The Beer Thread

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

There's a takeout/sit down restaurant in downtown Rockville, and it's the only place I've ever seen have the Sierra Nevada Torpedo. I never heard of it before I saw it there and it was $2.50 for a 12 oz bottle. I like to make sure I'm getting something worthwhile before I start throwing that kind of money at every beer I see.

[Sebowski]

Pizza Port just opened a couple blocks away from me (across from the Redskins bar). Last night I had these drafts:

Port OB Newbreak Pale Ale. Very solid pale ale. Glad it is being brewed just blocks away. B

New Belgian Eric's Sour Ale. I've been drinking a lot of sours lately. I wasn't overly impressed with this one. It was good enough, but I won't seek it out. B

Decshuttes Jubel 2010. Bought a bottle of this awhile ago and then decided to just age it. Now I wish I would have bought a couple more. A lot going on flavor wise and it tastes like it will develop very well. A

Lost Abbey Angel Share. I've had this beer a few times before. Great beer. This is the best smelling beer I've ever smelt. I'd buy it just to let it sit around and smell it throughout the night. Tastes great too. B+ (the Brandy aged is an easy A)

...and the took a growler home of Port Solona Beach 4th Anniversary. They called it an American Strong, but it tasted like a killer DIPA to me. A

Also, the other day I had the Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Sasion De Buff. Saison brewed with, wait for it.... Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. A lot of Rosemary on the nose. Just a great blend of spices on the tongue. Not the least of which is HOPS. I read Saison, parsley, rosemary, blahblahblah... But the hops really do this beer good. You don't get to them right away. Too much of the other spices (good thing, not bad thing). The finish is all hops though(another good thing). It was so good I wanted to chew it. I heard you are suppose to age it 6 months. I'm picking up a case.A+

[Bibby]

Can anybody guide me to a good bar in DC that has a great selection and cater's more to the young crowd? A friend and I want to hit up a place somewhere before we go to a Nat's night game.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Also, the other day I had the Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Sasion De Buff. Saison brewed with, wait for it.... Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. A lot of Rosemary on the nose. Just a great blend of spices on the tongue. Not the least of which is HOPS. I read Saison, parsley, rosemary, blahblahblah... But the hops really do this beer good. You don't get to them right away. Too much of the other spices (good thing, not bad thing). The finish is all hops though(another good thing). It was so good I wanted to chew it. I heard you are suppose to age it 6 months. I'm picking up a case.A+

Now that's what I call a Saison. I've only had one Saison in my life and it was the Lemon Pepper Saison from Sam Adams (reviewed it a few pages back). I actually liked it the most out of the three Longshot beers I had that night...they were all good.

I gotta keep my eye out for the spice brewed beers...think I'll be drawn to that style.

[Warpath11]

installed a tower cooler, made a new table top and painted it. I used Rustoleum spray paint, and did the best I could to match up the burgundy. I also painted the mug-rail with the Rustoleum.

The table top is a piece of butcher block that I cut to size and routed. I used the Home Depot "Glidden NFL colors" paint. I also stuck a Redskins vinyl adhesive decal,(it came with a Fathead) on the table-top, near the front. The color for the table-top is spot on, because the decal is gold, with burgundy letters, and it blends seamlessly.

The Redskins *Budweiser sign on the door is metal. It was also gifted to me. I used some type of 3M double-sided adhesive to affix the sign to the door.

I added new beer line and a stainless Perlick forward sealing faucet.

Recently, I was concerned, because the liquid temp of the beer was only 41 degrees. (CO2 comes out of solution at temps above 38 degrees..i.e. foamy pours)

It was an easy fix. All I did was replace the door-liner and door gasket with OEM parts, (which I was surprised to find, given that the unit is so old) Damn thing gets so cold now that I have to dial the thermostat up to keep it from freezing the beer lines.

I probably dumped around $300.00 into it.

My favorite part, which you can't see in those pics, is the Redskins tap-handle. I got Chris Cooley to autograph it and put "Dallas Sucks!" on it.

*no Budweiser product will ever be dispensed from this kegerator

Very nice, good work! I want to make mine a little more personal I just had no idea how to do it (with the paints and all). A quick question about the tower cooler, is it just a fan you have blowing the cold fridge air into the tower? Though I must say have not had any trouble with temp differences in mine without a tower cooling system. I got my tower (3-tap) from ACU metalfab and they come with pretty good piece of insulation that seems to get the job done (ive had no issues with foaming yet).

