BR from this weekend:

Founders Centenial IPA - good but not great ipa, very piney due to the nature of the centennial hops. Only had one as I was more interested in the next beer.

Shorts Huma Lupa Licious - holy hop punch, I think my tastebuds are still sore. This is a big, amazing, beer. This is a Michigan only beer, but if you can get one I would highly recommend trying it.

i think this beer trying phase of mine is going to lead to alcoholism. i've tried 2+ beers a night for like the past 5 or 6 nights. yesterday was first night i didn't drink and i got all edgy and restless like something was missing.

If you're trying to get subtle flavor differences I would shoot for the same IBU range. Although to use the same amount and let the IBU fall where it may would be interesting too.....

I would be scared of the jug setup if you're talking about screw on caps, but with a hole in it it would probably be okay....

I'm no expert but 1/5 yeast in each batch sounds right. A little extra in each one may not hurt?

Yea so BCTC was the best Beer event Ive ever been to in my life ainec, Im too lazy to do a TR but my wife did a little one on her blog...enjoy.

http://blog.befrankstudio.com/2011/0...perstown-2011/

Kegerator is in the making. So far I've spent 45$ on 5# Co2 tank, 1 dual gauge single regulator, 1 dual gauge double regulator, 5 corny's, 2 sets of disconnects, 2 party faucets, 1 refrigerator, and 10' of 5/8 and 3/8 tubing.

Winner winner chicken dinner imo.

Picture of fridge

I hate you Wraths

I'm actually considering it too. My in-laws may give me their old fridge at the end of the summer. I can get a keg, CO2 tank, disconnects, hoses, two faucets (upgrading from the party faucets), and a drip tray for about $200, then I'd need another tank and a couple of other things. I think I'll have $350-$400 in it by the time I'd be done?

Where'd you get all that stuff for $45?

Try Dogfish 60 Minute Ale - excellent
also Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is my fav go to pale ale - kinda a reference standard.

Speaking of reference standard - that Sam Smith Nut Brown is considered by some to be the best of it's type....

Fridge - free

Co2 tank + single regulator - 30$

disconnects + double regulator + faucet - 15$ after discounted price from credit card rakeback (Would have been ~95$ with shipping regularly)

I bought 25 cornys when I bought them and resold 20 to break even.

Hosing is free from a friend who does work for a pretty big commercial AC company.

If you like 60 minute you have to try the 90 minute. One of my favorite overall beers. I had a '11 120 minute not to long ago and it was god awful. It tasted like drinking liquid sugar. It probably gets much better over time though.

Also had Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout not to long ago based on recommendations in this thread and I was pretty pleased. The local brewery here (Cocoa Beach Brewing Company) makes 3-4 beers regularly and their Not Just Some Oatmeal Stout is probably their only decent beer.

Also, I ordered from kegconnection through Amazon and they were really quick/simple to use. I went to their site and this looks like what you'd want?

http://stores.kegconnection.com/Detail.bok?no=430

You can get cheaper kegs from other sites though.

Thanks Wraths, I don't think I'd checked there. Looked at MoreBeer, Midwest Beverage, Beverage Factory, and a place here in town. That style of kit is definitely what I was looking at, but I'm looking at ball locks instead of pin locks. Pin locks are cheaper but no one makes them anymore, ball locks may be easier to get repair parts for.

Couple things you may know about but just in case--

Make sure they changed the seals on the cornys, sometimes they don't, and if they had soda in them, you'll pick up the soda taste.

The CO2 tanks have to be tested before places will fill them (here, at least), which can cost $75-100, I believe. The filling of the tanks is cheap, like propane, but the testing isn't and has to be done once a year IIRC.

I think I'm going to start out with 2 kegs, and then pick up a 3rd eventually so I can have one in rotation.

I'm pretty stoked about it to tell you the truth. Bottling is such a time drain!

+1 on kegconnection, thats where I bought all my equipment.

A few notes about those kits though...

-The linked kit comes with the standard chrome faucets, but you have to upgrade to Perlicks imo. The forward sealing design is the way to go. I actually bought 20 yr old forward sealing SS (Brass plated) faucets and they work great so that speaks to their longevity.

