will bring more damage than help to your body"

Now this is sanctioned beer quality if I ever saw it:

Beertasting
A beertasting was supposedly run as follows: the mayor and two members of the cityhall appeared at the brewery , demanded a stein of beer, poured the beer on a wooden bench and sat with their leatherpants on it. So they remained sitting for an hour. When they rose and the bench stuck to your "bud" , then the beer was considered good.

It's been said that no German engineer could ever learn anything from an American. Hmmmm:

Crown cork
is the hygienically proven cap on the returnable bottle. The crown cork was invented by William Painter from Baltimore, Maryland, and has been used since 1892.

Universallay true, no?

Rolling pin or Nudelwoigler
Traditional Bavarian hitting tool to discipline drunk ("b´suffane") husbands. To be blue.

I've learned a few things over there and think you'll enjoy it too.

See you at Octoberfest!