Also do you keep your CO2 tank on the outside (if so how did you connect it)? I am afraid I will destroy the fridge if I put holes anywhere not on the top (I think in mine the coolent lines are on the side and the back). I ask because I want to get a bigger CO2 tank, right now since I keep the CO2 tank in the fridge with the keg so all i can fit is a 5lb canister. A friend of mine has a 10 and 15 lbs canister he will give me once I figure out how to connect the gas line from the outside.

[#98QBKiller]

I went to the Wine in the Woods yesterday and after every wine I tried all I could think is that I could really go for a beer. I came home and opened a Sierra Nevada Porter. Wine just can't touch a good beer.

Amen to that. A good beer >>>>>> a good wine.

[Skinsfan1311]

Very nice, good work! I want to make mine a little more personal I just had no idea how to do it (with the paints and all). A quick question about the tower cooler, is it just a fan you have blowing the cold fridge air into the tower? Though I must say have not had any trouble with temp differences in mine without a tower cooling system. I got my tower (3-tap) from ACU metalfab and they come with pretty good piece of insulation that seems to get the job done (ive had no issues with foaming yet).

Also do you keep your CO2 tank on the outside (if so how did you connect it)? I am afraid I will destroy the fridge if I put holes anywhere not on the top (I think in mine the coolent lines are on the side and the back). I ask because I want to get a bigger CO2 tank, right now since I keep the CO2 tank in the fridge with the keg so all i can fit is a 5lb canister. A friend of mine has a 10 and 15 lbs canister he will give me once I figure out how to connect the gas line from the outside.

Thanks!

I installed a Dayton 12CFM blower. It's mounted it in the back corner of the box, below the cold-plate. I spliced an old PC power cord into wires that power the compressor. I connected a vinyl hose to the outlet that goes up into the tower, about 1/3'rd of the way up. You need very little airflow to cool the tower..as long as you're getting a little return airflow, (from the bottom of the tower back into the box), then you're good. If your going to install one, shoot me a PM, and I can give you more detail.

With that being said, if your getting good pours, then don't mess with it. (i.e. if it ain't broke, don't fix it)

I installed it because older kegerators have 2 1/2" towers which are too small, (IMO), to get decent airflow back into the box and I was getting foamy pours. The tower cooler installation made that go away.

I also installed a small circulating fan, which makes the temps in the box consistent from top to bottom, which has eliminated frost build-up on the cooling plate. It also made the temp drop a couple degrees, so I had to dial back the thermostat even more.

As far as CO2 storage, I have a 5lb steel tank, that's stored inside the unit. I also have a spare 5lb tank and the good fortune to have a friend who works at AirGas who hooks me up with free refills

If I had my druthers, I'd store 'em outside, if I could keep them out of sight, but there is not enough room in the Skins cave to do so. Even if you're friend gives you the tanks, you need to make sure that they've been hydrostatically(sp?) tested.

You're best bet may be to just buy a spare 5lb aluminum tank. You should be able to find 'em for $50.00 - $60.00 and keep it on hand, so you never run out of CO2

Good luck!

Hope this helps!

Edited May 18, 2010 by Skinsfan1311

[Warpath11]

You're best bet may be to just buy a spare 5lb aluminum tank. You should be able to find 'em for $50.00 - $60.00 and keep it on hand, so you never run out of CO2

Good luck!

Hope this helps!

Great advice thanks, and the only reason I want a bigger CO2 tank is becuase one of my two 5lbs tanks is terrible and leaks something aweful (lasts about a week to ten days). I've tried everything to fix the leak (appears to come from where the regulator connects to the tank...i've even bought new regulators) the keg itself is not leaking since my other steel CO2 canister is good and there are no indications of a leak from the keg.

My friends tanks are good since he uses them to push his beer and they are only 2-3 years old (he got them brand new), as I said earlier the only issue is where to make a hole in the frige to thread the hose.

Yeah I am not going to mess with any tower cooler at the moment since I am not having any pouring issues. The only draw back to my kegging system is the limits on the volumes of CO2 I can pump into a beer and still get a decent pour. I have 5ft of 5/16 ID tubing pushed at 10 PSI so pending on the temps I can at most get about 2.5ish volumes of CO2 into the beer. For most beers this is fine but I like my Hefeweisen and Wits with a bit more fizz in em so I usually bottle those guys. How do you get aroudn that in your system or do you not really worry about it?

