i have no reference so i give it an 8.5/10

Drinking Heavy Seas Loose Cannon right now and it's a great example of a balanced American IPA as far as I can tell. Just the right bitterness level (imo) and isn't over hopped with floraly, sweet hops.

DISCLAIMER: Had a Stone IPA prior so my tastebuds could be dead at this point.

Brewed a clone of this beer last winter and we hit it on the head. IMO our best beer so far.

Most memorable beers I've tried so far in the past 2 weeks. Based on what I like, if you guys can give me suggestions to try that would be great.


St. Bernardus Abt12: my favorite Quad and probably my favorite beer so far. Great flavor, smooth, and not fizzy. My gf had a get-together and I bought a bunch of beers. They loved this one most even though they're not beer fanatics.

Trois Pistoles: The only Belgian Strong Dark Ale I've tried so far (or that's the type of beer Beer Advocate says it is). Love this beer. Almost tied with Abt12 but style is a little different. Great flavor, dark roasted something going in there. So easy to drink.

Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale: would this be considered hoppy? Seems hoppier than Belgians, which seem to have very few hops in them. Anyways, a terrific beer that seems to have a lot going on.

I was going to put Three Philosophers but I tried it a second time and it just seems a bit too sweet or heavy. Maybe I'll try a third time. And fourth time

Some Tripels I tried: Chimay Tripel, Tripel Karmeleit, Westmalle Tripel. I think Tripel Karmeleit was the best all around. They were all great for what they were, with Westmalle being a little fizzier than I like. Tripels are a good style but usually after one I'm done. They're too rich or champagney or something I can't put my finger on. Still need to try that Unibroue one.

Beers I didn't like: Duvel. Seems like a slightly more flavored pilsner. I was expecting great things but was left underwhelmed. Oh and the two stouts I've tried: Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout and Oatmeal Stout. Imperial was not that bad actually but was kinda blah to my nooby taste buds. If anyone has recommendations for a great stout let me know.

Bell's Expedition Stout is a good one to try. The first one I had was unbelievable good, the second one was super alcohol-y tasting though so gl.

I had a BrewDog Dogma the other day and it was pretty delicious. Very honey-y tasting and well balanced. Their Punk IPA is also quite good.

is that jaipur that i can spy at the right hand side of the second shelf from the top? you MUST buy some if it is

Dero, try Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and Rogue Chocolate Stout. Both are great. Young's is a top 5 beer for me. They are both VERY different though--try side by side if you can. I really enjoy Young's on tap.

I had the Jaipur IPA not too long ago and I wasn't very impressed tbh. The Young's Double Chocolate Stout was also a bit of a let down. Loose Cannon tasted very different tonight, much less bitter and much more citrusy. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. I've now drank 4 glasses of a moscato that the fiancee likes and am sufficiently drunkish. Although I also appear to be able to type just fine. Hmmmmm. I fixed my free refrigerator which was only hovering ~75 previously. I defrosted freezer/took off back panel and cleaned everything up/threw away old dirty ****. Checked the seals out/refixed a cpl of them and now it's working fine. Gonna start converting into kegerator soon, I'll try and post some pics if I remember.

I've put together my kegerator package, and I come up within a few bux any way I go, but I think my best deal is at kegconnection.com....

2 faucet ball lock conversion kit, with upgraded CO2 tank (only $15 extra, well worth it in IMO to go from 5 lb to 10 lb), 2 upgraded Stainless Perlick faucet, and drip tray, delivered, for $300. CO2 tank good to go until Sept 2014 IIRC without testing...

Only need to get a couple of kegs, and the fridge my inlaws said they'd give me, and I'll have $400 wrapped up in it...not bad for a two keg setup with faucets...I know I can go with party faucets and a 5 lb tank and get off cheaper but this seems like a good deal to me.......whadya think?

would you be willing to share the recipe with me?:P

cardsman,

Picking up a used CO2 tank from CL or something will likely shave at least $100 off that price tag.

Yes, I will PM you, but going to amusement park today so it will be tomorrow or on wknd.

what is CL? I was getting a brand new 10lb tank for $75 and wouldn't have to test for 3 yrs so sounded good. Others have said used tank too but I thought testing was pricey?