-Kegconnection is currently selling Ball Locks that are fully converted Pin Locks. Which is perfectly fine and Ive since converted a Pin Lock to Ball Lock, but keep in mind that their dimensions are different (Ball Lock is skinny and narrower and Pin Lock shorter and fatter) My set up can handle the height so ball locks are my go to.



Where I go a tank fill is $7 for a 5# tank, so cheap. Kegconnection ships you a brand new tank so you dont have to worry about it being certified. Just make sure the place you get your CO2 from fills tanks instead of swapping empties for fulls, bc you dont want to swap a brank spankin new one for some beat up old one.

I really do not think you have to get the tanks certified every year, I think its like once every 7 years or something along those lines.. $100/yr for that would be enough to shy people away for good.

I was looking at a faucet upgrade, too, but thought I could get away with the cheap ones for a year or so before doing that.

You're probably right about the testing timeframe then, I might have misunderstood my buddy....

Even if you just upgrade to the 525PC Perlick faucet its worth it, and thats only an $8 /faucet upgrade. All the forward sealing aside, they are so much more attractive.

here's my kegerator, nothing fancy:


I usually just use one product line with a picnic tap on it and switch between flavors. I keep the CO2 tank right outside and blast for 2-3 seconds every sixth pour or so. Since I'm constantly bringing kegs places, it makes more sense to have something that isn't hard-mounted inside my garage.

The reason I'm sharing is to show that you can be pouring beer quite simply and cheaply until you get the nice hardware and time to install it. Plus, you'll have stuff for when you want to share your beer at a party or whatever.

i was going to post some reviews but i don't quite understand the difference between a hoppy taste and malty taste. i always thought hoppy meant bitter but that's probably not right since when i read about malt i come across terms used for hops like "bitter."

or is it useless to use either term really?

Try a Stone Arrogant Bastard and you'll taste hoppy bitterness.

Taste a Spaten Optimator and you'll experience malty sweetness.

There are some malts that impart some bitterness, but I've rarely come across any beers that don't balance out that aspect with a richer malt flavor.

hope that helped.

What Mark said. Stone Arrogants are awesome.

I prefer Spaten Optimator. For the longest time that was my all time favorite.....I'm not really sure what I'd call my favorite now.

As Mark said, malts might impart bitterness but it's offset. Usually it's the darker malts that are roasted longer that add a bitterness because some of the sugars are carmelized and no longer useable for fermentation and the "burnt" part is left over, so to speak. Malts are used in beer specifically because they have sugars to break down, and the sugars get turned into the alcohol. Darker malts give slightly different flavors and help out with the color characteristics of the beer.

yeah, this is exactly what I was talking about. dry Irish stouts are a good example of a bitter malt flavor profile.

however, derosnec, go ahead and post your reviews as best you can. most likely folks will discuss the beer and your descriptions and compare them with their own impressions and the result will be a pretty solid understanding of the beer you were good enough to bring up to the community. don't be shy; we're not wine snobs, after all.

Another good example of a hoppy bitterness will come with the smell. A lot of hoppy beers (IPAs especially) have a "flowery" smell associated with them. Not all of them, mind you, but many. Hops can also give a citrusy or spicy smell. Different variations of hops are used in different beers to either make a prominent bitterness, or to specifically be in the background of the beer and not overpowering.

If you take an IPA and just put your nose to the beer, you'll see what I mean.

Yeast can do the same but it's usually more muted.

And definitely don't be afraid to discuss!!

Also, lots of hoppy beers leave a very distinct aftertaste... and a flavour that I can only describe as "thick"..

Klavs, I had a Stone Double Black IPA specifically made for the Natl Homebrewers Conference. Color and mouthfeel like a porter, hopped like an IPA. Never have had anything like it in my life....

Holy crap that sounds amazing. Were they selling it at the conference? Do you have any left?

They were giving it out at the conference. I'd have to look in my cupboard to see if I still have a bottle.....I think I brought two home. I'm at work now...

Yea, I actually bought the picnic faucet kit so I could have them around for kegs to go, then bought the shanks and faucets at a LHBS.

So has anyone brewed their pumpkin ales yet? Im doing one with a buddy of mine tomorrow morning. I pretty concerned about the pumpkin in the mash, ive yet to have a stuck sparge but Im nervous that this may be my first.