Edited May 18, 2010 by Warpath11

[Skinsfan1311]

Great advice thanks, and the only reason I want a bigger CO2 tank is becuase one of my two 5lbs tanks is terrible and leaks something aweful (lasts about a week to ten days). I've tried everything to fix the leak (appears to come from where the regulator connects to the tank...i've even bought new regulators) the keg itself is not leaking since my other steel CO2 canister is good and there are no indications of a leak from the keg.

My friends tanks are good since he uses them to push his beer and they are only 2-3 years old (he got them brand new), as I said earlier the only issue is where to make a hole in the frige to thread the hose.

Yeah I am not going to mess with any tower cooler at the moment since I am not having any pouring issues. The only draw back to my kegging system is the limits on the volumes of CO2 I can pump into a beer and still get a decent pour. I have 5ft of 5/16 ID tubing pushed at 10 PSI so pending on the temps I can at most get about 2.5ish volumes of CO2 into the beer. For most beers this is fine but I like my Hefeweisen and Wits with a bit more fizz in em so I usually bottle those guys. How do you get aroudn that in your system or do you not really worry about it?

Sucks about the tank.

The thing that sticks out is the 5/16" line. It should really be 3/16", which is the industry standard. The liquid temp should be 38 degrees. With a calibrated thermomter, do the "chug" test. Pour small amount of beer, chug it, pour another beer and immediately take the temperature of the beer. The thermometer should read 38 degrees.

I don't know what the volume of CO2 should be for those styles, but 10psi seems too low. If you don't finish the beer in a reasonable amount of time, it will start to lose carbonation and go flat.

If you want more fizz, and assuming a liquid temp of 38 degrees, I would replace the 5/16" with 7' of 3/16" line,(the longer the line, the more it restricts the flow). Bump the pressure up to 12 lbs PSI. If it pours too slow, then trim it in 6" lengths until you get a pour that you're happy with.

If the liquid temp is below 38 degrees, lower the pressure around 1lb for every degree below 38. (that's because beer absorbs more CO2at lower temps)

If it's above 38 degrees, lower the pressure at least 1lb for every degree above 38. That's because the beer absorbs less CO2 at higher temps.

Temperature is the most critical component to having a balanced system.

Remember, CO2 breaks out of solution at temps above 38 degrees.

If you're dispensing ales, (many of which are meant to be served at warmer temps), simply pour the beer and wait a couple of minutes for it to warm up. You can cheat a little, by lower the temp, and bumping up the pressure, (like I described above), but beer should be stored and served at 38 degrees.

Good luck!

Edited May 19, 2010 by Skinsfan1311
added text

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Real bummed out that the liquor store in Twinbrook Shopping Center is closing down on the 29th. Great prices and a good selection made that my go-to place, and I honestly began my love for craft beer in that store. Sam Adams sixers for $6.50, Heavy Seas for $8.00, Saranac for $5.50. Son of a biscuit eater.

I remember thinking I was making progress with my tastes by getting Budweiser American Ale from there last year. I remember asking #98QBKiller about what stouts he recommended and he mentioned Samuel Adams Cream Stout and Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. I got my first batches of those from the Twinbrook Liquor Store. ****.

They aren't getting any new orders in, the place is emptying out. They haven't had any Chicory Stout for a while, so I grabbed the last sixer of Wild Goose Oatmeal Stout (which I also believe #98QBK recommended to me). A shiver went down my spine when I took it off the shelf. The first stout I ever bought was the Wild Goose from this store, and I made it the last stout I will buy from this store.

I started my love for craft beer at that place, and I of course heeded the advice from everyone in this thread. ASF, GoSkins, 'Bowski, QBK, matty dread, grego, bpoch, sf1311, Dan T., Warpath...I know I'm missing peeps but seriously, this thread got me in to craft beer.

I went back through the first few pages of this thread and am embarrassed by my comments. I actually hated the Sam Adams Winter Lager? Really?

No..I remember why, it's because when I was barely even a drinker of domestic brews my friend pushed it on me. To a complete beer novice like I was at the time, I immediately judged it as being terrible. Little did I know that later in my life it'd become one of my most trusted brews.