CL=Craigslist

Had a 120 Minute IPA last night. Wow that was intense. Super thick, almost like cough syrup. The alcohol hits you in the face along with an heavy dose of sweetness. I have 3 more bottles that I think I'll hold onto and see how they age.

Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout is unbelievable, imo.

I concur 100%. That beer is delicious.

around my house I just swap out my empty tanks for different ones (I go to a welding place called AirGas, there might be one near you.) Since I never keep one for more than 2-3 months, I never have to worry about it being re-certified.

Also, do you have any friends in the restaurant business? They often can find you an empty tank that you can swap out yourself.

Of course, I use 20lb tanks, 10 pounders aren't common at restaurants.

I was just looking at a clone recipe for Black Butte. Trying to decide on a base porter recipe for a beer fermented with Red Wine Yeast and Brett.

My wife got a "Dark Humour" at a local bar recently and loved it. It is a 100% Brett fermented Porter that had a slight sour finish. It was brewed by Iron Hill (A brew pub in PA) and the Ithica brewing company. Ithica likes to use Acid Malt in their beers and Brett likes Acid Malt, so I am guessing the sour finish is due to acid malt.

So my plan is to add a little acid malt. The red wine yeast should give some cherry/berry flavors and some mouth feel and the brett should add some funk. Probably going to brew it on Labor day weekend. Also planning on making a low OG starter beer with the Rosalaere blend that weekend to have a nice 2nd gen pitch of Rosalaere for a Flanders Pale. Trying to get it a bit more sour then a 1st gen pitch.

^Way to sit on your screen name for 6 years waiting for this thread to develop :P.

@mark: Saw you drank a Stone IPA the other night. Was that **** not one of the most bitter IPA's you've had? I looked up their hop recipe and the bittering hop is magnum which I've never used. Have you had any other beers with that as the main/only bittering hop?

I know, right?
Ya know, I used to think that Stone IPA and Stone Pale Ale were about the best things in the world after Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but it was Stone Brewery Night at the Dunedin House of Beer where me n' a pal grill every Thu/Fri (shameless plug) and I was surprised that I didn't have as much of a taste for them (the IPA in particular) anymore - or at least last night.

I was wondering what the overpowering hop was in that beer - I appreciate you filling me in - because it just wasn't in my wheelhouse anymore.

I don't have much experience with Magnums, but if that's the source of that citrusy note in the IPA's hop profile, I'm gonna avoid them. I didn't hate them, but in general, I want something a little earthier.


btw, I made this:

Food looks nom-tacular. I've been getting into porters lately and have been digging vanilla ones in particular. I've got a whole lot of different beers I want to brew but I think I'm going to add one more to the list.

Planning on getting some good dark rum and soaking vanilla beans/white oak chips in it and adding it to secondary on Ed Wort's Robust Porter recipe.

Also thinking about bumping the malts up in the recipe to try and hit >8% abv so I can age it for a bit.

that sounds good. lemme know when it's ready!

Will do!

Gonna keg up my latest pale ale and wheat pils sometime today. Will be my first kegging other than a stout that stayed at a friends house on his system the whole time >_<

Had my favorite Tripel yet (have tried Chimay, Westmalle, and Tripel Karmeleit so far): Unibroue's Fin Du Monde. Has the best aroma of any beer I've tried yet - floraly something. Taste is super smooth: None of the fizziness that I don't like from other Tripels. The high alcohol is masked well. Highly recommend. I give this 5 out of 5 easily.

Also had a Belgian Strong Dark Ale: Chimay Grande Reserve. I had high expectations but was underwhelmed. First, it was too carbonated for my liking. Second, nothing about the taste or the aroma really stood out. It's a good beer but not a greta one imo. Unibroue's Trois Pistoles is a better beer for that category imo because the flavors seem more fresh, alive, dark, and roasty-ish. How's that for a nooby desription? I give it 3.75 out of 5.

Diasclaimer: before I drank the Fin du Monde I had the Chimay, so that might have affected things. I dunno.

My previous hobbies were bike racing/running. It works for both apparently.

Was in the mountains of NE PA this past week. My sister was going 40 mins away to a decent supermarket chain (Wegmans) that usually carries Jolly Pumpkin. Gave her a $20. She came back with Lindemans Kriek. I was sad.