Jesus Christ, again, I gotta give #98QBKiller props for showing me the light. He convinced me to give the Winter Lager another chance. I owe you a beer son!

I digress. I bought my first Dogfish head 60 minute and 90 minute IPA at this liquor store. My first sixer from Flying Dog, Dominion and Clipper City came from this store; as well as beers I really disliked completely. I guess it's a sign that I have to move on from beer tasting 101 and hull my ass up to the craft beer store from now on.

Edited May 19, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[Warpath11]

Sucks about the tank.

The thing that sticks out is the 5/16" line. It should really be 3/16", which is the industry standard. The liquid temp should be 38 degrees. With a calibrated thermomter, do the "chug" test. Pour small amount of beer, chug it, pour another beer and immediately take the temperature of the beer. The thermometer should read 38 degrees.

Yeah my bad it is 3/16 ID tubing for the beverage it was a typo I have so much tubing here that i get them mixed up. Anyway I still use 5ft of 3/16'' ID tubing at 10PSI which nets in about 2.4 volumes of CO2 (at about 36 to 38 degrees) and really good pours with perfect amount of foam. Anyway we should get back to the beer discussion thanks for your input.

I am having a homebrewed hefeweisen that is just delicious considering I used a dry yeast strain for the fermentation. I am shocked at the profile using this dry yeast the clove and banana flavors are great I would say as good as any of the liquid hefeweisen yeast that is available.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Also do you keep your CO2 tank on the outside (if so how did you connect it)? I am afraid I will destroy the fridge if I put holes anywhere not on the top (I think in mine the coolent lines are on the side and the back). I ask because I want to get a bigger CO2 tank, right now since I keep the CO2 tank in the fridge with the keg so all i can fit is a 5lb canister. A friend of mine has a 10 and 15 lbs canister he will give me once I figure out how to connect the gas line from the outside.

Try the cornstarch/vodka test for locating your coolant lines: http://community.livejournal.com/homebrewing/413981.html

Edited May 19, 2010 by HighPlainsDrifter

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Think it's about time I reviewed this stuff

Pours black with a ruby tinge when held up to a light. Head is tan and dissipates in to almost nothing quickly.

Aroma has an above average potency of roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, lightly toasted bread and bubblegum.

Deep roasted taste that follows all the way through the aftertaste. An undertone of smoke and dark coffee. Mouthfeel is heavy,carbonation is a tad more than I'd like it to be. The aftertaste sticks around for a long time, which could turn some folks off.

Overall this beer is right in my wheelhouse, but it's obviously not meant to be the greatest beer of all time. The price of this stuff is gift as far as I'm concerned. $6.50 a six pack? A total steal. I love having this with steak and potatoes in the backyard during the summer. Can't wait.

Quality Grade: B (84)

Price Grade: A+

Overall Grade: A-

Edited May 28, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[Warpath11]

Try the cornstarch/vodka test for locating your coolant lines: http://community.livejournal.com/homebrewing/413981.html

Yeah that is pretty much the conversion I followed to a T (even to the Sanyo 4912) except his is a bit more elaborate with the fan, thermometer housing unit, and the door change (would be nice to get two kegs in there so that is on my to do list eventually). I did the cornstrach thing for the top as the person in that link but I would like to bring my gas line from the back or the side of the fridge and there that vodka/cornstarch thing does not really work.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Well I made it to the craft beer store, not really an epic selection, pretty small joint, but I picked up a sixer.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Flying Dog Horn Dog Barleywine Style Ale

Weyerbacher Fireside Ale

Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale

North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

Lagunitas Maximus IPA

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Weyerbacher Fireside Ale

Pours a deep mahogany with an off white head. Sweet caramel dominates the aroma, there is a smoky note in there, but it's pretty much all caramel. I'm liking the look and smell a lot.

The taste, to me at least, is very smoky. The description on the bottle says that there's a "touch of smokiness." Well I'm getting a hell of a lot more than a touch of smokiness. That said, it isn't a deterrent, I like this brew more and more with each sip. The caramel is definitely present initially, but the smoke is right there with it, and it dominates the aftertaste.

When drinking this beer, pay attention to the smoke flavor, it will sneak by you if you don't. Once you start to pay attention to that characteristic, this beer comes alive.

Grade: B (86)

Edited May 21, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale

Pours a clear amber with a white head that says goodbye quickly. Aroma is citrus hops with butter; it's nice, although not very strong.

Watery feel, and not really any hop bite at all. This just doesn't seem like a pale ale, more like a lager. Not as bland as a Rolling Rock (to compare it to another "Extra Pale Ale"), but relative to the craft-scene it's pretty lifeless.

Overall this would be a nice session beer, yet it's way too expensive on this front. And how the hell do they explain the word "Extra" in the name? Extra dull?

E+ (57)

Edited May 21, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine Style Ale (10.2% ABV)

Hazy brown with a burgundy tinge, large head. Aroma is caramel and fruits with an overtone of booze. Typical forwardness from Flying Dog.

Taste is sweet and sugary, you certainly notice the alcohol. Can't really sense any hops in this one, it has a dominating sweet malt presence. Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, it goes well with how sugary this tastes.

This is another solid brew from Flying Dog, it's definitely an ass kicker. I like how that brewery doesn't seem to hold back. Usually in-your-face type of stuff. This is right behind the Double Pale Ale as my favorite beer from Flying Dog.

B+ (88)

Edited May 21, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Lagunitas Maximus IPA

Amber pour with a thick, white, frothy head. Nice lacing. Big aroma of grapefruit and pine hops.

Taste is a bitter slap of pine, citrus and grass. Must say that the malt is hard to detect through all the hop action going on. Perhaps some caramel. This is a bitter one.

This is certainly a bitter beer but I personally enjoy it and will probably get it again this summer. It's one of those beers that will make you snap-to after sitting under the sun on a hot day. You know, but so can a shot of whisky.

B- (83)

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

Pours black with a brown, creamy head. This smells god damn incredible. Roasted malts with freshly baked oatmeal cookie and licorice. A very holiday-like tone to the aroma. Pleasantly unique.

Taste is a different story. Mouthfeel is light, watered down even. WTF? Taste is relatively bland compared to the aroma. Why? This had such great potential. Roasted malts are the only thing to write home about; there's also dark chocolate with a little bit of a hop note, but it's watered down! Blach!

I am totally digging the aroma of this brew, and totally not digging the taste. Give me an air refreshener of this stuff.

C (73)

Edited June 16, 2010 by d0ublestr0ker0ll

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale

Deep, cloudy amber with a friggen huge off-white head. Wow. Maybe I'm just a little tipsy by now. Woops! The smell is full of hops that are liable to pass as nose spray. Very sharp. Citrus and floral, mostly citrus. Dark fruit in there as well, man oh man.

It's been a couple minutes and the head is still holding on strong. Taste is citrus, grass and pine hops with a sweet malt backbone. Very tasty, and very bitter. Some caramel in the aftertaste as well. Mostly bitter hops all the way through. If you focus on the malt you will taste the malt. This is a dynamic barleywine.

The alcohol is hidden well by the strong flavors of this beer, and I must say the flavors aren't for the regular beer guzzler. It's bitter, it's a punch in the mouth. But the more beers you try the more you want to find something like this. I really like this beer, and it ain't incredibly expensive.

A- (90)

[Skinsfan1311]

Just tapped a keg of this....

My local beer guy let it go for $130.00 tax included.

Someone ordered it, and changed his mind.

Saved me $28.00!!

Now...I'm just waiting for the keg to settle....in the meantime, I'm drinking a Peroni...

[Skinsfan1311]

Lagunitas Maximus IPA

Amber pour with a thick, white, frothy head. Nice lacing. Big aroma of grapefruit and pine hops.

Taste is a bitter slap of pine, citrus and grass. Must say that the malt is hard to detect through all the hop action going on. Perhaps some caramel. This is a bitter one.

This is certainly a bitter beer but I personally enjoy it and will probably get it again this summer. It's one of those beers that will make you snap-to after sitting under the sun on a hot day. You know, but so can a shot of whisky.

B- (83)

I snagged a sixer of the Maximus, when we were in Lake Tahoe, back in February. It was on sale at the local grocery store for around $7.00, so I couldn't resist. Your review is spot on.

Truthfully, I couldn't detect even a hint of malt. It was ok, but nothing that I would consider buying again. I prefer the Lagunitas IPA...

[The Brave Little Toaster Oven]

Blue Moon is amazing...:drool:

[WARPATH85]

Sipping on a ice cold Foster's right now. Who knows what I'll be drinking when I go back to Italy.